The Hohes Holz is the only large wooded area in the otherwise open, agriculturally intensively-farmed western part of the Magdeburg Börde

Magdeburg Börde

The Magdeburg Börde is the central landscape unit of the state of Saxony-Anhalt and lies to the West and South of the eponymous state capital Magdeburg. It is noted for its very fertile soils.- Boundaries :...

 in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...

. The region forms the southern part of a ridge that runs from the Lappwald

Lappwald

The Lappwald is a heavily wooded range of hills, 20 km long and up to 5 km wide, in central Germany. It stretches northwards from the town of Helmstedt. The border between Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt runs through the woods, of which about three quarters is on Lower Saxon terrain...

 in the north to the Bodeknie

Bode

Bode may refer to:in people by surname:*Boyd Henry Bode , American academic and philosopher*Bruce Bode, MD, FACE, American diabetes specialist*Denise Bode , American politician*Erin Bode, American singer...

 near Oschersleben (Bode). This ridge is bordered in the northeast by the Upper Aller

Aller

The Aller is a river, long, in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the River Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last form the Lower Aller federal waterway...

. Three of the Aller's source streams rise on the northern slopes of the Hohes Holz.

The highest elevation in the Hohes Holz is the Edelberg at . The Bode, flowing a few kilometres to the south, is only about 80 m above sea level. Politically the region of the Hohes Holz belongs to the municipalities of Ausleben

Ausleben

Ausleben is a municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany....

, Eggenstedt

Eggenstedt

Eggenstedt is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Wanzleben-Börde....

, Stadt Oschersleben (Bode) and Wormsdorf

Wormsdorf

Wormsdorf is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Eilsleben....

 im Börde district.

These hills, designated as a protected area

Protected area

Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...

, extend over about 15 square kilometres (5.8 sq mi). In the middle of this mainly beech

Beech

Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...

 covered region there are 150 hectares (370.7 acre) of nature reserve.

Amongst the numerous species of wild flower in the Hohes Holz are the Anemone

Anemone

Anemone , is a genus of about 120 species of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae in the north and south temperate zones...

s, Liverwort

Anemone hepatica

Anemone hepatica is a herbaceous perennial growing from a rhizome in the buttercup family , native to woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.- Taxonomy :The taxonomy of the genus Anemone and its species is not fully resolved...

, Woodruff, Primula

Primula

Primula is a genus of 400–500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. They include primrose, auricula, cowslip and oxlip. Many species are grown for their ornamental flowers...

, Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley

Convallaria majalis , commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley, is a poisonous woodland flowering plant native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe....

, Gentian, Hyacinths and several orchids (Lady orchid

Lady orchid

The Lady Orchid is an herbaceous plant belonging to the Genus Orchis of the family Orchidaceae.-Description: Orchis purpurea reaches on average of height. The leaves are broad and oblong-lanceolate, forming a rosette about the base of the plant and surrounding the flower spike. They are fleshy...

, Heath Spotted Orchid, Bird's-nest Orchid

Bird's-nest Orchid

The Bird's-nest Orchid, Neottia nidus-avis, is a non-photosynthetic orchid found in shady woodland on basic soils. It is a myco-heterotroph. It obtains its nutrients from a mycorrhizal fungus that is attached to a photosynthetic host plant...

).

The fauna of the region includes the Buzzard

Common Buzzard

The Common Buzzard is a medium to large bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. It is usually resident all year, except in the coldest parts of its range, and in the case of one subspecies.-Description:...

, Red Kite

Red Kite

The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...

, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk and Grey Heron

Grey Heron

The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions...

 as well as Fox

Red Fox

The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...

, Weasel

Weasel

Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....

, Marten

Marten

The martens constitute the genus Martes within the subfamily Mustelinae, in family Mustelidae.-Description:Martens are slender, agile animals, adapted to living in taigas, and are found in coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the northern hemisphere. They have bushy tails, and large...

, Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...

 and Badger.

The Hohes Holz is also a recreation area and "green lung" of great importance for the region about 30 km, located as it is 30 km west of the city of Magdeburg

Magdeburg

Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....

. In addition to a nature trail several signposted cycle ways and footpaths have been established in recent years.