Donaualtwasser Staatshaufen

The Donaualtwasser Staatshaufen nature reserve sits in the Deggendorf district of Lower Bavaria and protects a stretch of Danube floodplain forest centered on oxbow lakes — former river channels now cut off from the main current and evolved into still-water habitats. Designated in 1983, the reserve is simultaneously part of three overlapping European conservation frameworks: the Lower Isar landscape protection area, an FFH (Habitats Directive) zone, and an EU Special Protection Area for birds along the Danube between Straubing and Vilshofen. This triple designation reflects its significance as one of the last near-natural floodplain remnants in Bavaria. Visitors can explore it on foot along quiet trails, with the oxbow waters, dense willow woodland, and rich birdlife — particularly during migration and breeding season — as the main draws.