A high-elevation Natura 2000 sanctuary on the Black Forest's Belchen mountain, protecting alpine grasslands, beech forests, and rare European wildlife.
Belchen
The Belchen protected area is a European Natura 2000 site located around the Belchen mountain in the High Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Spanning 2,907 hectares across two districts, it safeguards one of the most ecologically diverse mountain landscapes in the southern Black Forest, ranging from submontane forests to subalpine grasslands and rocky summit habitats.
The site was proposed in 2005 by the Freiburg Regional Council and formally designated in 2019, falling within the larger network of Fauna-Flora-Habitat areas protected under the European Union's Habitats Directive. Although it is administratively identified as an FFH (Fauna-Flora-Habitat) area, it overlaps with the older Belchen Nature Reserve, linking modern European ecological protection with earlier national-era conservation efforts.
Ecologically, the Belchen site stands out for combining lowland and montane forest communities, rocky cliff and scree vegetation, juniper heaths, and open mountain grasslands. These varied habitats support a rich set of protected species, including rare bats, the bullhead fish, and the striking Jersey Tiger moth, making the site a meaningful example of Black Forest mountain biodiversity.
