| Directions 8 | National park facilities 9 | Nationalparkzentrum 10 | BuchenHaus with WildnisSchule 11 | Wild animal park

Trails into nature … lead you into the solitude of vast forests andDor to thetmund treasures of Hamburg the national park. Our national park rangers will be pleased toA 44 Hannover B 450 show you more. They offer professional guided tours and many B 251 diverse and excitingB 252 adventures throughout the year. National- parkZentrum, BuchenHaus withW WildnisSchuleolfhagen and Wild- tierPark Edersee lead into the newly developingB 251 wilderness of B 520 the national park. They pave the way, foster the enthusiasm, B 251 tie up with and delve into the theme.

B 252 EderseeEdersee B 485485 Vöhl NationalparkZentrum NationalparkZentrum Harbs- Waldeckaldeck Asel- Herz- hausen B 450 Kassel Ancient treasures—AstoundingA 7 Wild creatures—Eye to eye with the hausen Süd Hem-H - fufurth sourcesB 254 lynx NationalparkZentrum BuchenHaus WildtierPark Edersee Kirchlotheim AolderA n BringhausenBBringhauseuseseenn Schmittlot- Gi itz —Space for wilderness and people —Secrets from the wilderness —Animals of our wilderness—right in front of heim Nationalpark A 49 Fritzlar The information and visitor centre in the west of the national Exhibition and WildnisSchule are united under the roof of your eyes Eder Kleinern Alten- Gellershausen park wants to take you by surprise with its modern architecture the BuchenHaus where wilderness is imparted in an exciting While the new wilderness is developing in the national park lotheim and interactive exhibitions. The exhibition is exclusively and interesting way. The “BoggelReich” presents itself very the WildtierPark allows for a vivid presentation of wild ani- Frebershausen dedicated to the natural world of the national park. mysteriously. After having passed the haze door, visitors step mals of the beech forest—because it is a long way to a wilder- B 253 A 49 Frankfurt Würzburg Following an atmospheric attunement in small rooms of ex- into the shoes of the Boggel and take a look at the beech ness where many original inhabitants regain a place to live. Frankenberg München perience interactive exhibits provide you with extra­ordinary forest from an unfamiliar perspective, discover the hidden, Wolf, lynx and wild cat, European bison, red deer and wild B 3 Homberg Imprint Gießen insights and perspectives. Life in the beech forests is presented understand the animals of the forest. The next attraction is horse live in large enclosures. The enclosures of fallow deer and

Published by: Hessen-Forst, Nationalparkamt Kellerwald-Edersee as well as the habitats of the wild cat in the Kellerwald-Edersee the “BodenSchau”, a walk-in soil segment with giant crea- wild boars can even be entered. You should not miss out on Laustraße 8, 34537 Bad Wildungen, Tel. 0049-5621-75249-0 National Park. Lynx and wolf are presented in an exciting tures of this underworld. The setting of the “SchattenWald” the show feeding of the mysterious wolf pack, the prowling [email protected] BuchenHaus BuchenHaus www.nationalpark-kellerwald-edersee.de/en/home/ manner. Life-size exhibits, information and playful activities is a walk-in silhouette which reflects the beautiful and diverse lynx with its brush ears, the wild she-cats and the lively fish BodenSchau—Meet earthworms & SchattenWald—Understanding the 2nd Edition, 2014 friends beech forest are greatly enjoyed. structures of a beech forest. Basic statements about the otter family in the cool water. The bird of prey air show will Photographs: Nationalparkamt, NationalparkZentrum, K. Bogon, cognitio, The finishing touch of the visit to the exhibition is the short beech and its forest are displayed at 10 stations. remain an unforgettable experience. A Golden Eagle uses M. Delpho, R. Kubosch Editorial and design: cognitio Kommunikation & Planung, www.cognitio.de film shown in the 4D-SinneKino where the audience is taken How important the national park is for the region and the State the upwind and spirals elegantly up into the sky with Lake on a tour through the “developing wilderness”. of is proven by lynx, red deer, eagle owl and bats in Eder as a perfect background. Falcon and red kites glide on And to round off the relaxing informative visit, the restaurant “NetzWerk”. Groups are invited to create, experiment and do mighty wings over the heads of the fascinated visitors. THE NATIONAL PARK AND ITS FACILITIES “GastRaum” welcomes you to enjoy regional specialties. some research in the WerkRaum of the WildnisSchule. Lec- And the petting zoo with its miniature goats or pony trek- tures, discussions and games take place in the KlassenRaum; king will light up children’s eyes.

the WildnisRaum is a place of contemplation and meditation. Fascinating wilderness Opening hours 1 April–31 October in the kingdom of quaint beeches NationalparkZentrum Kellerwald 10.00 a.m.–6.00 p.m. (daily) BuchenHaus Opening hours BuchenHaus WildtierPark Edersee Contact Greifenwarte Air shows: Weg zur Wildnis 1 1 November–31 March Am Bericher Holz 1 and WildtierPark Am Bericher Holz 1 Am Bericher Holz 1 1 March–15 November 34516 Vöhl-Herzhausen 10.00 a.m.–4.30 p.m. (Thurs. to Sun.) 34549 -Hemfurth 1 May–31 October 9 a.m.–6 p.m. 34549 Edertal-Hemfurth 34549 Edertal-Hemfurth Daily at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Nationale WildtierPark Edersee WildtierPark Edersee Telephone: 0049-5635-992781 Closed on certain days in January as Telephone: 0049-5623-97303-0 1 November–28 February 1 1 a.m.–4 p.m. Telephone: 0049-5623-97303-0 Telephone: 0049-5623-2230 (save Mondays) Nationalpark Naturlandschaften Wolves—exciting encounter Bird of prey centre—Air show www.NationalparkZentrum-Kellerwald.de well as on 24 December and 1 January. www.buchenhaus.eu 1 March–30 April 1 0 a.m.–6 p.m. www.wildtierpark-edersee.eu www.greifenwarte-edersee.de Kellerwald-Edersee 2 | ANCIENT BEECH FORESTS 3 | NEW WILDERNESS 4 | WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE 5 | Ancient treasures 6 | Ancient treasures 7 | Natural experience

