Weschnitz-Insel von Lorsch, Nature reserve in Lorsch, Germany

The Weschnitzinsel von Lorsch is a 200-hectare nature reserve in the Hessian Ried, southeast of Lorsch, between the Neue Weschnitz and a dam of the flood retention basin. It preserves the remnants of a vast meadow landscape that once stretched between Lorsch, Heppenheim, Weinheim and Viernheim. A narrow strip along the eastern edge belongs to Heppenheim.

The Weschnitzinsel was designated a nature reserve on 10 December 1979 at the request of the Hessian Society for Ornithology and Nature Conservation, chiefly to protect the great curlew, of which only four breeding pairs remained that year. In 2007 it became part of the European bird sanctuary Hessische Altneckarschlingen. After restoration, the protection order was reissued in 2020 within the same boundaries.

The Hans-Ludwig observation tower attracts both locals and visitors who come to watch birds across different seasons and has become a gathering point for nature enthusiasts. People use this structure to spend time outdoors and connect with the natural rhythms of the area.

The reserve is accessible through marked walking paths that connect to the Herrenbrücke bridge and can be reached from several entry points. Both cyclists and pedestrians can use these routes to explore the area at their own pace.

Since 2002, targeted flooding of the old meanders has drawn the snipe back to breed here after more than 50 years of absence. The bird had been driven off in the 1960s by drainage and river straightening.