Sieben-Meter-Teich

The Sieben-Meter-Teich (also written Siebenmeterteich) is one of the three Ricklinger Kiesteiche, flooded gravel pits in the southern Leine floodplain south of the Maschsee in Hannover, inside the 'Obere Leine' landscape protection area. At about 6 hectares it is the quietest of the three; the Großer Teich next door holds the Ricklinger Bad, and the Dreiecksteich has the area's kiosk. All three ponds are officially released for bathing and monitored as EU bathing waters by the Region Hannover. The city's own portal names the north shore of the Sieben-Meter-Teich as the nude area, shielded from the rest of the pond by trees and shrubs, so naturists there are largely out of sight of other visitors. The bank is grass rather than sand, and a jetty with a ladder lets swimmers drop straight into deep water. There is no lifeguard: bathing is at your own risk. The Südschnellweg expressway crosses the pond area, though tree cover screens most of it. Locals call the Kiesteiche the 'Costa Kiesa'. Blue-green algae are a recurring problem in the Kiesteiche, and regional authorities have temporarily banned swimming in the Sieben-Meter-Teich during algae blooms, so check the current status before a swim. The local angling club also fishes the pond.