Straddling the border between the federal states of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, the Schenefeld Research Campus is the heart of European XFEL. Researchers from across the world come here to perform their experiments. Under the eastern parts of the campus, the facility's undulators generate the X-ray laser light used at the instruments under the main building. The research campus also houses the vast majority of the facility's staff. A guesthouse is under construction on the campus, and a visitor's centre is currently being planned.
Natural areas
Running across the research campus is the stream Düpenau, which was restored to its natural state for the first time in a century and a half as part of the European XFEL's construction. Wetlands now accompany the stream on the campus, which is monitored for wildlife. Currently, several species of birds, woodland mammals, amphibians, and insects have been spotted in the area.
Compensation measures included the restoration neighbouring areas by plantations, near-natural green spaces, hedges, groves, and areas that remain left to nature. A central element of these measures was the large-area restoration of the Düpenau creek on the Schenefeld site and in its vicinity. European XFEL funded all of the restoration activities and led efforts on about half of the area, with the other half being led by Hamburg in close cooperation with the state of Schleswig-Holstein and the city of Schenefeld. European XFEL fully funded restoration activities for a kilometre length of the stream. European XFEL has also built new hedgerows within the Feldmark as part of the compensation measures. Historically, hedgerows were constructed as boundaries of grazing lands in the Feldmark, but, in the intervening centuries, they have become ecosystems in their own right, hosting many species of plants, such as the guelder-rose, elderberry, aspen, hawthorn, and sycamore. In the last stages of renaturation, European XFEL has been planting more trees and shrubs, including local species like silver birch, European beech, ash, and oak, across its main research campus. The plants will provide nesting opportunities for numerous different birds and other local wildlife, making the site of a worldwide leading research facility a very attractive place for local nature to thrive.
The restored natural areas will be publicly accessible, starting in the second half of 2019.
Campus restaurant: BeamStop
Employees, guests, users, and visitors to the campus can enjoy a meal and refreshments at BeamStop. Every weekday 11:30–14:00, lunch will be served, with three meal options as well as salad and side dish bars and soup. Daily 7:00–15:00, a snack bar offers small meals, sandwiches, and sweets alongside hot and cold beverages. This week's menu can be seen below.
BeamStop is operated in partnership with Klüh Catering.