Driewitz-Milkeler Heiden
The Driewitz-Milkeler Heiden are with about 20 km² one of the largest uninhabited forest areas in Upper Lusatia and begin north of the village of Lippitsch in the Bautzen district .
geography
The forest area is located in the geographical center of the Sorbian settlement area and in the center of Upper Lusatia. It is part of the Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape Biosphere Reserve . Inside there are no settlements and paved roads. The borders of the forest area are formed by the places Lippitsch, Hermsdorf / Spree , Steinitz , Litschen , Driewitz , Uhyst , Rauden and Wessel . The place Milkel does not border directly on the heather.
Forest
The forest area consists almost entirely of spruce and pine forests. Almost all of the forests were artificially created and most of them are still used for forestry purposes. There are only very small remnants of a mixed forest, as it originally existed.
geology
The soil is very sandy and unusable for agriculture . In the earth there are numerous boulders that the last Ice Age brought from Scandinavia. There are also iron stones and clay in deeper layers of the earth, albeit in small quantities. Up until the 1990s, lignite was mined north of the heath . It can also be found in places in the Driewitz-Milkeler Heide.
economy
There are numerous ponds in the forest that are used for fish farming . Within the forest there are small meadows that were used in the past, but now only serve to preserve culture. The small settlement of Neudriewitz existed within the forest for a short time , but was given up for economic reasons. The forestry continues to play still a big role, but it employs, as the resulting tourism, only a few people.
Forest fire hazard
Since the sandy soils do not store moisture, the risk of forest fires increases after a short dry season. The last major fire took place in 1992 near the town of Lippitsch . The fire brigades were specially equipped for this purpose.
source
- Biosphere Reserve "Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape" (PDF file; 144 kB)
Coordinates: 51 ° 20 ′ 25 ″ N , 14 ° 26 ′ 50 ″ E