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( Lüneburg Heath)
The Lüneburg Heath (German Lüneburger Heide) is a region in Lower Saxony, Germany. It covers the area between the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen. Most of the area is a nature reserve. Northern Low Saxon is still widely spoken in the region. The region is mostly covered by a heathland landscape consisting of big heather and juniper areas, forests and some smaller swamps. The landscape originated in medieval times when forests were cleared for firewood for salt production in Lüneburg. In contrast to the areas in the north of the Lüneburg Heath, the landscape is very hilly, as it is placed on a terminal moraine. The highest elevation is the Wilseder Berg with an elevation of 169.2 m above sea level. The heath was the scene of the unconditional German surrender to Allied forces, under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, on May 4, 1945, at the end of World War II in Europe. It is also the area where the body of Heinrich Himmler, a leading figure in Nazi Germany and head of the SS, was secretly buried in an unmarked grave, following his suicide. Today the area is a popular tourist destination. Contributing to this are the themepark "Heidepark Soltau", the "Vogelpark Walsrode" and the "Serengeti Safari Park Hodenhagen" as well as the many farms offering holiday stays, making the Lueneburg Heath especially attractive to families. Another group of tourists are the elderly on free guided bus tours (Kaffeefahrten), stopping for coffee and wool plaids at a farm before touring Lueneburg for an hour.
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