Urwald Weißwasser, Nature reserve in Trebendorf and Weißwasser, Germany

Urwald Weißwasser was a 97.45-hectare nature reserve in the Muskauer Heide, five kilometres west of Weißwasser. It occupied compartments 184–186, 202 and 203 of the Muskau Tiergarten, with old pines and a rare regional form of sessile oak. The Nochten open-cast mine excavated the entire reserve by 2015; the site is now a destroyed, reconstructed landscape.

The forest was shaped by the hunting passion of the Muskau lords: a hunting lodge existed by 1648 under the von Callenberg family and was expanded into a hunting castle in the 18th century, with a game enclosure of up to 3,000 hectares. The core area was protected on 30 March 1961 as "Urwald Weißwasser". The Nochten open-cast mine completely excavated the 97.45-hectare reserve by 2015.

The name Urwald Weißwasser, meaning primeval forest, comes from the old-growth stands of up to 400-year-old pines and oaks that once grew here. The forest survived because the Muskau lords reserved it for hunting, and the Saxon court at Dresden hunted in these woods from the mid-17th century. The Nochten open-cast mine removed the reserve by 2015; a 1,600-hectare replacement landscape is planned, with original plants and graft wood saved for replanting.

The area is best explored on foot or by bicycle, with some paths crossing wet ground so sturdy footwear is advised. Visitors should arrive early since the landscape is quiet and the best views of wildlife and plant life appear during morning hours.

The Nochten open-cast mine completely excavated the reserve by 2015. As replacement, the mining operator planned a roughly 1,600-hectare cultural landscape that recreates the post-glacial terrain and its typical flora. Valuable individual plants were salvaged, grafting scions taken and seeds collected, and gene-conservation plantations established for protected trees. Recovered original pieces were even given GPS addresses so their former locations can be found.