Lower Oder Valley International Park

Lore & Background

The Lower Oder Valley International Park consists of a German core area, the Nationalpark Unteres Odertal (Lower Oder Valley National Park), and a Polish core area, the Park Krajobrazowy Dolina Dolnej Odry (Lower Oder Valley Landscape Park). An information centre is located at Criewen. The flat western shore of the Oder features several levees, which are regularly opened in winter and spring to control water levels and prevent high floods, allowing water to flow freely into extensive floodplains until April, when the dikes are closed and remaining water is drained.

Reader's Guide

The Lower Oder Valley International Park represents a significant cross-border conservation effort, established in 1992 by a decision of the German-Polish Environmental Council. Its total area, including adjoining nature reserves, spans 1,173 km², with the German portion covering 105 km² and the Polish portion 60 km². The park is notable for its floodplain management, where levees are opened seasonally to mimic natural flooding cycles. It serves as a Special Protection Area for birds, hosting species such as the black stork, aquatic warbler, and corn crake, as well as mammals like the European otter and European beaver. The flora includes the submediterranean pubescent oak. The park's legacy lies in its model of international cooperation for environmental protection and habitat preservation.

Did You Know?

• The park was created by decision of the German-Polish Environmental Council in 1992.
• The German core area is the Nationalpark Unteres Odertal, and the Polish core area is the Park Krajobrazowy Dolina Dolnej Odry.
• The flat western shore features levees that are opened in winter and spring to allow water into floodplains.
• The park is a Special Protection Area for birds including the black stork, aquatic warbler, and corn crake.

Geography & Structure

The Lower Oder Valley International Park straddles the Oder river (known as Odra in Polish), forming a transboundary nature reserve between Germany and Poland. On the western bank, the reserve occupies territory within the Uckermark district of Brandenburg, while the eastern, steeper banks fall under the Gryfino and Police counties in Poland's West Pomeranian Voivodeship, situated further north along the river's course. The core protected zones differ in designation on each side of the border: Germany's portion is formally named the Nationalpark Unteres Odertal, while Poland's is the Park Krajobrazowy Dolina Dolnej Odry. A visitor information centre is located in the small town of Criewen, serving as a gateway for those exploring the German side. The contrast between the flat western shore and the steep eastern banks gives the valley a distinctive topographic character that shapes both its ecology and its management challenges.

Creation & Governance

In 1992, the German-Polish Environmental Council made the pivotal decision to establish the Lower Oder Valley International Park as a joint conservation effort. The initiative was formalized by the environment ministers of Germany and Poland, the environment minister of the Brandenburg state, and the voivode of Szczecin, reflecting a multi-layered governmental commitment to cross-border environmental stewardship. The resulting protected landscape encompasses a core area of 165 square kilometres (64 square miles), with Germany accounting for 105 square kilometres (41 square miles) and Poland contributing 60 square kilometres (23 square miles). When adjoining nature reserves on both sides of the border are included, the total protected territory expands to 1,172 square kilometres (453 square miles). This framework of layered protection—core park areas supplemented by surrounding reserves—creates a mosaic of conservation zones that stretches well beyond the immediate river corridor, ensuring that connected habitats on both national territories receive coordinated oversight.

Hydrology & Floodplain Management

The flat western shore of the Oder is defined by a network of levees that play a central role in the valley's seasonal rhythm. During winter and spring, these dikes are deliberately opened to allow the river's water to spill freely into the surrounding floodplains. This controlled inundation serves a dual purpose: it helps regulate the river's water level and provides a critical buffer against high-flood events that could otherwise threaten downstream communities. The floodplains remain submerged until April, at which point the dikes are closed once again and the residual standing water is actively drained from the landscape. This annual cycle of flooding and drying creates dynamic wetland conditions that are essential to the valley's ecological character. The contrast between the engineered levee system on the flat German side and the naturally steep eastern banks on the Polish side underscores how the river's behavior is shaped by both natural topography and human water management infrastructure.

Biodiversity & Ecosystem

The Lower Oder Valley International Park is designated as a Special Protection Area for birds, underscoring its importance as an avian habitat. The seasonal floodplains and wetland environments support a range of notable bird species, including the black stork, the aquatic warbler, and the corn crake—each of which depends on the specific wetland conditions the valley provides. Beyond birds, the waterways and riparian zones are home to the European otter and the European beaver, both semi-aquatic mammals that thrive in the riverine and floodplain habitats. On the plant side, the valley harbors the submediterranean pubescent oak, a species whose presence signals the area's particular climatic and soil conditions. The combination of open water, seasonal wetlands, and varied vegetation creates a layered ecosystem where multiple trophic levels interact. This biodiversity is not incidental but is a direct consequence of the valley's hydrological regime, its transboundary protection status, and the careful management of its floodplain dynamics.