Natural and cultural environment

The combination of natural and cultural landscapes in the Black Forest make it one of a kind. Livestock grazing and forest management have been carried out here for generations, characterising the region to this day. With its forests, moors, heathlands and lakes, numerous contrasts can be experienced in the Black Forest National Park: sometimes nature shows itself as sweet and gentle, while at other times it is seen as wild and untamed. The diversity of the landscape is reflected in the diversity of the fauna and flora. A large part of the National Park is a NATURA 2000 protected area.

Today, spruce, fir and beech forests dominate the scenery with spruce being the most common due to its extensive use in reforestation. Numerous storms including Hurricane Wiebke and Vivian (1990) and Lothar (1999) have set the stage for the development of well-structured forests in the future. How Mother Nature handles the consequences of a storm can be witnessed on two nature trails: the Lotharpfad and Wildnispfad.

A special feature of the National Park are the upland pastures - known locally as ‘grinden’. There are also several moors, the largest of which is located around the Hornisgrinde summit (outside the National Park). Grazing areas and moorlands account for around three percent of the National Park’s area.