Auriniapfad

Starting point

The Auriniapfad starts at the Bolleroda hiking car park. The boards provide information about the grazing projects in the national park and about the namesake of the path, Euphydryas aurinia, the scarce fritillary butterfly. Its occurrence in the national park is the largest population in all of Germany on dry habitats. The resident of open habitats (as opposed to forest) is considered highly endangered both in Germany and in Thuringia.

The path runs along the forest edge and after a few meters turns left into a bright forest of oak, hornbeam, birch, hawthorn, hazel, ash, and poplar. We pass some spruces that have fallen victim to drought and bark beetle infestation. Spruces are not native to the national park, so their dying off is a step towards more natural conditions.

Corridor

We reach the "Corridor." This connects protection zone 1 of the national park with protection zone 2. It is an artificially created clearing through the forest. The goal of this clearing is to allow individuals of the scarce fritillary butterfly from protection zone 1 to slowly migrate into the grazed protection zone 2. In the coming years, shrubs and trees will slowly regrow in the remaining open habitats of protection zone 1. In protection zone 2, however, the habitat of the scarce fritillary remains preserved because grazing animals keep the landscape open here. We hike about 400 meters along the corridor. In summer, many plants bloom here, such as teasel, chicory, wild carrot, and scabiosa.

With some luck, you might also spot one or another butterfly here.

Seating rack and bench with a view

After a short stretch through the forest, we reach a seating rack inviting a break. From here, you enjoy a beautiful view to the south towards the famous Wartburg. We now hike downhill along the pasture fence and reach the bench dedicated to our ranger Ronald Demuth. He made significant contributions to mapping butterflies in the national park and gradually became an expert on butterflies and other insects. In the display case above the bench is a model of a rhinoceros beetle, where the name is certainly fitting.

After another stretch through the forest, we reach the starting point at the hiking car park again.