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Elongated 230-hectare peninsula in the Baltic Sea with beaches and salt marshes. The Graswarder nature reserve attracts many birds all year round.
Graswarder is a natural peninsula with a length of about 2.5 km and a width of about 300 m close to the city of Heiligenhafen. The nature reserve is characterized by the Baltic Sea beach, the up to two-meter-high beach walls with attached dune and a lush salt marsh. The Graswarder is an important habitat for many birds. From March to May, more than 40 bird species breed in the nature reserve. Thousands of waders and duck species also rest and hibernate here. In addition to the breeding birds, around 180 other bird species visit the area during migration and winter. From an observation tower, visitors have a fantastic view of the reserve. Among the birds you can encounter are Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Greenshank, White-tailed Eagle, Whimbrel, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Gull (sometimes up to 2000 pairs), Common Eider, Red-breasted Merganser, Barnacle Goose, Eurasian Curlew, Avocet, Whooper Swan, Common Shelduck, Grey Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Sanderling, Arctic Tern and Dunlin. But many more, see the birdlist below. The Graswarder is managed by NABU (BirdLife Germany).
The Vogelfluglinie (E 47 / B 207) to Scandinavia leads directly past Heiligenhafen. Heiligenhafen can also be reached by bus (BahnBus) from Kiel. The Graswarder can be reached on foot in 15 minutes from the "Gill-Hus" car park in Heiligenhafen. Easy to reach on foot or by bike from Heiligenhafen. Note: most of the protected area remains closed to humans all year round. Guided tours to the seabird colony are possible from Easter to the end of October. Check the NABU visitor Center.