South Heath Nature Park

Picturesque river landscape and a sea of purple colour

The South Heath Nature Park presents an unforgettable diverse landscape of gently rolling, extensive heathland, from deep forests, to wide meadows and pastures and the babbling water of idyllic heather brooks, as well as romantic lakes and moorland landscapes.

Particularly beautiful in the South Heath Nature Park are, for example, the Misselhorn Heath area with the rolling hills of the impressive Tiefental near Hermannsburg, or the Schmarbeck juniper forest near Müden (Örtze) - one of the largest and most beautiful juniper forests in Europe. The lush green of the juniper offers a great contrast to the purple flowering heather. The extensive Oberoher Heath area is wonderfully rich in variety, with its lakes, birches and junipers.

It is an unforgettable moment to encounter a shepherd, in this expanse of the heathland, with his flock of ‘heather sheep’.   The sheep of the Heidschnucken breed are the symbolic animals of the Lüneburg Heath and contribute to the preservation of the Heath's cultural landscape. The heather blooms in August and September, when the landscape is transformed into a magnificent sea of purple hues.

More and more visitors are discovering this unique landscape as a year-round destination, because each season has its own special charm throughout the heath. Well-signposted cycling and hiking trails run through the South Heath Nature Park, inviting you to stop awhile and stay longer. The ‘Heidschnuckenweg’, a long-distance hiking trail, leads from north to south (or vice versa) through the Lüneburg Heath where rows of heather are lined together like a string of pearls. This path has been honoured several times as one of the most beautiful hiking trails in Germany.

It is possible to take a canoe tours on the river Aller in the Celle region, which offers a picturesque change of perspective. The leisurely river is also suitable for inexperienced paddlers and provides an attractive break from cycling along the Aller cycle path. Those looking for something more sporty, can switch to canoes on the river Örtze in the South Heath Nature Park. The Heathland poet Hermann Löns called the idyllic Heidebach "The heath’s truest river’.

Hermannsburg and Müden are just two of the beautiful Heathland villages that have developed modern facilities while retaining much of their original charm. They are the centres of Heathland tourism in the South Heath Nature Park. The river Örtze ripples through the towns and visitors are impressed by the beautiful half-timbered buildings. The St. Laurentius Church in Müden’s  historic centre, with its typical free-standing wooden bell tower is an absolute treasure.