Thuringian Forest Nature Park
The Thuringian Forest Nature Park extends over the area around the Rennsteig in the Thuringian Forest , in the High Thuringian Slate Mountains with the Schwarzatal and on the western flank of the Franconian Forest between Eisenach in the northwest and Sonneberg in the southeast. It includes the so-called dam region around the Alte Gothaer dam (also called the Tambach-Dietharz dam ), the Schmalwasser , Ohra and Lütschetalsperre , the Erletor dam , the Schönbrunn dam at the transition from the Thuringian Forest to the Slate Mountains, but also that Schwarzatal with the Scheiben-Alsbach dam and the Goldisthal pumped storage plant and the Lichtetal with the Leibis-Lichte drinking water dam . The 170 km² Vessertal-Thuringian Forest biosphere reserve is enclosed by the nature park. The highest elevations in the Thuringian Forest Nature Park are the Great Beerberg ( 982 m above sea level ) and the Schneekopf ( 978 m above sea level ) in the Thuringian Forest. The Great Farmdenkopf in the Thuringian Slate Mountains reaches 869 m above sea level. NN , the mountain peaks Kieferle ( 867 m above sea level ) and Bleßberg ( 865 m above sea level ) are almost the same height. The Thuringian Forest Nature Park is directly connected to the Franconian Forest and Thuringian Slate Mountains-Obere Saale nature parks . Together the three nature parks form a closed nature park area with approx. 4,000 km².
Due to the crossbar effect of the Thuringian Forest and the Thuringian Slate Mountains to the main European weather direction, the climate is very harsh at high altitudes. Typical here are, on average, relatively cold, humid summers and long, snowy winters, in which lowest temperatures can be reached that are not necessarily to be expected in a Central European low mountain range at this altitude above sea level. As a result, especially in the ridge areas on the Rennsteig, there is above-average snow reliability for central Germany, which enables winter sports and natural winter sports tourism over a relatively long period of the year. Accordingly, trails are groomed on the hiking trails around the Rennsteig in winter . The stimulating climate has a high recreational value and a proven therapeutic benefit in the case of respiratory diseases or skin eczema. Many places are state-approved resorts .
Due to the accumulation of high amounts of precipitation, high moors have been created in places . Apart from that, the vegetation dominated by large contiguous spruce mountain forests, which are used for forestry, but as a non-natural monoculture, are susceptible to disease and windbreak. Only on a few steep slopes are there still beech groves , deciduous and mixed forests, more rarely larch , lingonberries , blueberries and wood sorrel . The red foxglove is common on forest paths and clearings . On the mountain meadows made of grass turf and golden oats, there are isolated occurrences of common heather and, more rarely, arnica . Unused field terraces are interspersed with sorrel . The vast forests offer retreats for large populations of hunted large game such as red deer , roe deer and wild boar , for red fox , badger , jay and tawny owl .
The once native capercaillie is resettled in the Neuhaus and Gehren forestry offices . For this purpose, 5,000 hectares of forest are being transformed into sparse and herbaceous mixed coniferous forests with moulting sites, sleeping trees and a high proportion of old wood, accompanied by road closures during and after the release and a gentle dismantling of the network of hiking trails in the immediate vicinity of the habitat of the sensitive animals.
The red wood ant lives in suitable habitats , the fire salamander uses enclosed forest springs as a hiding place, ponds are inhabited by mountain newts and crested newts. The humid climate offers good conditions for abundant occurrences of various mushrooms, such as chestnut boletus , spruce stone mushroom , common stick sponge , golden yellow coral , frilled mother hen and moss, also Icelandic moss can be found here.
In contrast, the climate in the protected valley areas is significantly milder. They are the habitat of rare plants and animals, such as the lung gentian , kingfisher and dipper . Brown trout and tench can often be found in the waters . For the wet meadows are horsetail and Trollblume typical.
Nature park information centers
- Nature Park Information Center Bad Liebenstein / OT Altenstein (Thuringian Forest) near Altenstein Castle
- Nature park office in the former school in Friedrichshöhe (Thuringian Slate Mountains)
- Nature and geopark information with exhibition on the Großer Inselsberg (Central Thuringian Forest)
- House of Nature in the former guest house "To the happy man" in Goldisthal (Thuringian Slate Mountains)
- Nature Park Information Center Oberhof (Middle Thuringian Forest) in the Rennsteiggarten Oberhof
- Nature Park and Tourist Information Office Ohrdruf (Middle Thuringian Forest)
- Nature Park and Tourist Information Office Ruhla (Central Thuringian Forest)
- Tourist information and nature park center at Sonneberg main station (Thuringian Slate Mountains - Franconian Forest)
- Nature and geopark information and Rennsteig snack at the "Cold Kitchen" in Spechtsbrunn (Thuringian Slate Mountains - Franconian Forest)
