UNESCO Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve

Natural river courses in the middle of regularly flooded, fertile floodplains have become rare in Central Europe. This can be experienced here on the Elbe, where the last contiguous floodplain forest complexes in Central Europe stretch out.

The Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve stretches along 303 kilometers of the Middle Elbe River through Saxony-Anhalt and is part of the transnational UNESCO Elbe River Landscape Biosphere Reserve. Wide meadows with centuries-old solitary oaks and the scenic attractions of the UNESCO Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz, which is embedded in the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve, can be found here. Plants and animals that are almost extinct in other parts of Europe still have their habitat here.

Located between Dessau-Roßlau and Oranienbaum, the Auenhaus information center is the central point of contact for nature lovers and provides information about the Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve. The permanent exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the special features of the protected area, its history and its tasks using replicas and models. For example, important protagonists of the floodplain habitat are presented and visitors can take a look inside an elaborately designed beaver lodge, the home of the Elbe beaver, probably the best-known inhabitant here on the Middle Elbe. Everyone can get active themselves at the multimedia stations, test their acquired knowledge and discover exciting things from the realm of nature.