Hiking along the Buchenwald Grumsin, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site: Tour 4 (medium-length)

The Buchenwald Grumsin Beech Forest is part of the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany World Natural Heritage Site. In 2011, the UNESCO Committee added this German section to the existing World Heritage Site of the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians. The reason for its inclusion on the World Heritage List is its extraordinary surface relief, with its deep depressions, gullies, and rugged mountain ranges reminiscent of low mountain ranges.

The immense forces of the last Ice Age shaped the landscape in this way. The beech forest here is interspersed with countless small and large bogs and alder swamps, which provide a habitat for a wide variety of animals and plants. The undisturbed nature and vast expanse of the forest provide a home for white-tailed eagles, cranes, and black storks, while rare orchids find their very specific habitat here, as do the marsh calla and peat moss. The Buchenwald Grumsin beech forest is the largest natural development area within the Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve.

The core zone of the forest has not been managed for over 20 years and is already showing signs of the onset of natural forest development. Anyone wishing to explore the unique surroundings of the Buchenwald Grumsin World Natural Heritage Site or experience the otherwise inaccessible natural development areas on a special guided tour can take a guided tour led by an expert or simply enjoy nature along the hiking trails.

Tour Description

The hike begins at the information center in Altkünkendorf. After leaving the village in the direction of Grumsin, you’ll enter the forest after about 800 meters.

For quite some time, the trail then climbs gently and steadily along the edge of the World Heritage Site, right through the heart of an impressively well-defined terminal moraine area formed during the last Ice Age. On the left are the beech trees in the World Heritage Site’s buffer zone—which is also protected—and on the right is a direct view into the World Heritage beech forest.

The further you go, the larger and more impressive the beech trees become. You hike along a ridge that runs alongside deep gorges. Along the way, you’ll pass a beautiful forest lake and a bog. After leaving the beech forest, you’ll pass through the small village of Louisenhof and cross fields into the city forest to the north.

At several points along the way, you come close to the shore of the crystal-clear Wolletzsee, which is perfect for swimming. And then you’ll reach Altkünkendorf again and can admire the huge oak trees at the entrance to the village.