Forest nature trail

Walk through this forest with open eyes to learn about it, its nature and its wonders; for you can only love what you know. Take your time reading the many information panels and rest on the benches or in the shelters.

The wooded area between Eckenhagen, Windfus, Hespert, Tillkausen, and Hahn has always been of great importance to the local population, especially since the poor soil and often steep slopes along the forest trails did not allow for profitable agricultural use. In this area, with its many valleys and hills, there were only small settlements, whose houses, with their timber framing and wattle and daub construction, betrayed the nearby abundance of forest.

Documents from the 11th century state that the use of the forest around Eckenhagen was exclusively reserved for King Barbarossa. Later, this royal forest fell to the local ruler, Count Berg, among others, and around 1240 it became an imperial forest. As late as 1769, the woodlands belonged to Elector Karl Theodor. In 1869, the area passed into private ownership. In 1895, the state repurchased the Puhlbruch.

340 hectares have been placed under nature protection. The nature reserve provides habitats for rare, and in some cases endangered, plant and animal species.
Animal species. Of particular note are the natural forest reserve, wet meadows, several spring-fed streams, and numerous small botanical gems scattered throughout the area. With a little luck, you might spot a red-backed shrike, black storks, or a pair of kingfishers.