Lachte

Template:Infobox Fluss/GKZ missingTemplate:Infobox Fluss/Catchment area missingTemplate:Infobox Fluss/Discharge missing

Lachte
The Lachte west of Lachendorf
DataTemplate:Infobox Fluss/Map missing
Location	Lower Saxony, Germany
Length	38 Kmdep1 Template:Infobox Fluss/NACHWEIS-LÄNGE missing
Source	Southwest of Sprakensehl 52°44′40″N 10°28′09″E
Source height	96 mTemplate:Infobox Fluss/HÖHENBEZUG-QUELLE missing
Mouth	East of Celle, near Lachtehausen 52°37′17″N 10°06′11″E
Mouth height	40 mTemplate:Infobox Fluss/Mouth height datum missing
Descent	56 m
Basin	Weser
Progression	Aller → Weser → North Sea
Right tributaries	Lutter, Aschau
Left tributaries	Kainbach, Jafelbach
Villages	Auermühle, Lüsche, Steinhorst, Wohlenrode, Hohnhorst, Jarnsen, Beedenbostel, Lachendorf, Lachtehausen

The Lachte is a roughly 38-kilometre (24 mi) long right-hand tributary of the River Aller in the Südheide Nature Park in the north German state of Lower Saxony.

Course

Ford across the Lachte at Steinhorst

The Lachte rises in the northern part of the district of Gifhorn southwest of Sprakensehl. It flows initially southwest, feeds a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) long row of fish ponds near the Auermühle Estate (Gut Auermühle) and is then joined from the left by the Kainbach stream and, beyond the town of Steinhorst (which has a water wheel in its coat of arms), the Jafelbach. In Steinhorst a stony ford crosses the river. Near Beedenbostel, Celle district, the Lutter and the Aschau join the Lachte from the right. Near Lachendorf the river swings west and discharges into the Aller near Lachtehausen, a village within Celle district.

In 1997 the "Upper Lachte, Kainbach, Jafelbach" Nature Reserve was opened with an area of 1,090 hectares (2,700 acres). The Lachte and the Lutter with their tributaries, which both run through the eastern part of the Südheide Nature Park, form a river system with numerous branches that covers an area of about 2,450 hectares (6,100 acres) and was designated a nature reserve (Naturschutzgebiet) in 2007.

Although only following the western section of the river, the narrow gauge line from Celle to Wittingen was known as the Lachte Valley Railway.