Sponsoring organization – Fichtelgebirge Nature Reserve
Development of the Fichtelgebirge Nature Reserve

With its austere charm, its vast expanse and tranquillity and its original nature, the
Fichtelgebirge mountain range has attracted people wishing to relax from everyday
stress from near and far for more than 200 years. So that this unique landscape and
natural habitat could be preserved and developed as a recreational area for the
people in an environmentally sound manner, the Fichtelgebirge was declared to be a
nature reserve in 1990. Located between the centres Bayreuth, Hof, Weiden and the
Czech town Cheb (Eger), the nature reserve today covers an area of a little more
than 1000 square kilometres. It includes all of the district Wunsiedel in the
Fichtelgebirge, the northeastern part of the district Bayreuth and reaches into the
district Hof to the north and into the district Tirschenreuth to the south.

Tasks and objectives of the nature reserve

Just like national parks and biosphere reserves, natural reserves belong to what is
called major conservation areas. Contrary to national parks, however, in which nature
largely unaffected by humans is protected, nature reserves intend to maintain the
man-made cultural landscape and simultaneously promote its use through naturecompatible
recreation and tourism. For this, the sponsoring organization Naturpark
Fichtelgebirge e.V. undertakes the following tasks:
• to protect, care for and develop nature
• to preserve the cultural landscape
• to ensure and sustainably develop landscape-related recreation compatible
with the environment and social aspects
• to conserve natural resources and develop them according to the principle of
sustainability
• to support semi-natural agriculture, forestry and water management
• to participate in the conservation and preservation of architectural and ground
monuments
• to support the cultural traditions of the region
• to participate in planning relating to the area of the nature reserve
• to cooperate with the municipalities, authorities and organisations
• to create an expansive environmental awareness by extensive educational
and public relations work