Best nature parks in Bavaria, Germany

Ammergebirge Nature Reserve is the largest nature reserve in Bavaria and includes the six municipalities of Ettal, Oberammergau, Unterammergau, Saulgrub-Altenau, Bad Kohlgrub and Bad Bayersoien.Show more

West of the A93, between the Fichtelgebirge and Oberpfälzer Wald, is the Steinwald Nature Park. The landscape is dominated by conifers that hide between bizarre rock formations. A well-known are the robber cliffs, bird cliffs and the Saubadfelsen.Show more

In the north of Bavaria, between the cities of Nuremberg, Bamberg and Bayreuth, lies the Franconian Switzerland - Franconian Jura Nature Park, which was still called the Franconian Switzerland - Veldensteiner Nature Park until 2018. With a size of 2346 km², it is the second largest nature park in the state after the Altmühltal nature park. You can relax and discover a lot on wonderful hiking trails through romantic valley sections and wide Jura plateaus - the region is not called the land of castles, caves, rocks and valleys for nothing. The show caves can be explored with experienced cave guides. Canoeing, exploring museums or visiting castles and monasteries - you can find out what is possible at the numerous information points in the park. The information center in the "old station" Muggendorf is open daily between April and October from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.Show more

The Altmühltal Nature Park is a 2962 square kilometer nature park in Bavaria that is almost identical in area to the South Franconian Jura. It was founded in 1969 and is the fourth largest nature park in Germany. There are several protected areas in the nature park, such as the Jura dry slope, Thalach meadows, Weltenburger Enge and the Kuhbach valley. In addition, the popular Altmühltal panorama trail leads through the nature park and leads past scenic and cultural experiences. The Altmühl Valley Information Center is open in the summer season, i.e. between Palm Sunday and October 31st Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and at the weekend from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the winter season it is closed at lunchtime, which means Monday to Thursday opening hours from 9 am to 12 noon and 2 to 4 pm and Friday from 9 am to 12 noon.Show more

The Fichtelgebirge Nature Park lies like a large horseshoe in northeast Bavaria. With peaks like the Schneeberg and Ochsenkopf, the highest peaks in Franconia, it attracts countless visitors every year. The 4 large rivers Main, Eger, Naab and Saale have their source here. The park was established in 1971. The Fichtelgebirge is divided into two very different natural areas - the rough, difficult to settle Hohe Fichtelgebirge with its Atlantic climate and the more protected, human-shaped Inner Fichtelgebirge with a continental climate. These very different habitats are home to a multitude of different animals and plants and organisms displaced by the Ice Age were able to survive here as well. There are eight information points in the park: the Grassemann open-air museum, the Torhaus Schloss Leupoldsdorf information point, the Zell information point in the Kleinlosnitz Farm Museum in Upper Franconia, the Weißenstadt information barn, the Mehlmeisel forest house with its wildlife park, the Häuselloh open-air mine, the "Kleiner Johannes" old mine and the information point and granite labyrinth Kirchenlamitz.Show more

The nature park was founded in 2017 and covers 227 square kilometers of the upper Ammertal, the northeast of the Ammer Mountains, the Laber-Aufacker massif and the tertiary coal mountains between Unterstogg and the Echelsbacher Bridge. The ice age moors offer unique flora habitat, so there are many types of orchids in the nature park, as well as the blue swamp star, fever clover and the yellow blooming Charles scepter. The traditional cultivation of the cultural landscape can be experienced with farm visits, animal visits and tastings.Show more

The Spessart Nature Park, founded in 1960, is 1710km² in size and includes one of the largest forest areas in Germany. On the border with Hesse, it passes into the Hessian Spessart Nature Park. The nature park comprises a large part of the natural areas Sandstone-Spessart and Vorspessart. The Main River in particular shapes the landscape in the nature park. In the Hochspessart there is a wide-meshed network of deeply cut valleys in which small streams flow. The nature park offers a habitat for many unique animals and plants, such as the water buffalo, lynx, bats, pearl mussel and chess flower.Show more

The nature park Frankenhöhe is about 1,100 km ² in size and is located south, east and northeast of the city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria. Due to its excellent geographical position, the nature park is one of the sunniest spots in Germany with a diverse landscape. Mixed forests, streams, dry biotopes and vineyards provide an excellent home for a variety of species. In addition, the nature park houses several protected areas.Show more

The Bavarian Forest Nature Park borders in the north on the Upper Bavarian Forest Nature Park and in the east on both the Czech border and the Bavarian Forest National Park. The park with its Danube floodplains, high-altitude spruce forests and raised bogs has existed since 1967 and is therefore one of the oldest nature parks in Bavaria. The defining landscape element of the park is the forest - it covers 50% of the nature park. It is a refuge for many endangered animal species such as the capercaillie, lynx, otters, corncocks and pearl mussels. A special highlight in the Bavarian Forest Nature Park are the NaturparkWelten - a museum experience in the Bayerisch Eisenstein border station. 7,000 kilometers of hiking trails and 35 nature discovery trails await visitors. You can find out more at 6 nature park information points. The Sonnenhaus information center in Zwiesel is open daily from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Naturparkwelten is always open Wednesday to Sunday from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., during the Bavarian holidays and from July to October from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.Show more

The Upper Bavarian Forest Nature Park borders the Bavarian Forest Nature Park in the south and the German-Czech border in the east. It is the fourth largest nature park in Bavaria and includes the districts of Cham and Schwandorf. Hikers can look forward to varied nature and explore the small Arbersee with its floating islands, the Rötelsee area with its many wild animals and migratory birds or the Höllbach with its rocks and forest areas. In the Falkenstein Castle Park there is the Castle Museum, in the Sattelpeilstein Castle Park and the Schwarzenberg pile ruins you can discover historical castle ruins. Nature can be explored with all your senses - alone or with the help of the regularly offered guided tours. During the summer holidays there is an additional holiday program and events for children with the motto "On the trail of nature".Show more