Altes Land

Altes Land (German pronunciation: [ˈaltəs ˈlant] ⓘ) is an area of reclaimed marshland straddling parts of Lower Saxony and Hamburg.

The region is situated downstream from Hamburg on the southwestern riverside of the Elbe around the towns of Stade, Buxtehude, Jork and the Samtgemeinde of Lühe.

A characteristic feature is the richly decorated half-timbered farmhouses with their elaborate gateways.

The region's official standard German name is Altes Land, which means "old country".

The third mile, called Terra Nova (new land), between the Este and the Elbe, was only dyked at the end of the 15th century when the area was especially hard-hit by storm tides.