The UNESCO Bliesgau Biosphere Reserve is known for its swathes of orchids, beautiful riverside meadows and beech forests, as well as being a habitat for rare animal species. You can easily tour the area by bike, electric bike, on foot or in a horse-drawn carriage.

There is much more to the Elbe than the cities of Hamburg and Dresden . The river loops through stunning natural and man-made landscapes, flowing past pristine meadows, white sandy beaches and wooded hills.

The Rhön hills are located in the heart of Germany and offer a wealth of beautiful scenery as well as the chance to go gliding, do water sports and indulge in a spot of star gazing.

Germany's only alpine biosphere reserve provides plenty of scope for active pursuits and relaxation with its unspoilt nature and picturesque landscapes.

The Hamburg Wadden Sea Biosphere Reserve in northern Germany surrounds a small group of islands that lie at the mouth of the Elbe river near the town of Cuxhaven. In 1992 the site became part of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere programme.

Every year, thousands of migrating birds such as geese and cranes break their journey at Lake Schaalsee, where there is now a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Like the birds, visitors here will find tranquillity in a natural setting.

The wide expanses of the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea Biosphere Reserve stretch along the North Sea coast and out to sea to a line just the other side of the East Frisian islands.

The biosphere reserve straddling the German-French border is marked by diverse mixed forests, towering rocks and romantic castle ruins – and the contrast between miles of forest and the open spaces of the wine-growing country.