Over half of Braunschweig's urban area is made up of green spaces, which visitors can enjoy and use for recreational purposes. These also provide habitats for wild animals and plants. There are three swimming lakes, great for cooling off in the summertime.Riddagshausen Nature Conservation Area
Around 900 years ago monks from the Cistercian abbey of Riddagshausen began to drain an extensive area of marsh and converted it into ponds for fish farming. Braunschweig town council expanded it into one of the first nature conservation areas in Germany. Its most important tasks are the conservation and the continued development of the natural environment of the reserve. In the spring and autumn migratory birds use the reserve as a resting area.Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens are among Braunschweig Technical University's oldest facilities. They were set up as part of a school of anatomy at the start of the 19th century. The hothouse, baroque farmer's garden and waterfall are especially worth seeing.