Altfriedlander Teiche bird-watching station

The ponds to the north-west of the town of Neuhardenberg are part of the Märkische Schweiz European Special Protection Area. At the edge of the Oderbruch (former marshland) region, where the River Stöbber flows into the “Alte Oder” river, damming and diking between 1968 and 1972 created a large number of shallow ponds, the largest of which is Lake Kietzer See, covering around 200 hectares. Once carp farming had become less intensive, the bird population changed; today, it is more like that of a shallow lake. Around 600 cranes use the area in autumn to rest, but a number of breeding pairs can also be observed here. So far, more than 120 species of bird have been verifiably observed here, including common terns, black-headed gulls, herring gulls, lapwing, cormorants, goosangers, sea eagles, osprey and great white egret.

Tip:
The observation tower on the shore of the lake is an excellent place to watch colonies of common tern that have settled on artificial breeding rafts. September and October are good months for seeing great white egret, greater white-fronted geese and bean geese.

How to get there:
Take the B167 as far as Altfriedland, then follow the main road through the town to the end. From the parking area, a signposted hiking trail leads to the tower, 10 minutes away, by the fish ponds.

GPS: 52° 37‘ 57.18“ N | 14° 12‘ 52.20“ E