{"id":6942,"date":"2016-02-04T03:48:42","date_gmt":"2016-02-04T03:48:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=6942"},"modified":"2016-02-18T01:28:37","modified_gmt":"2016-02-18T01:28:37","slug":"german-nationalparks-part-1-schwarzwald","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/german-nationalparks-part-1-schwarzwald\/","title":{"rendered":"German Nationalparks – Part 1: Schwarzwald"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi everybody!<\/p>\n

This is a new series on the 16 national parks of Germany. Each park has its own characteristics and peculiarities that make it so special. In the posts in the coming weeks, I will explore these characteristics and peculiarities with you. In a last post, I will provide a little summary, give some statistics on the parks in Germany, and will elaborate on some debates around areas that have been qualified to become a\u00a0Nationalpark<\/em>, but due to all kinds of reasons did not make it.<\/p>\n

Before we get into the parks, however, I will shortly explain what a\u00a0Nationalpark\u00a0<\/em>in Germany is.<\/p>\n

Der Nationalpark<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

A\u00a0Nationalpark\u00a0<\/em>is\u00a0established mainly to protect\u00a0a large, natural area and its ecological processes. At the same time, a\u00a0Nationalpark\u00a0<\/em>is established to bring people closer to nature, educate them about it, do research, and of course, to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. Obviously, it\u00a0is prohibited to harm these parks. This includes any economic activity, like hunting\u00a0or farming. A\u00a0Nationalpark\u00a0<\/em>is different from other kinds of nature protection, like a\u00a0N<\/em>aturschutzgebiet\u00a0<\/em>(Nature protection area). A\u00a0Nationalpark\u00a0<\/em>is basically a step further, because there is also a great emphasis on recreation.<\/p>\n

Basically, to be able to become a\u00a0Nationalpark<\/em>, an area must:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Be large, mostly uncut, and of a special kind;<\/li>\n
  2. Fulfill in a large part of it\u00a0the requirements of a\u00a0Naturschutzgebiet<\/em>;<\/li>\n
  3. Be influenced by humans as little as possible. For this last one, that may also be done when the park is already created. In fact, most parks do not even comply with these criteria yet all the way – but they are working towards it!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"\"<\/a>

    The National Parks in Germany (Image by Lencer at Commons.wikimedia.org under license CC BY SA 3.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

    Der Nationalpark\u00a0Schwarzwald<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

    As the title of the post suggests, I will start with the\u00a0Nationalpark Schwarzwald<\/em>, which is located in the\u00a0Schwarzwald\u00a0<\/em>(the Black Forest) in\u00a0the\u00a0southern Bundesland\u00a0<\/em>(Federal State) of\u00a0Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg.\u00a0<\/em>The Schwarzwald is a well-known mountain range in Germany, but a part of it only became a Nationalpark\u00a0<\/em>very recently. On May 3, 2014, it opened its gates as\u00a0the first\u00a0Nationalpark\u00a0<\/em>in the\u00a0Bundesland<\/em>. It is split in two areas, because\u00a0the city\u00a0Forbach <\/em>lies\u00a0in between the two. The two parts together encompass\u00a0around 100 km\u00b2 (approximately 25,000 acres).<\/p>\n

    What is special about the\u00a0Nationalpark Schwarzwald<\/em>?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \"\"<\/a>

    Sundown in the Nationalpark Schwarzwald (Image by Schwarzwert Naturfotografie under license CC BY 2.0)<\/p><\/div>\n

    First and foremost, the vast woodlands and signature hill ranges of the\u00a0Schwarzwald\u00a0<\/em>can be admired. The tall Fichten und Tannen\u00a0<\/em>(spruces and fir trees) grow\u00a0closely together, which gave the forest its name: sunlight is sometimes barely let through, and thus it is a “Black Forest”.<\/p>\n

    There are wonderful paths and routes for hiking, and there are hundreds of activities organized by the\u00a0Nationalpark\u00a0<\/em>every year that you can participate in, like guided tours and educational activities about the ecological system of the Nationalpark<\/em>. During the winter, there are loipen prepared to go\u00a0Langlaufen<\/em> (cross-country skiing).<\/p>\n

    Abenteuer Schwarzwald<\/em><\/h3>\n

    Last year, a wonderful project was realized:\u00a0Abenteuer Schwarzwald<\/em>. Photographers and Film makers returned each season to the\u00a0Nationalpark\u00a0<\/em>to take the most beautiful shots of the park. On the website<\/a>, you can see the final\u00a0Ausstellung\u00a0<\/em>(exhibition) of pictures that were shot.<\/p>\n

    Also four videos were made: one for each season. Using drones and high-end cameras, some amazing footage was made, that really catches the beauty of the\u00a0Nationalpark Schwarzwald<\/em>!<\/p>\n

    Fr\u00fchling\u00a0<\/em>(Spring)<\/p>\n