Full of life and colour - Lüneburger Heath

Animal and adventure parks, exercise on shanks's pony, bike or on the water, big and small discoveries in cities with history: Lüneburger Heath is not just a bare and sandy landscape; it is full of life and colour and ideal for families with children.

Jump in with both feet! Heide-Park Soltau, for example, will guarantee a rush of pure adrenaline - but it's not for the faint-hearted! Go on live safari in the Hodenhagen Serengeti-Park and see the lions, giraffes and apes. Experience at first hand in other game parks how the animals literally "eat out of your hand". And on the snow piste in Bispingen's Snow Dome you can even venture down the piste in the middle of summer, while the Ralf Schumacher Kartcenter provides practice for budding racing drivers.

The journey is the goal! Take up your Nordic-walking poles or climb onto your bike. The diversity of the landscape can be explored in even more detail on foot or in the saddle. You don't have to compete with the Tour de France, and although there are 2,000 kilometres of cycling ahead, the gentle undulating countryside mean that Lüneburger Heath is also suitable for less practised bikers and hikers or families with children - and don't forget to check out the local breed of sheep (Schnucken).

Virtually no town is without a museum which powerfully reflects history. And if your tastes are more on the artistic side, don't miss the Hundertwasser-Bahnhof in Uelzen or Lüneburg itself - a city which looks back on a tradition of over 1,000 years. There is also Celle, certainly one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. In the castle there, you will find baroque rooms designed both for show and for living, as well as the magnificently ornate Hofkapelle (court chapel) and one of the oldest theatres in Germany.

Discover the lively and colourful sides of Lüneburger Heath. It is a great deal more than just a postcard idyll.