Naturschutzgebiet Rannatal

Welcome to the Rannatal nature reserve.

The Rannatal is a piece of old and unspoiled nature with unwooded screes where moss and lichen overgrew the stones. In this area different block forests can be found: Deciduous forests and spruce forests. Especially the spruces and blueberry bushes have their own appeal as they are light green during spring and become auburn in autumn.

Another nature phenomenon are the block trains that go steeply down from the valley slopes.
Moss and lichen have settled those rocky undergrounds. Due to the gold dust lichen (Chrysothrix chlorina), rocks look quite colourful with their lightening yellow.  One can speak about block trains as they are still in motion.

It is not a miracle that the natural jewel with its forests and rocks still appears as an important
refugium for endangered species, such as the green lizard. 

The nature reserve is also a habitat for less known animals and plants. Besides, it is one of the best European areal units for different linchen species. Many block trains with silicate rocks are the main characteristics of the Rannatal. Low temperatures in the spaces of those rocks gave some insects the possibility to survive since the last glacial epoch. Next to this, some marshlands have been created after a long time.

Rannatal nearly had to move for a power station but was luckily declared as a nature reserve in 2002. Only two years later, the nature reserve Rannatal was nominated as a Natura 2000 area.