Lüneburg Heath

The heath is not natural: forest cleared from the Bronze Age onward, then grazed and cut for bedding, exhausted the soil until only heather could grow, and the landscape has been maintained ever since by grazing Heidschnucke sheep, a horned moorland breed, and by burning and cutting. Without that work it would revert to birch and pine within decades. The Naturpark Lüneburger Heide, established in 1921 around the Wilseder Berg, is among the oldest protected areas in Germany. Cars are excluded from the core, which is crossed on foot, by bicycle or in horse-drawn carriages. The heather flowers purple in August and early September.

What you actually see

• The purple flowering - heather in bloom through August and early September.
• The Heidschnucke sheep - a horned moorland breed maintaining the landscape.
• The Wilseder Berg - a low rise with views across the open heath.
• The car-free core - an area crossed on foot, by bike or by carriage.

When to go

August and early September for the flowering, which is short and heavily visited. Outside it the heath is brown and quiet. Carriages run in season.

Honest expectations

The flowering lasts a few weeks and draws large crowds. Cars are excluded from the core, so expect long walks. Outside August the landscape is drab.

Nearby

Lüneburg lies north; Celle is south.