Through the Bavarian Forest with ranger Kristin Biebl

Ranger: A dream come true

Her love of nature in her native Bavarian Forest goes back to Kristin Biebl’s childhood. Together with her parents and grandparents, she spent most of her time in the impressive landscape around Spiegelau. At the age of eleven she joined the ranks of Junior Rangers in the National Park. Building nest boxes, hiking through the mountains and exploring the moors - Kristin Biebl was fully inspired and resolved to become a ranger one day. A couple of years later her dream became reality.

A rollercoaster of special impressions

Informing people of all ages about the forest and showing them the comings and goings of nature – the tour through the Bavarian Forest National Park sets off at 10:30 am every Tuesday in the summer season. Visitors assemble in the Park and Ride car park in Spiegelau. “There’s no need to register in advance – anyone who turns up can just join in,” says the ranger.

Visitors to the National Park find themselves immersed in various different worlds. Huge boulders, mixed woodland, old and dead trees that have stood for centuries, young saplings in the prime of life: After an impressive walk through the forest, visitors to the 1,373 metre high Lusen come across a highly distinctive geological feature – a sea of countless blocks of granite. From here they have a unique view out over the whole Bavarian Forest, and on a clear day they can even see as far as the Alps.

A totally different, almost spooky atmosphere dominates the moorland areas and the “Schachten” – the ancient high pastures between the Rachel and Falkenstein mountains. When they look out over the high moors many guests feel a slight chill run down their spine. This is all to do with the history of the high moors, according to Kristin Biebl: “In the past people didn’t always return from the moors.” Nowadays secure wooden boardwalks lead through the swampy marshes in the heart of Bavarian nature.

Fascinating Bavarian Forest National Park

In order to preserve, maintain and look after this idyllic landscape, rangers have been employed in the Bavarian Forest since 1974 – four years after the National Park was established. They work with scientists to ensure that the habitat of many trees, plants and animals is preserved. “Here in the National Forest our focus is on research,” comments Kristin Biebl. On special guided tours she imparts some of this knowledge to her guests.

This could be a tour to one of the impressive research projects, a visit to the animal enclosure or a walk through the fascinating high moorland: Visitors even come from America and Australia to experience the natural wilderness with all its facets in Germany’s oldest National Park. It’s something not to be missed – a trip to Bavaria’s green oasis.