The youngest nature park in Germany

The Düben Heath Nature Park was founded in its current form in 1992. But the area has a much more extensive history: It was created around 250.000 years ago during the Saale Ice Age and was settled by the Hermunduri - a Germanic tribe of the Elbe Germanic people. From the 7th century onwards, Slavs settled in the region. In the Middle Ages, the Düben Heath became the property of the Electorate of Saxony. Originally, the vegetation consisted of sessile oaks, hornbeams, birches and pines, but over the years these had to give way to a pure pine stand.

The Düben Heath, with its mixed and pine forests, is one of the largest contiguous forest areas in the Central German lowlands. Peat was still being dug in the area until 1950. The western part of the area around Gräfenhainichen and Bitterfeld was used for brown coal mining until the end of the 1980s, meaning that a large part of the forest landscape was used for open-cast mining. Over the years, several former open-cast mining areas were flooded and turned into lakes: for example, "Ferropolis" was built on the peninsula of a flooded open-cast mine near Gräfenhainichen. The technology museum now displays large equipment and rail vehicles that were used in open-cast mining.

Bock auf Bad Düben

The nature reserve is named after the spa town of Bad Düben, which was first mentioned in documents in 981 as "Dibni". The centre of the historic old town is the charming town hall with its two billy goats, which butt their horns against each other from the tower on the hour. Düben Castle and the spa area are particularly worth seeing. Well-known personalities such as Napoleon, Hans Kohlhase and Heinrich von Kleist have already walked on the historic ground of Bad Düben. Those interested in history will therefore get their money's worth on numerous themed city tours.

The spa town and the Düben Heath do not have to be explored in one day: Bad Düben has numerous accommodations, hotels and guest houses that invite you to stay, including the Hotel "National", the Hotel "Schützenhaus" or the castle tavern and hostel "Goldener Löwe". If you want to be really pampered, the HEIDE SPA Hotel & Resort is the right place for you. Nature lovers can also stay overnight at the nature campsites.

Guests who just want to recharge their batteries after a strenuous hike will also find numerous places to stop for a break. For example, visitors can look forward to delicacies in the LebensArt & Mühlenstube restaurant, the COUNTRY & WESTERN Goldgräber restaurant or Mary's Eisparadies.

Diverse flora and fauna

The hilly cultural landscape of the Düben Heath is characterized by its extraordinary flora and fauna. In the extensive moors and wetlands, those interested can observe rare bird species such as cranes, ospreys and storks. With a little luck, you might also come across the acorn beaver, which leaves its traces in numerous places in the woods. It is not only a rare animal species, but also adorns the region's coat of arms. The area is also home to red deer, wild boar, otters, boreal owls, badgers and bats.

The landscape of the Düben Heath is characterized by lakes and ponds as well as quiet heath villages and windmills, surrounded by white birch forests. Rare plants such as arnica, lungwort, sage germander, marsh trefoil and common cranberry can also be found along the paths through the heathland.

The Red Bank is also located in the Alaunwerk district of Bad Düben. The name says it all: the steep bank, which is up to 15 meters high, was named after the embankments of leached alum earth that were mined there from the 16th to the 19th century. Located directly on the Mulde, the bank is a popular destination for hikers from the region, as it offers a special view of the Mulde floodplain.

Another popular destination is the Gesundbrunnen spring, which is located in the middle of the Hochwald forest. According to legend, the spring is said to have healing properties.

The Presseler heath forest and moorland area, in the south of the Düben Heath, is one of the most beautiful landscapes anywhere. As the name suggests, the area is characterized by its numerous moors, heaths and meadows, which are gently crossed by streams. Visitors there experience a real contrast to the nearby open-cast mining area and the post-mining landscapes. The Zadlitzbruch, with a total area of ​​100 hectares, and the 200-hectare Wildenhainer Bruch form the center of the area. Here, too, unique plants can be found, such as the round-leaved sundew or the narrow-leaved cotton grass. The nature reserve is also home to 350 species of large butterflies and is far away from noisy roads and civilization, so that hikers can completely immerse themselves in the oasis of nature.

