As beautiful as Frankfurt and its many sides may be, it is also nice to escape the hustle and bustle of the city every now and then. Fortunately, Frankfurt has several small oases of peace and nature to offer, both in the immediate city area, as well as in the outskirts. One of these beautiful oases is located in the west of the Schwanheim district. Here one of the few inland dunes in Europe was formed during the last ice age by sand blown from the river bed of the Main. Over time, a very special vegetation has formed here, which has been a nature reserve since 1984 and also part of the fauna-flora habitat since 2003.
The heart of the 58.5 hectare dune is the recently completely restored boardwalk, which allows visitors to admire this plant life, which is actually unusual for our region in particular, without destroying its ecologically valuable habitat. Strolling along this path and simply enjoying the tranquillity and nature really does offer a relaxing break from everyday life in the big city. The only thing you have to accomplish as a visitor is to abide by a few rules. Unfortunately, it is noticeable that this seems to be too much for some people. But it should be no problem not to leave the boardwalk, not to smoke for a few minutes and throw the butts into the dune, to leash dogs or to get off the bike. If you don't want to follow such simple rules, you shouldn't visit this nature reserve in the first place.
For everyone else, this is a really nice opportunity for a relaxing getaway. The Silbergrasflur, the view of the Schmitt`sche Grube, which is closed to visitors and provides a habitat for many endangered species of birds and amphibians, or the walk along the rape fields and adjacent orchards automatically provides for deceleration. Our tip: It is best to travel via Höchst. Take the Main ferry "Walter Kolb" to the Schwanheim side and after a 10-minute walk you will reach the Schwanheim dune. This excursion can then still be combined with a walk through the beautiful Höchst old town, where there are numerous opportunities for a leisurely stop as a conclusion to the excursion.
<link http: www.frankfurt.de sixcms _blank>You can find even more information about the dune and how to get there HERE
