Visiting Schwanheimer Düne, a Nature Reserve in Frankfurt
Gentle hills, narrow, winding pathways, and lots of greenery. A walk through the Schwanheimer Düne is the perfect idea for a day trip, which will allow you to leave the stress of the big city behind you and take a little time out in the Frankfurt nature.
What are Schwanheimer Düne?
Not far from Frankfurt Airport, and just a stone’s throw away from the Höchst industrial park, you can find the Schwanheimer Düne. A dune in a region otherwise characterized by low mountain ranges? That might sound a bit unusual at first. Here, visitors can look forward to seeing unique flora and fauna, which are rare to find so far away from the coast. In the west of the district of Schwanheim, there is a little oasis, which was formed about 10,000 years ago during the last Ice Age, and to this day serves as a habitat for rare and endangered species of animals and plants.
A boardwalk leads through the some 60 hectares that make up the inland dune, which was declared as a nature reserve in 1984. Since 2003, the area is also protected by European law as a flora-fauna habitat. Today, the Schwanheimer Düne, which is a part of Frankfurt’s “green belt”, is a popular recreational venue. Walkers, hikers, cyclists, and horse-riders are often seen enjoying the space. However, the staff at the nearby industrial park also make use of the proximity of this fascinating natural phenomena to take a little break.
The path leads you past sandy hills, arid grasslands, thick forested areas, and little lakes. In order to conserve the plants’ and animals’ habitat, it is strictly forbidden to leave the path.
The Schwanheimer Dune is surrounded by gravel ponds, orchards, and hedgerows. These also serve as important habitats for many types of animal. The reedy riverbank areas are home to reed warblers, grey herons, and great crested grebes. Additionally, the area is also a habitat for German heath, a breed of sheep, as well as lizards, pheasants, yellowhammer, woodlark, oriole, and countless species of insects. The sheep that graze below the tall pines are not there by chance; they have an important job. They are only allowed to graze here to prevent the dune landscape from becoming overgrown.
A trip to the Schwanheimer Dune also fits in wonderfully with a walk through Frankfurt Höchst. The charming Altstadt with numerous historical buildings also offers plenty of options for you to make a pit stop after your nature walk.
Looking for a family hotel in Frankfurt? Our hotels are located near the city center which gives our guests access to the entire city with ease via excellent public transport connections.
