Rostock Heide at the limit: Tourism endangers the green oasis!

Rostock Heide at the limit: Tourism endangers the green oasis!

The Rostock Heide, the largest closed coastal forest in Germany, extends over more than 6000 hectares and represents the most important local recreation area in the Hanseatic city of Rostock. Every year, this forest area attracts around 500,000 visitors who appreciate its natural beauty and recreational opportunities. But this popularity has its dark side: forestry manager Jörg Harmuth warns of a tourist overload of the forest. In the 2024 forest report, strong stress is reported by the increasing tourism, especially on the Baltic Sea bike path, on which 151,000 cyclists have already been counted, an increase to the previous year. This leads to problems for the forest administration, the police and the security service, which have to deal with the inappropriate behavior of some visitor. The focus is also on climate change, which not only contributes to a decline in coast, but also to the loss of forest area. According to svz.de , around 31,100 new trees are planted in the Rostock Heide, with 75% of these plants. A natural rejuvenation of ten times as many trees has been observed in the past ten years.

For November 1, 2024, another planting campaign in the Wiethagen area is planned, almost 3500 nature lovers took part in previous campaigns. The condition of the Rostock Heide shows stagnation: Although it has not worsened, there are growth problems in spruce and beech trees, while other tree species such as birch, alder, fir and larch react more stable. The current trees are made up of 55% deciduous trees and 45% conifers, in which 19 needle tree species and 44 deciduous tree species rise. It is noteworthy that almost 20% of the trees are older than 120 years, while 41% are over 80 years old.

biological diversity and protected areas

The Rostock Heide is considered one of 30 hotspots for biodiversity in Germany. This valuable natural region has been certified for 25 years according to the FSC standard (Forest Stewardship Council) and Rostock was the first municipality in the new federal states, which was certified in 2000 according to these standards. The entire forest area is a landscape protection area that includes various nature reserves. These include Heiligensee and Hütelmoor with 540 hectares, the Radelsee with 218 hectares and Schnatermann with 54 hectares.

The forest itself is a rest of the former jungle, which ranged from the Netherlands to Pomerania. The city of Rostock bought the area of ​​Borwin III in 1252. After the Second World War, military facilities were dismantled, and only a few relics such as cannon bunkers were converted to serve bats as winter quarters. The adventure offer for visitors is supplemented by around 61 km of main roads for hikers and cyclists, as well as by various memorial stones that are reminiscent of important personalities and events related to the Rostock Heide.

management and challenges

The management of the Rostock Heide is responsible for the Rostock city forestry office, which looks after the various forest quarters such as Schnatermann, Hinrichshagen, Torfbrücke and Wiethagen. Despite the challenges that climate change and tourism bring with them, the goal is clear: the preservation and promotion of biological diversity and the sustainable development of the forest area. The number of visitors shows the interest in nature, but in order to preserve it for future generations, responsible use and targeted measures are necessary.