Bavarian Forest National Park, known locally as Bayerischer Wald, is located on the southeastern border of Germany running alongside the Czech Republic. The protected forest combines with the Czech Republic’s Sumava National Park to create the largest protected contiguous forest in Central Europe. The Bavarian Forest National Park is Germany’s first and largest national park, and one of its most stunning, established in 1970. Its appeal lies in its abundant wilderness, which has flourished with minimal interference from man. The park promises a breathtaking landscape, extensive hiking and biking trails, mirror lakes, sports opportunities, a fascinating tree-top walk that is 1300 meters long and takes us right to the 44 meters high viewing tower, shaped as a dome. The views in a clear weather are spectacular – even the snowy mountain peaks in the Alp scan be seen from up there. The whole Sky Walk offers lots of information about Bavarian Forest, which are also adjusted for the youngest visitors. Kids will not only learn from them, but will join learning with doing some fun motoric skills along the way. The Bavarian Forest on the German side covers an area of 242.2 km2. It features three key peaks of which GroBer Rachel is the highest with a summit of 1,453 m. The other two peaks include Lusen at 1,373 m and GroBer Falkenstein at 1,305 m. The climate of the highlands is severe and wet, supporting only modest yields of rye, oats, and potatoes produced on small valley farms. Coniferous forest predominates, with spruce the main species at higher altitudes and a mixed woodland of spruce, silver fir, and beech found at lower levels. Lumbering, woodworking, and glass grinding are the principal industries. The tourist trade is expanding as the reputation of the Bavarian Forest as a beautiful and uncrowded holiday resort area spreads. Each year many visitors explore the Bavarian Forest National Park, where more than 98 percent of the park’s 50.5-square-mile (130.8-square-kilometre) area is tree-covered and many species of plants, birds, and small animals thrive. Principal towns of the mountain region are Regen, Zwiesel, Waldkirchen, and Grafenau. The national park is located in the highlands between the Danube River and the Bohemian Forest. The landscape is primarily short granite and gneiss hills covered and surrounded by the dense forest. While the forest is left to evolve in its own way visitors are encouraged to actively seek out its charms. The park has more than 300 kilometers of hiking trails, 200 kilometers of designated cycling trails, and, in winter, 80 kilometers of cross-country ski trails. Mountain inns and forest cottages provide plenty of opportunities for relaxation.
This national park is visited by over 7 lakh tourists every year, under a controlled manner to not harm the forests again. Once inside, you will have a sight that portrays the story of destruction, and then, regeneration on a scale that only nature can afford. The park is now home to more than 10,000 animal species, attracting wildlife lovers from all around the region.
You ought to have this on your itinerary as well as your kids’ if you seek a truly wild experience. The forest here tells the story of nature running its own course, for young trees are slowly taking over the decayed ones. Also a must-visit if you wish to know how surprisingly powerful nature can be, for the forest sees no human intervention apart from regulated tourist groups.
The international airports at Munich (165 kilometers) and Prague (180 kilometers) provide access to the region. Frequent buses and trains service the park’s various entry points. Summer is the most popular season to visit Bavarian Forest National Park but winter snows encourage snowshoeing, hiking, and cross-country skiing. On most days of the year children and families can enjoy free guided tours geared to the natural themes of the current season.
Bavarian Forest National Park’s hands-off management philosophy is “Let nature be nature.” The pursuit of this plan is allowing a large landscape of wild forests and bogs to develop and thrive here in the heart of Europe where managed forests are an ancient human tradition.
A destructive thunderstorm savaged swaths of the forest in 1983, uprooting thousands of spruce trees, but the natural disaster was turned into an opportunity. By choosing not to remediate the damage, park officials took a critical step toward creating a truly wild forest here. Among the uncommon bird species that live here are the white-backed or three-toed woodpecker and the pygmy owl, Europe’s smallest. Some of the park’s most important species, including 45 that are endemic, can be seen in wildlife enclosures at national park centers. These locations give visitors an excellent chance to watch boar, bear, wolves, wisent (European bison), and many other species. The animals can be seen behind a fence, but some are hardly visible, so you can easily get the feeling you see these animals walking freely in the wild.
While the forest is a delightful area to explore when it basks in sunlight, it turns into a mystic land in winter. Winter finds the forest floor blanketed in a thick white carpet, the lakes frozen rock hard, and the branches heavy with the burden of snow. As most animals go into hibernation, and the stream of tourists considerably thins out, an almost eerie tranquility descends on the forest. However, several thrill-seekers arrive to indulge in cross-country skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and other winter sports. The forest department is understandably extremely stringent about tourists not disturbing the peace of the forest or startling the animals in any way.
At the Bavarian Forest National Park, adventurous souls can indulge in geocaching – a treasure hunt for the tech-savvy. It basically means using a hand-held GPS device to locate a cache hidden in the woods. The cache is normally a container containing a logbook. It is a wonderful way for people of any age to spend a few fun hours while bonding closely with nature. Understandably, travelers who wish to indulge in geocaching need to stick to rules set by the forest department.
Almost a magical land now, the national park is a result of nature’s unhindered growth over the past 40 years.
