Natur » Natural Landscapes » Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve

Biospärenreservat Schorfheide-Chorin

(Biospärenreservat Schorfheide-Chorin)

Size: 1,292 km2

  • One of the largest remaining continuous areas of woodland in Germany on about half of the entire conservation area
  • Several watercourses and over 200 lakes covering an area of more than 1 ha in the conservation area
  • Diversified landscapes formed through ice age origins
  • Historical little towns steeped in tradition like Oderberg, Greiffenberg and Joachimsthal
  • Quaint villages in picturesque settings like Altkünkendorf and Poratz
  • Excellent network of hiking trails and cycle paths

Schorfheide-Chorin was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1990 and, boasting an area of 129,161 ha, it is one of the largest conservation areas in Germany. Situated in the districts of Uckermark and Barnim in the north-east part of the state of Brandenburg, it is a spectacular cultivated landscape with some 240 lakes, thousands of marshes and extensive forests, meadows and fields. The Schorfheide and Chorin terminal moraines are two landscapes with a different cultural heritage curving west (Schorfheide) and east (Chorin terminal moraine) of the Berlin-Prenzlau motorway. There are 75 communities and the three little towns of Oderberg, Joachimsthal and Greiffenberg with a total of 35,000 inhabitants in the Biosphere Reserve. The concept behind the Biosphere Reserve is to encourage sustainable development and stewardship of the biosphere, i.e. to reconcile the interests of the people living in the region with the preservation of the natural and cultivated landscape. Land earmarked for efficient use, both at present and continuing into the future, therefore accounts for almost 79 % of the total area of the reserve. This use should be environmentally sustainable to the greatest possible extent. The Uckermark environmental association (Förderverein Kulturlandschaft Uckermark e.V.) is a key partner in achieving this aim. The Biosphere Reserve is divided into zones with varying degrees of protection, namely the natural development zone, the cultivation zone and the development zone.

Contact

Biosphärenreservat Schorfheide-Chorin
Hoher Steinweg 5-6
16278 Angermünde

Tel.: 03331 3654–0
Fax: 03331 3654-10
www.schorfheide-chorin.de

Photographs of the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve