South Harz Nature Park

The South Harz Nature Park (

Harz Mountains came into force on 31 December 2010^[1]^[2] and thus founded the fifth nature park in Thuringia. It has an area of 267 km²^[2]. The park is managed by the South Harz Tourist Association (Südharzer Tourismusverband e.V.) in conjunction with the Kyffhäuser Nature Park

.

The nature park covers parts of the southern foothills of the Lower Harz, the

River Helme; on the other sides by the state border of Thuringia. Its western boundary is part of the German Green Belt. To the east is the South Harz Karst Landscape Biosphere Reserve (in Saxony-Anhalt), to the north, the Harz/Saxony-Anhalt Nature Park and to the northwest, the Harz Nature Park (in Lower Saxony). The entire Harz is a so-called major nature reserve (Großschutzgebiet) in which the Harz National Park

is also located.

Within the nature park there are

barbastelle - live in the beech woods, where they find suitable places to roost. It is also home to the wildcat and lynx. Areas of dry grassland with orchids

are the remnants of old meadows and pastures on the karst surfaces.

The highest point in the South Harz Nature Park is the Großer Ehrenberg (635.5 m above sea level (NN)).