A former military training ground in Brandenburg, now a protected inland dune landscape of lichen pine forests, sand heaths, and bog margins.
Swatzke and Skabyberge Nature Reserve
Swatzke and Skabyberge is a protected nature reserve in the state of Brandenburg in eastern Germany, situated south of the village of Hartmannsdorf in the municipality of Spreenhagen, within the Oder-Spree district. The area is centered on two modest hill ranges, the Swatzkeberge and the Kleine Skabyberge, which together form an extensive inland dune complex that has evolved into a remarkable mosaic of sandy heath, dry grassland, lichen-rich pine forest, and small bog fringes.
Originally used for many years as a military training area by the Soviet (WGT) forces stationed in the region, the property was withdrawn from military activity and placed under formal nature protection in 1999. The reserve is now part of the European Natura 2000 network, recognized at the EU level for the quality and combination of its dry, acid habitat types. Today, it is administered as a habitat and species management area, where natural processes of sand, fire, and moisture interact to maintain one of the most distinctive inland sand ecosystems in Brandenburg.