Hannover court upholds removal of Deister mountain bike trails

The Administrative Court of Hannover has rejected an emergency motion filed by the association Deisterfreunde e. V. regarding mountain bike trails in the Deister landscape protection area. The court's decision upholds orders from the Region Hannover requiring the removal of three specific trails: ‘Ladies Only’, ‘Ü30’, and ‘BMX-Trail’.

The trails had been operated since 2013/2014 under temporary exemptions as part of a pilot project intended to reduce illegal trail building by providing legal alternatives. However, the Region Hannover concluded the pilot failed to curb illegal mountain biking and decided not to extend the permits beyond the end of 2025. Consequently, authorities ordered the removal of the trails and prohibited further changes to the ground surface.

Deisterfreunde argued that the removal orders threatened the association's purpose and challenged the clarity of the restrictions. The court ruled that the trails constitute unauthorized changes to the surface of the protected area and found no legal basis for granting exemptions. While the court struck down the threat of fines for every single violation, the core orders for removal and cessation of ground alterations remain in place. Both parties have the option to appeal to the Higher Administrative Court of Lower Saxony in Lüneburg.