Knighted as world heritage
Once it was growing everywhere, today we need to protect it – the common beech. It is strong, but man is stronger. Man has been repelling the primordial tree of Central Europe for centuries. The beech forests' expansion through Europe after the last ice age is unparalleled. Therefore, five German beech forests, Hainich among them, were enscribed in the World Heritage list in 2011.
The transboundary UNESCO world heritage site "Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany" is made up of the "Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians" in the Ukraine and the Slovak Republic, enscribed in 2007, and the most valuable remnants of natural ancient beech forests in Germany.
The German part includes selected forest regions of the National Parks Jasmund and Müritz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Hainich in Thuringia, Kellerwald-Edersee in Hesse, and the forest of Grumsin in the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve in Brandenburg. These German regions with their lowland and German low-mountain beech forests are an ideal complement to the mountain beech forests found in the Carpathian Mountains.
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The joint world heritage site thus reflects the broad spectrum of beech-forest types in Germany, from the seashore to the submontane belt and in the most diverse locations.
The cooperation between Germany, the Ukraine and the Slovak Republic is exemplary. The protection and management of the 15 component parts is a joint effort.
What makes beech forests so special? The beech in Hainich National Park
World Heritage Path
We recommend exploring the Welterbepfad in order to get the best impression of the special beech forests in Hainich National Park that belong to the UNESCO World Heritage.
The path is also featured in the free App UNESCO World Natural Heritage Beech Forests.
The App on the World Natural Heritage Ancient Beech Forests of Germany
The App gives information on the importance and objectives of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and introduces the five German component parts of the world heritage site.
On special world heritage route can be explored in every component part. For each of these very different and interesting routes, the app contains many additional facts on typical and unique features of each region's beech forests and on other outstanding institutions in the protected area.
