Rhein-Westerwald

Picturesque villages, historic buildings, idyllic stream valleys, vast silent forests, old volcanic cones, flowering orchards, rare animal and plant species, evidence of former iron ore mining as well as remains of the Roman border wall Limes and much more is the Rhine-Westerwald Nature Park.

Picturesque villages, historic buildings, idyllic stream valleys, vast silent forests, old volcanic cones, flowering orchards, rare animal and plant species, evidence of former iron ore mining as well as remains of the Roman border wall Limes and much more is the Rhine-Westerwald Nature Park. In terms of natural space, the area of the approx. 470 km2 nature park belongs to the Lower Westerwald and is thus part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. The special attraction of the Rhine-Westerwald Nature Park is its three-part landscape. This includes the steep, rocky vineyards in the Middle Rhine Valley, runs along the tranquil Wiedtal Valley and reaches high up to the ridges of the Westerwald. In an easterly direction, the winding Wied with its impinging and sliding slopes forms a varied, charming recreational area, which is followed by the undulating plateau characterizing the Westerwald, which reaches up to 400 m here. In addition to the Rhine and the Wied, the valleys of various streams are characteristic of the landscape and contain many botanical rarities, such as the Fockenbach Valley, which is designated as the core zone of the nature park. Almost half of the nature park area is forested, 34% is used for agriculture. The interplay of climate, geological conditions and centuries-long, sometimes changing use has led to the development of spring waters, brooks and rivers, siltation areas with reed beds, sedge-like vegetation, and other habitats.