Prick up your ears and open your eyes: Here you can hear, see and marvel! It neighs and grunts, moos and mows, hums and buzzes in the Hohe Mark Nature Park. The area in the triangle between the Münsterland, Lower Rhine and Ruhr regions forms different habitats thanks to the alternation of meadows, pastures and wooded hills - and is therefore home to a wide variety of animals.
The stars among the four-legged inhabitants can be found in Münsterland: around 400 wild horses graze or gallop through the Merfelder Bruch near Dülmen and are largely left to their own devices. In spring, summer and fall, you can observe the robust mares, stallions and foals on a walk or join a guided tour. A special highlight every spring is the wild horse capture, where wild one-year-old stallions are caught with bare hands and separated from the herd.
Konik pony and Poitou donkey
You can also encounter four-legged inhabitants in other corners of the nature park: In the Stever floodplains near Olfen, for example, the original Konik ponies roam as well as Heck cattle and Poitou donkeys - and ensure that the plants in the floodplain meadows are kept short. The Westruper Heide is grazed all year round by a shepherd and his flock of sheep, and the flora there is particularly beautiful during the heather bloom in late summer. Red deer feel very much at home in the forest areas of Üfter Mark and Dämmerwald. During the rutting season in the fall, the stags make themselves heard over long distances in the forest: Then the top stags fight for the herds, roaring. You rarely get to see them in the wild, but you can get closer to them in the historic Raesfeld Castle zoo, where fallow deer and red deer have been reintroduced. You can visit other forest dwellers in the Granat Nature Wildlife Park - and not only them: In addition to native species such as wild boar, wolves and wildcats, you can also see emu, nandu and kangaroos.
Out and about in the forest and Westruper Heide
Fancy a flying visit from the animals or a stately visit? You have the choice between a hiking tour and a cycling vacation: the Hohe Mark-Steig trail, which has been awarded the title "Quality Trail Hikeable Germany", runs for around 150 kilometers through the entire nature park with its forests, moors, floodplains and lakes. In addition, circular routes offer further opportunities for day hikes in the countryside - with bus and train connections if desired: The keyword "WuBB tours" refers to suggested routes whose starting points and destinations can be reached by public transport. If you like to get going yourself and prefer to sit in the saddle of a bike, you can discover many exciting stops on the 280-kilometre Hohe Mark cycle route. Near Haltern am See, for example, the Westruper Heide awaits. The sandy paths there are reserved for pedestrians, but a stop on your bike is highly recommended: A walk through the heathland is one of the highlights of the cycle tour.
