Eppendorfer Moor

Eppendorfer Moor is a 26-hectare nature reserve in Hamburg’s Groß Borstel district, between Alsterkrugchaussee and Hamburg Airport. A large pond lies at its centre, surrounded by birch and alder swamp forest, oak and birch woodland, and a belt of deciduous trees.

Formed after the last Ice Age on a river terrace, this lowland moor preserves remnants of raised bogs from the Alster valley’s former wetlands. Protection began in 1982, and the reserve expanded from 15 to 26 hectares in 2015. Its habitats support 320 plant species, including 35 mosses and 20 tree species, alongside reed beds, sedge meadows, bell heather, willow, alder buckthorn and rare bog plants.

Wren, blackbird, robin and blackcap live among the trees, while little grebes, spotted flycatchers and common buzzards also occur here. Six hundred forty-one butterfly species were recorded in 1990, including 78 endangered species. The urban setting makes water management essential, because the moor no longer receives a natural water supply and conservation work must hold back invading shrubs and trees.