Unteres Odertal National Park

Germany’s only floodplain national park
The Unteres Odertal National Park is characterized by a high diversity of species. At the heart of the national park lies the floodplain landscape of the Unteres Odertal. Here, there are large polders that are regularly flooded. This has allowed typical floodplain habitats and species to be preserved. In addition to the floodplain landscape, the park features near-natural mixed deciduous forests and flower-rich dry grasslands on the adjacent slopes. The Unteres Odertal National Park is 50 kilometers long, up to five kilometers wide, and covers an area of over 10,000 hectares. It lies on the western bank of the Oder River and stretches from Hohensaaten in the south to Staffelde in the north.

A Park Rich in Biodiversity
With its river oxbow lakes and regularly flooded floodplains, the Unteres Odertal is a paradise for waterfowl, serving as a breeding, resting, and overwintering ground. More than 145 bird species breed in the national park; in spring and fall, visitors can observe the migration of thousands of geese, ducks, whooper swans, and cranes. The Oder is famous for its fish fauna; over 45 fish species live in the river, which remains quite natural in many areas. This biodiversity is due to the varied landscape—shaped by the Ice Age and the Oder River—and the transition zone between the Atlantic and continental climates. Plant species such as the pheasant’s eye and feather grass reach their westernmost limits here.

Visitor Center in Criewen
Those who wish to learn more about the national park will find information at the visitor center in Criewen on the landscape, flora and fauna, as well as excursion options in the Unteres Odertal. From here, the national park can be easily explored on foot or by bike.

Pure Wilderness
The designation as a national park has one key goal: to let nature be nature. The cultivated landscape is disappearing over large areas, and a “touch of wilderness” is making a comeback in the Unteres Odertal. The goal is to restore the floodplain landscape to its natural state and to establish a safe flooding regime that corresponds to a near-natural river floodplain. The protected area is part of the European Natura 2000 ecological network.

German-Polish National Park AreaUnteres Odertal National Park is also the first large-scale transboundary protected area shared with Poland. The natural landscape of the Unteres Odertal, with its unique flora and fauna, connects Germany and Poland. The Unteres Odertal National Park, the Unteres Odertal Region Landscape Conservation Area, and the Polish landscape conservation parks (Park Krajobrazowy) Dolina Dolnej Odry and Cedynia together form the Unteres Odertal Network of Protected Areas. The national park administration and the administration of the West Pomeranian landscape conservation parks work closely together on the protection and further development of the area.