Riddagshausen, Protected area in Brunswick, Germany

Riddagshausen is a 526-hectare nature reserve east of Brunswick, designated NSG BR 001, stretching between Riddagshausen, Gliesmarode, Volkmarode, Schapen and Weddel and bounded to the south by the Brunswick–Magdeburg railway. It protects an old pond area with eleven surviving ponds, the Buchhorst woodland to the south and wet meadows. The Schapenbruchteich, about 20 hectares, is up to 1.4 metres deep and linked to the Mittelteich by a monk.

Cistercian monks established the pond systems between the 12th and 13th centuries, creating dozens of fishponds for their monastery. This early use of the land formed the foundation for the protected area that exists today.

The ponds were dug by Cistercian monks from 1145 onward for fish farming, and carp are still raised in Kreuzteich, Mittelteich and Neuer Bleeksteich. The reserve has held the title Europareservat since 1962, awarded for its importance as bird habitat, and was added to the Important Bird Areas list in 1981.

The reserve welcomes visitors in all seasons, with spring and autumn being ideal for birdwatching due to migration patterns. Waterproof shoes are advisable since paths cross damp areas and can become muddy after rain.

The reserve is one of Germany's oldest protected areas, designated on 26 November 1936 after zoologist Johann Heinrich Blasius and his sons carried out field observations there and physician Otto Willke campaigned for the ponds. In 1962 it received the title "Europareservat" as a bird habitat of supraregional importance.