A sun-rich Franconian nature park of mixed forests, river valleys, dry habitats, and vineyard-framed hill country.
Naturpark Frankenhöhe
Naturpark Frankenhöhe is a large nature park covering roughly 1,100 square kilometers in western Middle Franconia, in the German state of Bavaria. It lies to the south, east, and northeast of the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber and stretches between the Frankenhöhe hill ridge and the broader Rangau landscape. The park encompasses parts of the districts of Ansbach and Neustadt an der Aisch-Bad Windsheim, together with areas around the city of Ansbach.
The landscape is notably varied for southern Germany, combining wooded hill ridges, river valleys, dry biotopes, orchard meadows, and vineyards. The region is recognized as one of the sunniest areas in southern Germany, which contributes to its unusual combination of dry grassland, fruit-tree meadows, and wine-growing slopes. The park therefore protects a particularly diverse mosaic of habitats shaped by both climate and traditional land use.
Established in 1974, the nature park is administered by the Naturpark Frankenhöhe association and plays an important role in regional conservation, recreation, and the preservation of Franconian cultural landscapes. A large portion of its area is also designated as a landscape protection area, and several smaller nature reserves overlap with its boundaries.
