A historic Brandenburg hunting forest turned biodiverse nature reserve along the Dahme river.
Tiergarten
Tiergarten is a nature reserve and recreation area in the town of Königs Wusterhausen, in the Dahme-Spreewald district of Brandenburg, Germany. Its landscape is defined by an old oak forest at the heart of the protected area, interspersed with wetlands, lakes, and riparian zones along the river Staabe (a branch of the Dahme) and around the Krimnicksee and Krüpelsee lakes. The reserve developed from a nearly three-hundred-year-old royal hunting forest established by King Friedrich Wilhelm I and is today recognized for its mosaic of rare woodland, wet meadow, and aquatic habitats.
The site carries both national nature-protection status under Brandenburg law and European protection as part of the Natura 2000 network. It is valued for its complex mix of oak-hornbeam forest, alder swamp woodland, wet meadows, reed beds, and small flowing waters. Beyond its ecological importance, the Tiergarten hosts a network of walking trails, a forest nature trail, and a sculpture path that highlights the reserve's cultural and historical stories.
At roughly 158 hectares, the Tiergarten remains a compact but ecologically rich refuge near the southern outskirts of Berlin, where historic landscapes shaped by royal forestry have evolved into habitats of high conservation value.
