Vessertal-Thüringen Forest
The Vessertal-Thüringen Forest is a central part of the larger Thuringian Forest in central Germany. In 1979, Germany’s first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Thuringian Forest Biosphere Reserve, was established here. Protection expanded in 1990 with the creation of the Thuringian Forest Nature Park and again in 2018. The reserve covers about 337 square kilometers. The Rennsteig, a famous hiking trail, crosses the area.
The reserve is part of the Thuringian Forest Nature Park and mainly contains large, continuous mountain spruce forests, along with beech forests, rocky forests, and high-elevation bogs. People have long used the land, with upland, lowland, and valley meadows used for dairy farming.
The biosphere reserve is designated as a Natura 2000 protected area and a European Bird Protection Area because of populations of black grouse and black stork. It is sparsely populated, with about 4,200 people living in the transition area (as of 2001). The area is also important for protecting water resources.
In the transition area, people work in farming, fish farming, trade and retail, forestry, glassmaking, and crafts. Tourism is a major source of income.
Key habitats include mixed mountain forests dominated by spruce, beech, and sycamore, sometimes with fir and elm; mountain clefts with ash, maple, and alder; mountain hay meadows with diverse grasses and several orchid species; mountain springs and streams; wet meadows; riverbank plant communities; and low mountain grasslands used as pasture or hay.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:19 (CET).