Südwestlicher Dinkelberg Protected Landscape in the Baden-Württemberg Region of Germany

The present-day protected landscape was formally established on 6 May 2013 through a protective ordinance (Schutzgebietsverordnung) issued by the Landratsamt Lörrach. The 2013 ordinance replaced an earlier, narrower landscape protection order from 25 March 1986 that had covered the area around the Wasserschloss Inzlingen. By superseding that older designation, the new ordinance broadened the protected territory and unified its legal framework across the two current tracts on the southwestern Dinkelberg.

The landscape of Südwestlicher Dinkelberg is shaped by its position on the southwestern edge of the Dinkelberg plateau, where the elevated tableland descends toward the High Rhine valley. The terrain is a mix of wooded hills, gentle ridge slopes, small valleys, and meadow clearings, framed by the settlements of Lörrach, Inzlingen, and Rheinfelden. The two protected sections are separated by inhabited land but together present a continuous character of varied hillside scenery bordering the Rhine lowlands.

A defining feature of the area is its karst geology. The Dinkelberg bedrock produces landforms such as dolines (sinkholes), Bachschwinden (stream sinks where surface water disappears underground), springs, and dry valleys. The sinter spring at the Volkertsberg is specifically noted as a geological highlight, where dissolved limestone deposits accumulate at the spring outlet. These features give the landscape a distinctive surface texture that contrasts with the smoother valley plains to the west and the higher Black Forest terrain beyond the ridge.

Ecologically, the protected area is distinguished by a rich mosaic of near-natural habitats. Forests dominate much of the terrain and include beech woodlands in several ecological forms, oak and hornbeam forests on suitable slopes, sycamore and ash ravine forests in moister shaded valleys, sycamore and linden block forests on rocky sites, and black alder-ash forests along wetter ground. These varied woodland types reflect the differences in soil, moisture, and microclimate across the Dinkelberg slopes.

Alongside the forests, the area preserves open habitat types of high ecological value. Streuobstwiesen (traditional orchard meadows) provide a particularly characteristic cultural-natural habitat rich in old fruit trees, while base-rich dry grasslands (Magerrasen basenreicher Standorte) support specialized herbaceous plant communities. Mires and other small wetland features contribute additional botanical and structural diversity. Combined, these habitats sustain a complex patchwork that supports a wide range of species within a relatively compact area on the edge of a major urban corridor.

Südwestlicher Dinkelberg is recognized in its protection ordinance as an area of particular ornithological importance. Woodpeckers, birds of prey, and species associated with orchard meadows are highlighted as characteristic groups that benefit from the mosaic of woodland, open meadow, and traditional orchard habitats.

The landscape protection area was designated to preserve the diversity, character, and beauty of the natural landscape together with its characteristic plant and animal communities. A central conservation aim is to maintain the area as a large, near-natural open space that balances the heavily urbanized Lörrach–Basel conurbation.

Specific protection objectives include securing the area as an attractive recreation landscape for surrounding municipalities, conserving habitat for notable bird groups such as woodpeckers, raptors, and meadow-orchard species, and maintaining characteristic forest types and open habitats. The orchid's union of beech, oak-hornbeam, and ravine forests with orchard meadows, base-rich dry grasslands, and mires gives the area substantial value for regional biodiversity conservation. The karst geological features, including dolines, stream sinks, springs, the Volkertsberg sinter spring, and dry valleys, are protected as distinctive natural elements that contribute to the landscape's scientific and ecological interest.

Two connected protected tracts on the southwestern Dinkelberg, totaling roughly 1,390 hectares of near-natural landscape just outside the Lörrach–Basel urban zone. A rich forest mosaic that includes beech, oak-hornbeam, ravine, and alder-ash woodland types typical of the region. Traditional orchard meadows and base-rich dry grasslands, two habitat types increasingly rare in densely settled parts of Baden-Württemberg. Distinctive Dinkelberg karst features including dolines, stream sinks, springs, dry valleys, and the sinter spring at the Volkertsberg. Formal protection since 6 May 2013, with international recognition through its WDPA record.