Hainich National Park

Hainich National Park, which was established on 31 December 1997, is the 13th national park in Germany and the only one in Thuringia. One of the main objectives of the 7500 -acre park is the protection of the domestic beech forest. Since 25 June 2011, the National Park is one Hainich UNESCO World Heritage Beech Forests in the Carpathians and ancient beech forests in Germany.

1,400 ha in the core zone of the national park have the status of "wilderness partner " in the network of European Wildlife sanctuaries in the PAN Parks Foundation.

Geography

The 75- square kilometer park is located east of the Werra in the west of the state of Thuringia and is part of the Natural Park Eichsfeld Hainich Werra. It is located in the triangle formed by Eisenach Mulhouse Bad Langensalza in the south of about 160 km ² Hainich, the largest connected deciduous forest in Germany.

Flora and Fauna

The Hainich has a wide range of beech forest communities in which there are next to the beech and numerous other species of deciduous trees such as ash, maples, lindens and the rare wild service tree. In addition, fungi and large stocks of spring flowers such as daffodils, liverworts and anemones occur.

Within the fauna of the Hainich the wildcat, 15 bat species, seven species of woodpeckers and more than 500 wood-inhabiting beetles are especially noteworthy.

Purpose of the National Park

In Hainich National Park to be built again a central European forest, where you can nature take its course and not worked the land. Currently this includes National Park in the area of former military training areas with about 50 square kilometers, the largest unexploited deciduous forest area of ​​Germany. In future, the Buchenwald will prevail on most surfaces. This is an important requirement of the international nature conservation is satisfied, since such a typical habitat of Central Europe can finally be protected. Encouraged, the reaction by increasing the core zone from 29 to 75 percent in July 2009.

Special

East and Center

In the eastern part of the national park is the forester's house Thiemsburg. Since August 2005 you can on a 310 meter long canopy walkway take just below the treetops, the treetops of a forest in appearances ( in May 2009 extended to 530 meters). The University operates for several years in this forest area geobotany treetop research. This Baumkronenpfad was only the second in Germany and allows scientists and visitors, to learn about new discoveries of botany. Known are those paths already tops in the tropical rain forest, about Costa Rica. ( 51 ° 5 '0 "N, 10 ° 30' 24 " O51.08322222222210.506722222222 )

South

The south part of the national park occupies a spacious area that had been cut down in the early 1980s to meet the needs of the training area and later remained unused forestry; only individual, location near open spaces could be used for grazing. Meanwhile this site may be committed on the designated routes again. Visitors will find a special one already twenty years old young forest before. Opened in June 2011 observation tower Hainich look at General hills provide a comprehensive view of the area. (51 ° 2 ' 16 "N, 10 ° 26 ' 11 " O51.037710.43647 )

West

On the Harsberg Lauterbach the jungle -life camp was opened in 2006, it offers numerous offers for schools and young people. (51 ° 4 ' 26 " N, 10 ° 22' 38 " O51.07410.377277777778 )

North

Since March 2009, is in the area of ​​Hünenburg - Megalithic pond " Germanischer cult path ". Here are replicas of shrines that have been discovered during excavations in the sacrificial bog at Niederdorla. (51 ° 6 ' 40 "N, 10 ° 27' 8" O51.11110.452277777778 )

Photo Gallery

Youth on the Harsberg

Entrance to the National Park Hainich in Lauterbach

On the tree top trail

Baumpilze

Streifenwanze ( graphosoma lineatum )

Lily of the Valley chicken ( Lilioceris merdigera )

Spotted Longhorn ( Rutpela maculata )

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