Lippe floodplain Herzfeld - nature experience trail west of Herzfeld and Hovestadt

The Lippe floodplain, located in the northern district of Soest, is an important natural refuge. This is where the renaturation initiatives of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Lippe Association and the NRW Foundation come together. Since the mid-1990s, the river has undergone extensive ecological upgrading, restoring it to its original, more natural state. The area of the Lippe floodplain presents a remarkable diversity of habitats. In addition to the leisurely flowing Lippe, the landscape is characterized by wide meadows and pastures, dry sandy heaths, dense tall shrub meadows and small sections of forest. There are also numerous ponds, pools and streams. The smooth oat and wet meadows provide a vital habitat for rare plant species such as meadow silau, yellow meadow rue, meadow atlant and small rattle. Specialists such as English broom, dwarf feltwort and heather, which have adapted to the nutrient-poor soil conditions, thrive on the higher, sandy river terraces. The Lippe floodplain is also an essential resting and wintering area for various bird species. Waders such as snipes, wood sandpipers and greenshanks as well as ducks such as wigeons and teals can be found here, as can cranes that stop off on their migration or spend the winter months here. The area thus provides comprehensive insights into the regional avifauna and its habitats.

You can reach Herzfeld via the B 475 if you drive towards Herzfeld from Lippborg or towards Hovestadt from Oestinghausen.

Coming from Hovestadt, you can park at the bridge directly at the entrance to Herzfeld.