Rastatter Rheinaue, Nature reserve spanning Rastatt, Iffezheim, and Steinmauern, Germany.
This protected floodplain area covers approximately 850 hectares along the Upper Rhine, featuring diverse wetland habitats including old Rhine channels, oak-elm forest communities, and silver willow woodlands that support numerous endangered plant and animal species.
Established as a nature reserve in February 1984, the area has evolved from ancient Rhine meanders formed over 10,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age, when retreating glaciers allowed the river to create multiple channels and gravel plains.
The reserve represents one of the last intact flood plains in Baden-Württemberg and has been recognized internationally as part of the European Natura 2000 network since 2001 and as a Ramsar wetland site since 2008.
Visitors can access designated observation points throughout the reserve to observe wildlife including black storks, reed warblers, and black kites, while following marked trails that respect the sensitive ecosystem and protection regulations.
The area hosts eleven of the thirteen amphibian species found in Baden-Württemberg, including water frogs and tree frogs, making it one of the most biodiverse amphibian habitats in the region.
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