Lower Oder Valley National Park, National park along Oder River in Brandenburg, Germany.
The Lower Oder Valley National Park covers 10,323 hectares along the lower Oder in Brandenburg's Barnim and Uckermark districts. Its flat western shore is divided by levees into polders, the only intact polder landscape in Germany, while the eastern bank rises steeply to heights of up to 100 metres. The Oder flows between wooded banks and open fields, with low hills on the horizon.
The German national park was established on 10 September 1995, covering 10,323 hectares in Brandenburg's Barnim and Uckermark districts. It forms the German core of the cross-border Lower Oder Valley International Park, created by decision of the German-Polish Environmental Council in 1992. The Polish side is the Lower Odra Valley Landscape Park, about 6,000 hectares.
The park administration sits in the grounds of Criewen Castle, where the National Park Centre and the National Park House with its exhibition are located. The surrounding villages are known for white storks nesting on their roofs, and in autumn crane weeks are held when the birds gather before flying south.
The park offers walking trails suited to different abilities and interests. An 11-meter observation tower in Mescherin provides views over the Staffelder Polder wetlands and serves as a good orientation point.
The area uses a managed flood system with levees that release water deliberately in winter and spring. This system creates habitats for about 280 animal species that depend on these natural rhythms.
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