Dürres Maar

As the middle of the three maars in the Holzmaar group, which carved deep holes into the earth around 40,000 to 70,000 years ago, the Dürre Maar was formed. Its tuff was mainly ejected towards the northeast. There, in the forest, you can still find small pits where this volcanic material was mined for road construction in the 1970s.

Shortly after the formation of the maar, it began to undergo a process of sedimentation, which has continued for millennia. A peat bog has formed, which now has the status of a transitional bog. The sphagnum mosses that cover the surface like a fine web have since created a peat layer that is more than ten meters thick. An uneven surface made up of small hills (Bulten) and depressions (Schlenken) has emerged, where special survival artists have settled. Wine-red cranberry, insect-eating sundew, and bright green sphagnum moss cover the hills of the Dürre Maar. A number of rare animal species have also adapted to the extreme living conditions: breeding birds like the brown-cheeked warbler and rare dragonflies such as the brilliant emerald damselfly live here. During the migratory season, migratory birds like the marsh owl and gray heron occasionally visit the Dürre Maar. Due to its great biodiversity, the maar has been protected together with Holzmaar since 1979.

You can best explore the Dürre Maar by taking a walk along the varied "Määrchen Nature Trail" at Sammetbach, which also leads past Holzmaar and Hetsche Maar. This is a great little hike of about four kilometers in length, starting from the parking lot and ending there as well.

Parking:
If you are coming from Gillenfeld, the L 16 branches off to the right just behind Holzmaar. There, on the left side, is a large parking lot that is only a few minutes' walk from the Dürre Maar.

Opening times

Monday	00:00–24:00
Tuesday	00:00–24:00
Wednesday	00:00–24:00
Thursday	00:00–24:00
Friday	00:00–24:00
Saturday	00:00–24:00
Sunday	00:00–24:00

can be visited the whole year around