The Middle Weser Valley (german: Mittlere Wesertal) is part of the
Weser Depression
The Weser Depression (german: Weserniederung) or Weser Lowlands is the region north of Porta Westfalica in Germany, where the River Weser no longer flows through a valley, but a broad plain consisting of meadows and river terraces.
The flat plain ...
around the River
Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports of Bre ...
on the
North German Plain
The North German Plain or Northern Lowland (german: Norddeutsches Tiefland) is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain. The region is bounded by the coasts of the North Sea and the Balti ...
, extending from the gap of
Porta Westfalica
Porta Westfalica () is a town in the district of Minden-Lübbecke, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The name "''Porta Westfalica''" is Latin and means "gate to Westphalia". Coming from the north, the gorge is the entry to the region of West ...
to the town of
Hoya. It is not a true valley, because it is only bordered by low hills at two points. It lies in the German federal states of
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
and
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
.
Course
The so-called Middle Weser Valley begins where the actual Weser Valley (in the
Weser Uplands
The Weser Uplands (German: ''Weserbergland'', ) is a hill region in Germany, between Hannoversch Münden and Porta Westfalica, along the river Weser. The area reaches into three states, Lower Saxony, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Important ...
) ends at the Porta Westfalica gap between the
Wiehen Hills
The Wiehen Hills (german: Wiehengebirge, , also locally, just ''Wiehen'') are a hill range in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in Germany. The hills run from west to east like a long finger away from the main upland area of the Lower Saxon ...
on the west and the
Weser Hills
The Weser Hills (''Wesergebirge''), also known in German as the ''Weserkette'' ("Weser Chain"),"Ein anderes Bild als die Bergländer der oberen Weser bieten die ''Weserkette'', das ''Wiehengebirge'' und der ''Teutoburger Wald'', see Christian Deg ...
on the east. By its formal definition, the Middle Weser begins ten kilometres further north at the
Minden Aqueduct
The Minden Aqueduct (german: Wasserstraßenkreuz Minden) is an aqueduct near Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It actually consists of two parallel water bridges, that lead the Mittelland Canal over the Weser. The older of the two bridges ...
, flowing across the
North German Plain
The North German Plain or Northern Lowland (german: Norddeutsches Tiefland) is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain. The region is bounded by the coasts of the North Sea and the Balti ...
through
Petershagen
Petershagen is a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies on the Westphalian Mill Route. The core is formed by the districts of Petershagen and Lahde, located opposite each other on the Weser.
Geograph ...
and
Nienburg. Conceptually, the ''Middle Weser Valley'' ends near Hoya, where the Middle Weser reaches the Breslau-Magdeburg-Bremen
glacial valley
U-shaped valleys, also called trough valleys or glacial troughs, are formed by the process of glaciation. They are characteristic of mountain glaciation in particular. They have a characteristic U shape in cross-section, with steep, straight s ...
.
As a
natural region
A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate.
From the ecology, ecological point of view, the naturally occurring fl ...
the Middle Weser Valley, which consists of
flood plain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
s and
river terraces, is a strip of land up to wide on both sides of the Middle Weser. It is counted as part of the
Dümmer Geest Depression and the
Middle Weser Region. Of particular note are the Weseraue and Staustufe Schlüsselburg nature reserves.
Political division
The towns of
Porta Westfalica
Porta Westfalica () is a town in the district of Minden-Lübbecke, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The name "''Porta Westfalica''" is Latin and means "gate to Westphalia". Coming from the north, the gorge is the entry to the region of West ...
,
Minden
Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detm ...
and
Petershagen
Petershagen is a town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies on the Westphalian Mill Route. The core is formed by the districts of Petershagen and Lahde, located opposite each other on the Weser.
Geograph ...
all lie in that part of the Middle Weser Valley that within North Rhine-Westphalia, in the district of
Minden-Lübbecke
Minden-Lübbecke is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the northeastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Diepholz, Nienburg, Schaumburg, Lippe, Herford, Osnabrück.
Geography
This is the northernmost district of North R ...
. On the
Lower Saxon side of the border, in the district of
Nienburg/Weser
Nienburg (, official name: ''Nienburg/Weser'') (Low German: ''Nienborg'', ''Neenborg'' or ''Negenborg'') is a town and capital of the district Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Geography
Situated on the scenic German Timber-Frame Road, Nienbur ...
, the Middle Weser Valley is home to the municipalities of
Stolzenau
Stolzenau is a municipality in the district of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Weser, approx. 20 km southwest of Nienburg, and 25 km northeast of Minden. During the second half of the 20th cen ...
,
Landesbergen
Landesbergen is a municipality in the district of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, approx. 10 km southwest of Nienburg, and 35 km northeast of Minden.
Landesbergen was the seat of the ...
,
Steyerberg
Steyerberg is a municipality in the district of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia ...
,
Weser-Aue,
Nienburg/Weser
Nienburg (, official name: ''Nienburg/Weser'') (Low German: ''Nienborg'', ''Neenborg'' or ''Negenborg'') is a town and capital of the district Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Geography
Situated on the scenic German Timber-Frame Road, Nienbur ...
,
Heemsen,
Eystrup
Eystrup is a municipality in the district of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, approx. 15 km north of Nienburg, and 15 km south of Verden. Eystrup was the seat of the former ''Samtgemei ...
and
Hoya.
Sources
* Emil Meynen (Hrsg.): ''Handbuch der naturräumlichen Gliederung Deutschlands'', Selbstverlag der Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde, Remagen 1959-1962 (Teil 2, enthält Lieferung 6-9), ISBN B0000BJ19F
External links
BfN_landscape_fact_file">BfN">BfN
_landscape_fact_file
{{Coord.html" ;"title="BfN
_landscape_fact_file.html" ;"title="BfN">BfN
landscape fact file">BfN">
52.353586.html" ;"title="BfN landscape fact file
{{Coord">52.353586">N, 8.970337, E, type:landmark_region:DE-NW, display=title, format=dms
Geography of Lower Saxony
Weser">Geography of North Rhine-Westphalia
Geography of Lower Saxony
Weser