In the kingdom of quaint beeches Tomorrow’s wilderness Promoted to the Ranks of a World Heritage Site The world of the goblins and gnomes Pulsating lifelines Fascinating wilderness The red deer strides majestically through the wide ancient National parks form a global network of intact nature. The The international community wants to preserve natural and On sunny, rocky slopes, the forest fights against dryness and More than 800 springs have their source in the national The forests of the national park offer unique and multi-facetted forests of the national park. Its rutting call echoes through Kellerwald-Edersee National Park with an area of 5,738 hectares cultural creations of outstanding universal value as a heritage barrenness, heat and cold. Trees grow very slowly there. park. Extraordinary micro-organisms meet at the interface experiences of nature through all four seasons. In order not the gilded autumnal forest. Honey buzzard, black and red protects a very important European habitat: the acidophilous of humanity through the UNESCO World Heritage Con- Quaint and beeches form bizarre images of the woods between groundwater and surface water: the pale niphargus, to disturb the essence of the developing wilderness, the national kite draw wide circles above the tree tops. copper beech forest and its natural dynamics. Its Luzulo-Fag­ vention. The German beech forests are important throughout and stimulate the imagination. the flat crenobia and the tiny Bytinella dunkeri romp park largely does without information tables. Instead, you can The stealthy black stork, the noiseless eagle owl and the shy etum beech forests possess an exceptionally high share in old the world; because pure beech forests are a European phenom­ Abundant boulder forests and ravine forests contribute to the around in the clear water. Downslope, babbling spring explore nature on your own through marked hiking trails. wild cat have returned to the quiet forests. wood, accommodate relics of virgin forest and belong to the most enon with its centre in . The “Ancient German forest landscape of the national park with ash trees, maple waters meet and merge into sputtering crystal-clear creeks The attractive paths in the national park pass bewitched valuable forest areas of the European lower mountain ranges Beech Forests” including the areas Jasmund, Grumsin, and elm. which meander naturally through the valleys. Stonefly larva, beeches and clear springs. They run through quiet pasture The red beech dominates the closed forest landscape. Mighty due to their size and their closeness to nature. Real hardwood Serrahn, Hainich and Kellerwald therefore complete the brown trout and bullhead live in the cold water. Wild alders valleys and along steep slopes. They lead to magnificent silver-grey beech trunks with their shady canopy characterise forests growing around boulders, dry forests, streamside “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians” to form a com- Shiny jewel on naked rocks and ash trees line the banks of the creeks. The national park vant­age points and down to Lake Eder. And all paths lead the picture. All developmental stages of the beech, from the forests, rock faces where the fire-witch grows, 1,000 springs mon World Heritage. Hidden on rough natural rocky slopes leading down to Lake with its vast forests and cold clear creeks is a fire you into the fascinating wilderness of the national park and seedling to the giant tree to the decaying trunk, are united and creeks as well as pasture valleys and old grazing forests, Eder grows the fire witch, which as a relic of the Ice Age is a salamander’s true paradise. the World Natural Heritage. in a small area. All life in the beech forest is in line with the so-called Triescher, complete the unique ensemble. The five German areas of the World Heritage are the best rare European treasure. Its most north-western occurrence eternal cycle of becoming and decaying. Each stage of devel­ New wilderness develops on more than 90 percent of the preserved old beech forests of the lowlands and the low and at the same time the largest in Hesse is in the Kellerwald. A total of 20 circular hiking routes start at 13 parking spaces. opment means change and creates room for new and diverse area without human interference according to the motto mountain ranges. The old forest sites represent the continuous Each trail has been assigned an animal or plant symbol. You life. An army of insects and spiders, rare beetle species and “Let nature be nature”, and therefore providing grounds for ecological process of the reoccurrence of the copper beech will find a brief description of the route, including length and fungi settle in and decompose the ancient tree and the decay­ the international recognition of the national park by the Inter- following the post-glacial period as well as the biological elevation profile at the parking spaces. There are number poles ing wood. Seven woodpecker species live here. Bats—e.g. the national Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). diversity of the Central European beech forests. The fascin­ at points of interest along some routes; these are commented greater mouse-eared bat and Bechtstein’s bat—leave their ating effects of the seasons setting their colour accents: fresh in an accompanying booklet. The booklets as well as informa- crevices and caves at night to hunt for insects. National parks are gifts to mankind. green in spring, dark green in summer and vibrant gold in tive leaflets and maps can be obtained from the information Protected rare nativeness or developing wilderness autumn. centres of the region and most of them can be downloaded —saved for our children. from the homepage.