Leiferde: Viehmoor, Wildlife and St. Viti

Leiferde offers several reasons to visit: the Viehmoor nature reserve, the NABU Species Conservation Centre and St. Viti Church each offer a different perspective on nature and culture. If you are looking for a hotel, you can base your choice on whether landscapes, wildlife, architecture or bus connections are particularly important for your trip.

The natural landscape of Viehmoor

The Viehmoor nature reserve covers around 320 hectares near Leiferde in the Upper Aller lowlands. Its landscape combines still waters, reed beds, wet meadows, heathland, dunes and woodland. The area is also an important stopover and breeding ground for rare, protected bird species. If you are interested in landscapes and birdlife, you can explore two closely connected aspects of the same protected area: its diverse habitats and their importance to birds.

The history of land use is also part of understanding Viehmoor. The moorland was cultivated and used for fish farming over a long period. This means you can consider the landscape both through its present-day features and through its long history of use. This connection may interest you if you would like your stay to include not only nature, but also the development of a moorland landscape.

Church, wildlife and local features

St. Viti complements the nature themes with a striking building: the church is a neo-Gothic brick church dating from 1860. It has around 750 seats, and its organ has 1,164 pipes. These details give an idea of the scale of the church and its organ. If you would also like to include architectural history in your travel plans, St. Viti offers a cultural highlight of its own.

The NABU Species Conservation Centre in Leiferde offers the opportunity to see native wildlife up close. The centre includes an open-air animal enclosure. This gives the local nature attractions distinct focuses: Viehmoor is known for its habitats and as an important stopover and breeding ground, while the Species Conservation Centre focuses on encounters with native wildlife. As visitor arrangements may change, check the latest information in advance.

Twargborn and Twargstieg can still be seen at Wohlenberg.

Bus connections and getting around

Leiferde has direct bus connections to Gifhorn and Braunschweig. Routes and timetables may change, so check the latest connections before travelling. There is a lockable bicycle shelter on the north side of Leiferde station. If you plan to use it, check in advance whether it will be available during your visit. This lets you consider bus connections and bicycle parking separately when planning your journey.

Gifhorn as the wider travel destination

The wider travel destination of Gifhorn offers a broader natural setting: Gifhorn district includes heathland, forests, moorlands, rivers and lakes. The district is also home to the Drömling, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. These regional landscape themes complement, but do not replace, the distinctive habitats of Viehmoor.

Cycling route planning is another source of information about Gifhorn district. The cycle network includes around 700 kilometres of leisure cycling routes, plus around 550 kilometres of everyday routes with connecting sections. There are around 400 signposted junctions in the district, which can be combined to plan your own routes. You can use junction-based online planning on a computer or through an app; route information may be updated. If cycling is part of your trip, consider regional route planning as a separate element and check the latest information.

Another cultural highlight in the wider travel destination of Gifhorn is the International Wind and Watermill Museum Gifhorn, with 13 full-size mills from around the world. The region therefore offers cultural attractions as well as landscapes and cycling routes.

Discover more destinations: Tülau, Schönewörde, Neudorf-Platendorf, Vordorf, Behren, Wahrenholz, Wittingen, Ribbesbüttel

Back to the main travel guide: Gifhorn.