Explore the Wonders of Germany's National Parks

March 27, 2023

Thanks to natural habitats, humanity has been given carte blanche to satisfy its primary needs for life. Oxygen-rich atmospheres allow us to breathe, water to quench our thirst, plant and animal resources to eat, and not to starve to death. These are all natural resources that are considered non-depleting. Human activity proves that this is an irreparable delusion. We have brought technical progress to nature by trying to bend biological processes to ourselves without giving anything in return. Uncontrolled deforestation, drainage and flooding of vast territories, and the reversal of rivers. We have initiated the extinction of many species of animals, often upsetting the balance of ecological security and provoking global warming with our economic activity, which has had a pernicious effect on all living things. Nature, in turn, has played its part by changing atmospheric pressure, magnetic storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, and devastating hurricanes. How to find that "golden" middle ground, which with a delay, will bring the correct balance between nature a man? The National Parks and Reserves are called to perform a particular task in this direction. Creating protected areas is now considered the only way to maintain flora and fauna species diversity. All over the world, this task is challenging. It is almost always at odds with someone's economic interests, be they transnational corporations, regional groupings, or ordinary poachers. Of course, this is not dogma. After all, no nature reserve can protect rare species from global climate change, disease, forest fires, or, say, from the expansion of "alien" - that is, alien species.
Do you know what a "pristine" silence is? It is when at morning dawn, the first rays of the sun break through the leaves of the waking forest, the nightingales begin their morning voice sweeping in a circle, you can hear the quiet dewdrop, and you are overwhelmed with admiration for the beauty of space. During this period, your thoughts and beauty, united as one, in unison, are laying down an ode to nature for giving us the chance to see and hear it. Today this is possible in National Parks and Reserves. According to UNESCO, more than seven hundred biosphere reserves exist in 131 countries worldwide. We take a look at Germany's national parks. The Federal Republic of Germany. In one country, sixteen federal states with the freedom to pass local laws. Each state has the same number of national parks. In total, the protected area of this country covers three percent of all the land. Is that a little or a lot? For example, the creation of the world's first national park in America, Yellowstone, dates back to 1872. In total, the states have more than three hundred national parks, wildlife refuges, and natural monuments. Fourteen are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and almost thirty percent of the U.S. territory is devoted to parks.
What are the exciting things about Germany's national parks? Sightseeing, nature, peculiarities, location? And not just gardens. Today there are almost nine thousand nature protection areas and more than a hundred nature parks. What is the difference between them? The main difference is that tourists can visit the territory of national parks, and there is the possibility of economic activities in specially designated areas for environmental, educational, and scientific purposes. Human activity is practically forbidden in nature reserves, and the routes for educational tourism, ecological trails, and environmental education centers are created in the areas bordering it. In a national park, the territory is divided into several zones with its reserved part, a specially protected part, which you can get with special passes, and a recreational and an economic zone. The recreational site has recreation areas, trails, and paths. There are also recreational objects. As a rule, these are historical and natural landmarks. Speaking of Germany's national parks, we must remember that the oldest of them is only a little over fifty years old. As you understand, this is a "baby" age from the realization and the beginning of the rescue of fauna and flora in the country, many species of which, without this decision, you could not see even today. Therefore, this country gives answers to the questions of how to deal with the development of parks, how to connect protected areas with the visit of tourists, how to achieve harmony with nature, and how to teach the younger generation to appreciate the inestimable that nature has given us. So, let's take it one step at a time.

