Sundern

Sundern is a protected nature reserve in Hemmingen comprising wetlands, mixed forests, and agricultural land spread across a former river bend of the Leine glacial valley, covering roughly 50 hectares. The site features a network of cycling and walking paths that guide visitors through its different habitats.

The area received protection on April 5, 1931, making it one of the earliest designated nature reserves in the Hannover region of Lower Saxony. This conservation decision reflected growing awareness about preserving natural habitats during the first half of the 20th century.

The reserve holds the ruins of a Neo-Gothic mausoleum, designed in 1842 by Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves and Conrad Wilhelm Hase, telling a story of 19th-century artistic vision. The remains stand among the trees and grassland, showing how past generations wove monuments into the natural landscape.

Visitors should keep dogs on leashes and stay on marked paths to protect local wildlife and habitats. The trails are well-marked and accessible for walkers and cyclists of different fitness levels.

The reserve features a distinctive restoration effort replacing non-native hybrid poplars and conifers with native floodplain forest species that include old-growth trees. This active replanting demonstrates how sites can be carefully returned to more natural conditions.