The moors can not only be viewed on hikes, but can also be experienced with all the senses. On the moor experience trail, visitors learn interesting facts about the formation, mining and processing of moors on a circular route. Those interested can experience the beneficial effects of the moor for themselves in a moor footbath.

On a journey of discovery in the nature park

The Düben Heath Nature Park House has been located in Bad Düben since 2012. In addition to its function as a guest and visitor center, it also serves as a communication and information center for the nature park. An interactive permanent exhibition allows visitors to immerse themselves in the landscape and its animal inhabitants and learn interesting aspects about the heathland. Workshops, lectures and discussion forums are also organized regularly.

There are several nature trails that run through the entire Düben Heath area. One of them is the "Billi-Bockert Adventure Trail". Over a distance of 13 kilometers, children and young people in particular can set off from the Nature Park House on an adventure journey through the world of beavers. Numerous information boards provide information about the region's nature in a playful way. The "Billi-Bockert Adventure Trail" is part of the nationwide quality hiking trail "Heide-Biber-Tour", which leads from Bad Düben to Bad Schmiedeberg. Idyllic heathland alternates with deep forests. With a little luck, you can also see beavers in action over a total distance of 30 kilometers.

The nature reserve can also be explored in a playful way on a digital scavenger hunt around the Nature Park House. The "HeideWächterTour" invites young explorers in particular to solve the tricky tasks and open the treasure chest.

Another hiking trail in the Dübener Heide Nature Park is the so-called Försterweg. The 56-kilometer-long route leads from Doberschütz to Bergwitz in Saxony-Anhalt. The trail owes its name to forestry, which has had a long tradition of shaping the landscape around the hiking trail.

The Luther Trail Saxony also passes by Bad Düben. Hikers can follow the historical traces of Martin Luther and the Reformation on the stage between Löbnitz and Bad Düben. Since the heath town is also located on the Mulde, the popular Muldental hiking trail also runs through Bad Düben. Romantic landscapes can be discovered alongside the unique flora and fauna of the heath landscape.

well-known personalities

The Düben Heath is home to numerous well-known personalities. Christoph Hein, born in 1944, is one of the spa town's honorary citizens. He became known as a writer, translator and essayist through his novella "The Foreign Friend", published in the GDR in 1982.

Henriette Lippold, born in 1981, also grew up in Bad Düben. She became known as the producer of the television series “SOKO Leipzig” and “SOKO Munich”. She also received an Emmy for “Munich 83”.

In addition, ice climbing world champion Ines Papert is an ambassador for the Dübener Heide Nature Park. The athlete, born in 1974, discovered her passion in this landscape.

heath time on the weekend

Under the motto "Get off the sofa and into the Düben Heath", the nature park invites you to the "Heide Sundays" every first Sunday from April to October. All nature lovers can look forward to numerous offers in the form of wildlife walks, herbal seminars or other exciting activities. The tours are led by certified tour guides.

A variety of events are also offered in the Düben Heath. Those interested in history will get their money's worth at the medieval spectacle at Düben Castle, among other things. The annual spring and Easter fires are just as much a crowd puller as the nature park festival in May. On the last weekend in July, numerous artists take part in the wood sculpture competition and attract thousands of visitors to the Düben Heath.  

Anyone who would like to take a part of the Dübener Heide home with them can do so with the own brand of the Dübener Heide eV association. "The best from the Dübener Heide" supports regional producers and traders from the districts of North Saxony, Wittenberg and Anhalt-Bitterfeld. The products include agricultural products such as vegetables, cheese, meat and honey, as well as high-quality wines, spirits, spices, oils and herbs. The products can be purchased in local shops in and around the Dübener Heide and at festivals in the region.

Important information at a glance

The Dübener Heide Nature Park is one of a total of 104 nature parks in Germany and extends over an area of ​​77.000 hectares across the northwest of Saxony and the southeast of Saxony-Anhalt. Located not far from the cities of Leipzig, Halle, Torgau, Wittenberg and Dessau, the area offers numerous opportunities for excursions into nature.

The Düben Heath can be reached via the Halle-Cottbus, Halle-Berlin, Eilenburg-Pretzsch and Torgau-Pretzsch-Wittenberg-Pratau railway lines. Those arriving by car can reach their destination via federal highways 2, 107 and 183.