Red bog

The Red Moor is the second largest raised bog within the Rhön. As the core zone of the biosphere reserve, the actual moor has an area of 103 ha; the entire nature reserve even has an area of 315 ha. The Rote Moor is a popular destination for nature explorers, hikers and winter sports enthusiasts. Starting from the NABU house at the Red Moor, a barrier-free plank path with an observation tower as well as the 10 km Rhön circular trail Moordorf offer very special nature experiences and impressions in this habitat. In addition, the Rote Moor is located on the two premium hiking trails "DER HOCHRHÖNER" and the Extratour "Red Moor". In winter, the numerous cross-country ski trails attract cross-country skiers to the Red Moor. The formation of the moor began after the last ice age about 12,000 years ago. High precipitation of over 900 millimetres per year favoured the growth of peat, so that over the millennia the initial low moor could develop into a high moor. However, due to 175 years of peat extraction for the surrounding health resorts in the Rhön, the raised bog was severely damaged until the 1980s. Only the peripheral areas remained largely undisturbed and today offer an exciting insight into the flora and fauna of a raised bog. Extensive renaturation measures began in 1979, which succeeded in preventing further drainage of the moor. The vegetation in the remaining raised bog is dominated by sphagnum mosses such as the red Magellan's sphagnum moss, the spiked sphagnum moss and the round-leaved sundew. In particular, carnivorous plants like the sundew are very special species that can only be found here in the bog. On the edge slopes of the bog, almost mystical-looking Carpathian birch forests grow in the fog, with undergrowth of broom heather, bilberry and bilberry. The adjoining low moorland zone is characterised by small sedge meadows, wet meadows and bristly grassland. The endangered cranberry, crowberry and purple riding-grass also grow here. The fauna of the Red Moor includes over 36 mammal species, among them absolute rarities: marsh and alpine shrews, pine martens and six bat species. The native bird life includes the black grouse, which has unfortunately become very rare, and the woodcock. A total of over 120 bird species can be found here.