The state of Rhineland-Palatinate, together with Saarland, established the first national park in the Hunsrück in 2015, the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park. Germany's youngest national park is located between the towns of Idar-Oberstein, Birkenfeld, Hermeskeil, Morbach, and Nonnweiler. The total area of the protected area covers around 10,000 hectares. Expansive beech forests, rare moors, rocky scree slopes, as well as arnica and hairgrass meadows characterize the unique features of the national park. The most important conservation purpose is process protection under the motto 'Let nature be nature.'
Thus, the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park leaves the direction to nature. Step by step, untouched wilderness is returning. It plays an important role in the preservation of old beech forests, which are considered highly endangered in Europe. Half of the national park area is forested with beech trees. Here, the European beech, a rather rare species worldwide, primarily grows.
In addition to nature, special cultural treasures also make the region unique: the Celtic ring wall in Otzenhausen, medieval castle ruins, old charcoal burning sites, and gemstone mines, as well as the rich flora and fauna with one of the largest populations of wildcats in Europe.
For those who want to experience nature and learn interesting facts about the national park, the guided ranger and experience tours are of interest. The tours start at the national park gate Erbeskopf or at another ranger meeting point in the national park. Information (dates, locations, topics) about the free or paid tours is available daily at www.nationalpark-hunsrueck-hochwald.de.
Three national park gates are the contact points for visitors to the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park.
With presentations and interactive exhibits, the interactive exhibition 'Welcome to the Forest of Tomorrow' at the National Park Gate Erbeskopf takes visitors into the diverse landscapes and species-rich habitats of the national park. Projections and experimental stations provide insights into nature and its inhabitants.
The national park exhibition at the National Park Gate Erbeskopf is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free.
Outside, visitors can learn on a circular path with an outdoor exhibition what contribution they can make to nature conservation.
At the National Park Gate Celtic Park near Otzenhausen in Saarland, there is an indoor exhibition on Celtic cultural history and the national park. Archaeological reconstructions tell the story of the settlement history of the Celts. Right next door, one can visit the Celtic Village. The reconstructed buildings are modeled after Celtic residential and storage houses.
At the Wildenburg near Kempfeld, there is the National Park Gate Wildenburg. The wildlife enclosure there is especially popular with families with children. At the National Park Gate Wildenburg, the themes 'Rocks' and 'Animals' are the focus.
