The Vier- und Marschlande are made up of 12 districts of Bergedorf and together form one of the most beautiful natural areas in Hamburg. No less than four nature reserves, including the largest in Hamburg, can be explored here.
Surrounded by reeds and floodplain forests, green meadows, old half-timbered houses with thatched roofs, colorful seas of flowers on the banks of the Dove Elbe, centuries-old Baroque-style churches and enchanting bathing lakes, this southeastern outer edge of Hamburg has a truly calming effect on the senses.
Large green areas between the Goseelbe and Elbe rivers are part of the Kirchwerder Wiesen nature reserve. At 860 hectares, it is the largest designated nature reserve in Hamburg. Nearby, three other protected areas nestle on the Lower Elbe: In the Zollenspieker nature reserve, the original Elbe meadow landscape of the foreshore dikes is protected. The Kiebitzbrack is a relict of former flooding in the Elbe marshes and home to endangered amphibians. In the far southeast of Hamburg lies the Borghorst Elbe Landscape nature reserve, which continues into Schleswig-Holstein and reflects the species-rich habitat along the tide-influenced Elbe.
Adjacent to the Vier- und Marschlande in the north are also the Holzhafen and Boberger Niederung nature reserves, where with a bit of luck even sea eagles can be seen circling.