Germany's national parks.
The oldest national park in southeast Germany, in the vicinity of Freyung Grafenau, with an area of more than 25 thousand hectares, is the Bavarian Forest. Merging with the Czech national park Šumava, it forms the largest forested area in Central Europe, with almost fifteen thousand species of animals. Among the attractions are Lake Rachelse, of glacial origin, Luzen Mountain, and the Steinberg Rock Massif. Nearly one and a half kilometers of Great Arber mountain with excellent ski slopes. If you dare, you can learn a new tourist route on the glass road Glasstrasse, along two hundred and fifty kilometers with souvenir shops and entertainment along the way. It is desirable to visit the museum "Bavarian Forest," which occupies thirty hectares of Titling. Or for eight euros to "tickle" the nerves, walking on a flimsy suspension road stretching between the trees at a distance of almost a mile and a half. On the way, you can visit a small village Marktl, the place of childhood and youth of Pope Benedict XVI. Here for tourists, you can buy "exclusive" souvenirs in the form of various games on the themes of religion. The pinnacle of "gluttony" offered to the laity is the "papal" beer "Papst-Bier." Of course, your journey will not do without a "touch" of nature. Here, in its natural habitat, lynx, wood grouse, wild cat, black stork, elk, peregrine falcon, otter, beaver, and many other species, which you may see, feel great. The forest is fabulous and seems, in some places, completely untouched by civilization. Everything is present here: pristine landscapes that mesmerize the soul, romantic forest glades studded with exquisite flowers and natural intoxicating aromas of the era, and unspeakably beautiful landscapes. Much of this massif is classified as a protected area and is strictly protected. Tourists, hikers, and cyclists love these places. Near Munich in the Bavarian Alps, on more than twenty hectares, is the country's only high-mountain national park, Berchtesgaden. It is recognized as the custodian of the best scenic landscapes in Europe, where against a backdrop of rocky steeps, coniferous forests turn into picturesque alpine meadows. In the lower part of the park, at an altitude of just over six hundred meters, is the lake Konigssee, and the highest point, the peak of Mount Wachsmann, reached two thousand seven hundred meters. The length of hiking trails is almost three hundred kilometers through alpine meadows, past rocky mountain peaks, rocky screes, and virgin forests. And, of course, the fauna of the reserve. If you don't manage to see it, you should know that nearby there are mountain goats, alpine salamander, deer, roe deer, hares, eagles, partridges, and much other wildlife.
More than fifteen years ago, combining two parks in the states of Lower Saxony and Anhalt, the Harz National Park was created with woodlands, cliffs, and marshes, where almost all year round, the area is covered with dense fog. The park is classified as part of the European Community's Natura 2000 network of nature reserves. On the slopes of the Western Harz, the full-flowing rivers Bode, Oder, and Ilse are born from small streams. This is Germany's most significant forest area of almost twenty-four thousand hectares, mainly made up of beech and fir. A large part of nature has been left untouched by human activity. Despite the harsh conditions and challenging routes, according to statistics, the annual flow of tourists in the Harz is at least four million. Such interest in the park is attributed to the desire of many to visit the legendary Bald Mountain, where witches are said to gather for a coven. This fabulous Brocken found its description in Walpurgis Night of Goethe's Faust, in the diaries of Heine and Andersen, and Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita. The band Sturmwehr in their song "Geliebte Heimat," and the German bard Frank Rennicke who wrote the song "Herbst am Harz," was also honored to pay tribute to the park.
Everything else is attached—skiing in winter, hiking and biking, and educational seminars. You can go around the mountain ranges on the narrow gauge train of an old steam locomotive and descend into the abandoned mines with exhibits. And naturally get acquainted with various roe deer, deer, wild boar, and black woodpecker. You will try to see rare species - black stork, peregrine falcon, European wild cat, and Eurasian lynx. The latter, by the way, was exterminated in the early nineteenth century. For almost two centuries, the wild cat was successfully reintroduced to the Harz area and began to give birth.
The Saxon Switzerland National Park, located in Saxony, has a unique mountain landscape and was established in the socialist GDR as part of the National Park Program. It includes the spectacular rock massifs of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, formed millions of years ago. For excursions, here, set aside a third of the protected area. Despite this, tourists will appreciate the Bastia bridge, which connects Velen with Rathen and the Konigstein castle complex. The Lower Saxony Wadden Biosphere Reserve in Lower Saxony covers almost three hundred and fifty thousand hectares and is a UNESCO site. These are the shoals of the North Sea, with marshy and saline terrain. In addition to the diverse animal life of waterfowl, many birds migrate here for nesting. The Hainich National Park is located in Thuringia. A protected primeval beech forest characterizes it. Hiking, cycling, and horseback riding are cultivated here. For children, there is a whole city of different attractions. Walking the "path of fairies," children and adults hear exciting stories and fairy tales. But you can "walk" and on the "road" stretched under the trees.
Near the town of Kassel is a national park Kellerwald-Edersee, which is positioned as the most mysterious natural phenomenon in the world. This is due to the remnants of the forest in its pristine and untouched state, which have survived to this day. First, scientists attribute this to the lack of cities, busy highways, and rail connections near the region. The smallest in the country is recognized as Jasmund Park, which belongs to the island of Rügen, where the largest resort in the country is located. Binz's town is almost five kilometers from the former Nazi spa citadel of Prora, designed for twenty thousand vacationers. A chalk cliff formed at one hundred and twenty meters is among the attractions. This natural wonder is in the form of a ledge forming an observation deck under the poetic name "King's Chair," which offers a magnificent view of the Baltic panorama. If you decide to settle in Prora permanently, you should know the basic rule of this region. Nazi beliefs must be alien to the property owner. Regardless of the presence of a big purse.
Of course, with the limited material is challenging to list all the protected places and pay tribute to the beauty of this region. After all, not only national parks and protected areas are designed to protect the natural national treasures of the country. In parallel, recreational areas are in the status of nature reserves. These include Lake Müritz, the Watt Sea, Heinich Park, the ecological Eifel, and many others. Here we can safely add miniature landscapes and park places. Among them are the "Olympic Park" in Munich, the Wilhelmshöhe Mountain Park, the Duisburg Nord Landscape Park, and others.

Conclusion
Undoubtedly, the location of natural protected areas in Germany has the most incredible European biodiversity. With the unique climate and nature, the picturesque landscapes alternate with fabulous landscapes, temperate deciduous forests mixed with firs alternate with soft and luxuriant alpine meadows, passing in strict rocky mountains. At the same time, these green oases do not forget their primary purpose - to educate visitors, instill the culture of communicating with nature, and get real lessons from environmental lobbies to everyone. And researchers get an opportunity to expand their knowledge in the study and preservation of endangered species of fauna and flora, having, perhaps, the last chance to prevent this disaster. Today it is an integral part of eco-tourism, covering a total area of more than a million hectares. This concept makes ecotourism a popular destination for recreation, entertainment, exploratory walks, and a sense of belonging to this beauty.