Reichswald: A natural jewel fights for the status as a national park!

Reichswald: A natural jewel fights for the status as a national park!

in the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia, where history and nature meet, a new national park is created! The Klever Reichswald, once royal hunting area and today the largest contiguous forest area in the region with over 51 square kilometers, is the focus of environmental policy. In September 2023, the plans for a second national park were presented in North Rhine-Westphalia, with the Klever Reichswald being one of the six potential areas. As WDR , formal applications for the new park are to be submitted by the end of the first quarter of 2024, which draws attention to this extensive ecosystem.

A look at the Reichswald

The Klever Reichswald, divided between the municipalities of Goch, Kleve, Kranenburg and Bedburg-Hau, not only offers an impressive flora with beech trees, oak types and conifers, but is also a living space for numerous animal species, including wild boar and red deer. It is crossed by gentle hills that were created by the last ice age, and thus offers a fascinating landscape that is both historically and ecologically valuable. According to wikipedia there is a large part of the forest under landscape and nature conservation, which underlines its importance for nature conservation and ensures the preservation of this unique natural structure for future generations.

historically: it was first mentioned in the 14th century and was formerly an integral part of the royal goods of the Kaiserpfalz Nijmegen. The varied history of the forest, which has had to experience many changes and clearing over the centuries, shows how human activities influence the environment. With the prospect of the national park, however, a new protective framework could develop in the near future, which is intended to preserve and promote this valuable habitat.