Spectacular and worth protecting: From Berchtesgaden to the Wadden Sea: These are Germany's most beautiful national parks
Clear air, tranquility and spectacular nature that humans and machines have to keep their hands off: National parks are something like the last oases in our man-made world, where nature can develop freely and according to its laws. FOCUS Online shows where the most beautiful parks are and what makes them so special.
Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Banff, Galapagos: Whoever thinks of national parks often associates names that sound like a far-off world and wanderlust. But spectacular natural landscapes that are not, or at least only slightly influenced by humans, but are particularly species-rich and therefore worth protecting, are not only far away, but also very close. We show the most beautiful parks in Germany.
1. Berchtesgaden National Park
The Alps are one of the most spectacular landscapes in Europe – and yet there is only one Alpine National Park: the Berchtesgaden National Park. This is not only beautiful, but also home to alpine ibex, roe deer, golden eagles and fire salamanders and is already celebrating its 42nd birthday this year. This makes the area in the extreme southeast of Bavaria one of the oldest parks in the republic. And is home to more animal and plant species than almost any other.
The Watzmann, which is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful mountains, sits enthroned above all: 2713 meters high, striking, mostly snow-covered and the symbol of the Berchtesgadener Land. This can be discovered on more than 250 kilometers of hiking trails – everyone as they can and like: While the tour to the Watzmannhaus is only for experienced hikers, the Wimbachklamm is the ideal destination for families with children. A pleasant side effect at hot temperatures: the roaring water acts like a natural air conditioning system.
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2. Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park
Spectacularly beautiful nature is not only reserved for the south of Germany, the north of the republic also has some trump cards in this regard. Above all, the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park between the Baltic island of Hiddensee, the west coast of Germany's largest island of Rügen and the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula. There are no deep canyons or towering mountain landscapes here, and yet the area is no less impressive: the lagoon-like bays that give the landscape its name and are connected to the Baltic Sea by flood channels, emerged after the last ice age and are unique in Germany.
The sandy landscape is still changing today. You can watch it particularly well on the holiday island Fischland-Darß-Zingst, for example on Darßer Weststrand. This is not only kilometers long and fine sand, but the current pushes it more and more north. A paradise not only for people: the island is a popular resting place for cranes on the way south. Also at home around the island: porpoises and sea eagles.
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3. Jasmund National Park
The Jasmund National Park in the immediate vicinity is also impressive and definitely worth a visit. With only 30 square kilometers, the park on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen is the smallest national park in Germany – and still world famous. The snow-white chalk cliffs on the east coast of the island already inspired romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich in the 19th century to one of the most famous German paintings of all time and today thousands of vacationers take selfies and Instagram postings.
The white rocks were created about 70 million years ago from calcareous skeletons, shells and tanks of microorganisms. But the beautiful chalk crumbles: storms and heavy rains keep breaking off parts of the coast. For example, the most famous cliffs to date, the Wissower Klinken, fell into the Baltic Sea in 2005. If you want to visit the chalk coast, you should check the website of the park in advance and pay attention to signs on site.
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4. Harz National Park
With 250 square kilometers, the Harz National Park, which stretches across Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, is almost as large as the urban area of Frankfurt and thus one of the largest forest national parks in Germany. 97 percent of the total park area is covered with forest. The best view of the plant carpet is offered by the park's highest point, the 1141 meter high Brocken.
As high as the mountain for Northern German conditions, the weather is also extreme: the temperatures on the Brocken are below the German average all year round. In addition, the low mountain range is considered the fogiest place in the republic. It is at least partially covered by fog for more than 300 days a year.
An alternative to marvel at the forest, the bogs, rocks and, with a little luck, a lynx or a wildcat, which are native to the Harz Mountains, without having to carry thick jackets and hiking gear with you: Dodge one of the many tree top paths in the region.
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5. Saxon Switzerland National Park
A little less foggy, but no less mystical: Saxon Switzerland southeast of Dresden near the border with the Czech Republic. The rock massifs of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, created around 100 million years ago, are among the most popular excursion destinations in the region – and have been protected since 1990. Possible negative consequences for the bizarrely towering rock massifs by tourism, but also agriculture and forestry or rail construction should be minimized.
The scenic highlight of Saxon Switzerland is for most people the Bastei bridge between the town of Wehlen and the spa town of Rathen. It doesn't matter whether it's a relaxed walk or a multi-day hike, for example on the Malerweg Elbe Sandstone Mountains: the more than 70 meter long bridge that leads to the Neurathen rock castle is by far the best-known photo motif and milestone of the more than 1200 kilometers of marked hiking routes in the rock protection area.
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6. Wadden Sea National Park
The German Wadden Sea is not just a national park, it is home to three. Because Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and Hamburg share the northern German coastal area. With an area of almost 15,000 square kilometers, it is not only about three times the size of Mallorca and thus larger than any other Wadden Sea in the world, and there are nowhere else as many birds as here. Whether oystercatchers, shelducks or eider ducks – they all live in the Wadden Sea National Park.
But even if the abundance of birds is not worth more than a side note, it will be difficult to escape the beauty of the coastal strip, which is only subject to the tides. Because an excursion to the Wadden Sea looks like a spa holiday: walking through the mudflats with tidal creeks, boring your toes in the wet mud and losing sight of the vastness of the sand level released by the water.
7. Müritz National Park
Forests and lakes as far as the eye can see: there is not only in Sweden, but also in the middle of the Mecklenburg Lake District between Rostock and Berlin. The largest of these is the Müritz in the municipality of Priborn. However, there are more than 100 other lakes all around that make the area a popular holiday destination and an absolute water sports mecca. To ensure that it stays that way, the area has been under nature protection since 1990.
Particularly suitable as a means of transportation to explore the park: the stand-up paddle board or the kayak. While you hover over the often mirror-smooth surface of the Müritz, especially with evening, you can even watch sea eagles, black storks and cranes while eating or brooding. Those who prefer to discover the park on land instead of on water can also do so on foot or by bike. Particularly recommended: the old book forests of Serrahn near the small town of Neustrelitz. They have been officially a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011.