Hessigheim rock gardens

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Nature reserve "Hessigheim rock gardens"

IUCN Category IV - Habitat / Species Management Area

Hessigheimer Felsengaerten 800x600.jpg
location Hessigheim , Ludwigsburg district , BW , Germany
surface 5 ha
Identifier 1,249
WDPA ID 318536
Geographical location 49 ° 0 '  N , 9 ° 11'  E Coordinates: 49 ° 0 '6 "  N , 9 ° 10' 37"  E
Hessigheim rock gardens (Baden-Württemberg)
Hessigheim rock gardens
Setup date April 23, 2002
administration Regional Council Stuttgart
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The Hessigheim rock gardens (older name also Besigheim rock gardens , popularly also Swabian Dolomites ) are a nature reserve in the Neckar basin , a popular climbing area due to its rocks and are among the most important geotopes in Germany .

location

The Hessigheim rock gardens are located north of the town of Hessigheim on a bulging slope of the Neckar .

geology

The rock of the Upper Muschelkalk was formed about 243 to 245 million years ago in the Triassic by deposits in the sea. Through tectonic processes in the course of the earth's history, the rock layers were lifted above sea level and erosion began. The Neckar has already buried itself here on an impact slope below the level of the hard Upper to the Middle Muschelkalk , whose evaporites are less erosion-resistant than the upper layer. Close to the edge of the valley, where the rock package is cut on one side, there is strong leaching, through which the middle shell limestone has sagged and parts of the upper shell limestone above it have partially loosened from the bond and as rock walls and towers in front of the shell limestone wall down into the valley have slipped.

This phenomenon of erosion continues even today. There have recently been rock falls worth mentioning in 1924, then down to the Neckar, as well as in 1973, 1983 and 2002. In the meantime, the dangers of rock falls for the general public have been reduced through complex safety measures such as rock removal and protective fences.

Georg Wagner gave the first known geological description in 1913.

natural reserve

As early as 1942, the Hessigheim rock gardens were designated as a nature reserve by ordinance by the Württemberg Minister of Culture and entered in the Reich Nature Protection Book. With this step it was also forbidden to "climb the walls of the rocks and rock towers visible from the Neckar". The rock gardens nature reserve was originally around 2.7 hectares in size  .

In 2002, an ordinance on the nature reserve Hessigheim rock gardens was issued. With this ordinance, the ordinance of 1942 expired and the area of ​​the nature reserve was set at 5 hectares.

The nature reserve has been part of the FFH area Northern Neckar Basin since 2005 (identifier: 7021-342).

Protection purpose

The rock gardens near Besigheim around 1857, watercolor by General Eduard von Kallee
Hessigheim - rock gardens - the gap with the oak
View from the rock gardens over the Neckar valley
Silesian dandelions in the nature reserve

According to the ordinance issued in 2002, the preservation and promotion of a rock habitat and its surroundings that are unique in nature are to be protected. In particular because of:

  • the special history of the rock gardens;
  • the bizarre rock formations, the towers, the deep crevices and gorges, the scree slopes and the rock falls below the rock gardens;
  • the unique locations of the rocks, their heads and crevices with their highly specialized fauna and flora of the grasslands and rock band societies;
  • the plant cover resulting from the former cultivation of the flowery semi-arid lawn, the warmth-loving, herb-rich fringing and bushing communities;
  • the deciduous linden and maple mixed forest in the center of the gorge;
  • the relic site for the limestone blue grass , which has an isolated occurrence here and
  • the occurrence of protected and threatened animal and plant species;
  • the FFH habitat types occurring in the area: "Lime pioneer lawn" (6110), "Trespen-Schwingel-Kalk-Trockenrasen" (6210) as well as "Natural and near-natural limestone rocks and their crevice vegetation" (8210) according to Annex I of Directive 92/43 / EEC of the Council of May 21, 1992 for the conservation of natural habitats and of wild animals and plants.

Climb

The Hessigheim rock gardens are a popular destination for climbers . The first climbers in the rock garden have probably been around since the 1920s, preparing here for great tours in the Alps. Today there are over 130 climbing routes. The up to 18 m high rock walls have difficulties from 3rd to 9th degree.

Climbing regulation

The prohibitions of the nature reserve do not apply to climbers if they:

  • only climb the approved routes,
  • do not climb on the walls of the rock towers facing the Neckar,
  • do not create new climbing tours,
  • only attach new hooks in consultation with the higher nature conservation authority,
  • do not climb climbing routes closed because of bird breeding,
  • Use magnesia extremely sparingly and
  • do not lie on the rock heads.

See also

Web links

Commons : Hessigheim rock gardens  - collection of images, videos and audio files