The Pietzmoor is the largest contiguous moor on Lüneburg Heath. Cotton grass. Large expanses of water. Blue moor frogs. Dragonflies. Dead trees rise into the air. Long boardwalks. The moor comes very close.

The Schäferhof parking lot is located on the edge of the Pietzmoor. If you want to get to the moor as quickly as possible, simply walk straight ahead to the Pietzmoorsteg. However, the Heideschleife bends to the right after 300 meters. It also aims to open up a lesser-known part of the moor.

Lushy green meadows all around, bordered by tree and bush ridges, which provide variety and a habitat for numerous birds and insects. There is a small pond on the moor path. Idyllic spot on the shore. A short breather. Watch the ducks. Close to the next level crossing, the Heideschleife turns left. Now finally approaching the moor. The ground becomes softer, boggy in places. There are more and more tufts of rushes on the meadows. Dead trees. Then the footbridge and onto the moor. Small pools of water to the left. Cotton grass. Scattered heather bushes.

The footbridge crossing seems to lie in the middle of the dark, boggy water. Sky and clouds are reflected in the smooth surface. Four-spotted dragonflies. Butterflies. Floating grass islands of various sizes. Refuge for water birds. Peat moss on the bank and in the water. Stumps of dead trees. Sundew and cotton grass. With a bit of luck, you can spot the moor frogs, which turn blue in spring.

The walk on the boardwalk is never-ending, opening up the entire moor. Changing water surfaces to the left and right, large and small. The moor is still growing. The blocked drains dam up the rainwater. After almost 500 meters, the footbridge turns left. The ground becomes firmer. Individual heather bushes, small pines, birches. Was that just an adder? Quite possibly. On the left-hand side, there are several almost regular pools of water. Former peat bogs. Even after 50 years of renaturation, they are still clearly recognizable by their rectangular shape.

The footbridge is over 1 kilometer long. The deep water areas are disappearing, and there are isolated pools of standing water. A sign of the growing raised bog. Pines and birches still stand tall. Finally the forest path is reached, which also acts as a dam to prevent the water from flowing away to the east. On the left are a few more reflective pools of water. At the northern end of the Pietzmoor is a small area of heathland. The path meanders through the heath and grassland back to the Schäferhof parking lot.

Length: 6.3 km

Duration: 1.5 hours