Dalum-Wietmarscher Moor, Nature reserve in Lower Saxony, Germany.
The Dalum-Wietmarscher Moor is a 1,580-hectare raised bog reserve northwest of Lingen, split almost evenly between the Emsland and Grafschaft Bentheim districts. Peat cutting continued in parts until 2016; cut areas are now rewetted, while grazed grassland and woodland lie at the edges. An observation hill stands in the east, and a field railway runs through the northwest.
The raised bog was partly under industrial peat extraction when it was protected as NSG WE 265 on 31 January 2008. Extraction ended in stages: late 2010 in one area, late 2011 and late 2015 in others, and by the end of 2016 at the latest under the reserve ordinance. Cut areas were then rewetted for bog regeneration; a tree nursery in the south must vacate by the end of 2026.
The area serves as a sanctuary for meadow birds such as lapwings and redshank, which can be observed in their natural surroundings here. These bird species have made the moorland a special place for watching wildlife.
An observation hill in the east of the reserve gives a view over the open bog. A second viewing platform with information boards, built for birdwatching, stands near Füchtenfeld in the south. A field railway used by tourists runs through part of the reserve in the northwest, and the A 31 borders it in places to the east.
A narrow-gauge field railway used for tourism runs through part of the reserve in the northwest, and the A 31 motorway borders the eastern edge for some distance. Peat extraction was phased out in stages, ending in one area in late 2010, in others in late 2011 and late 2015, and finally by the end of 2016.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,660 contributors worldwide.