Regionalpark RheinMain

An experience where nature meets culture

Be it nature reserves, historical sites or artworks – a network of paths and bike trails invites you to discover the landscape

The gentle hills of the Taunus, Vogelsberg and Spessart span the horizon. Surrounding these are the meadows and fields of the Wetterau and the Main-Kinzig Region; church bells ring in the villages, and blend in with the chirping of birds and rustling of wind. An excursion into nature becomes a journey into the past – leading all the way back to the Stone Age. At that time, the Regionalpark route was Hohe Strasse, in northeast Frankfurt, part of the historical "Via Regia" from Santiago de Compostela to Kiev and was an important trading artery. In the early Middle Ages the southern Hessen mountain trail was considered an important link between the intellectual and political centers of Mainz, Fulda and Erfurt. It was the main trading route between the trade fair towns of Frankfurt/Main and Leipzig, and was of military significance, playing a part in the Thirty Years' War.

This historic route has been resurrected as a bike trail and walking path and is included among the many routes in the Regionalpark RheinMain since 2004. Cyclists and walkers encounter 14 stops along the around 23 kilometers of Hohe Strasse that offer insights into its history: Reading corners along the path recall the book as an important commodity moving between Frankfurt and Leipzig. Steel columns symbolize product barcodes referencing the goods which used to be traded and transported here. The "Wartbaum", a linden tree, was planted around 1600 in the days of the large troop mobilizations to liberate Frankfurt and Hanau. An expensive feeling comes over you when you gaze into the distance from one of the three big swings or one of the resting areas. And when you gaze upon the Frankfurt skyline with the trade-fair tower and the high-rise buildings through the treelined avenue "Kleine Loh", the pulsating metropolis seems almost near enough to touch. A visual dialogue between the city and the countryside unfolds on the Hohe Strasse, similar to that in many places throughout the Regionalpark. In connection with the motto "A sense for landscape – a landscape for the senses" the ambitious Regionalpark project encompasses more than 400 kilometers of Regionalpark routes and almost 200 projects including parks and natural reserves, artworks, panoramas and playgrounds. From the slopes of the Taunus in the north to the Mönchbruch Nature Reserve in the south, from the Rheingau in the west and Staatspark Wilhelmsbad near Hanau in the east: In 15 years, a network of attractive country paths and sites has developed between Frankfurt/Main, Offenbach, Wiesbaden and the outlying districts of Wetterau, Main-Kinzig, Offenbach, Groß-Gerau, Main-Taunus, Rheingau-Taunus and Hochtaunus. This consists of a main route to be completed next year and other segments already linked to existing regional and inter-regional bike trails and hiking paths. Lorenz Rautenstrauch, managing director of the Regionalpark Ballungsraum RheinMain GmbH established in 2005, is responsible for the overall planning. He describes the core idea as, "letting people experience the landscape." Frankfurt is often considered first and foremost a dynamic, fast-paced and economically strong city, as a banking center with an airport as the international hub, explains Rautenstrauch. An economic powerhouse without any scenery? The Regionalpark shows another side of this metropolis, evidence of a joint identity that raises consciousness of a "green oasis" within this space. In the future, guides will also be on hand to assist and accompany visitors on tours of the Regionalpark, pointing out the natural, cultural and historical sights. "Its certainly worthwhile to take the time to discover the aesthetics of the urban countryside, and in this particular combination that landscape is quite special and thrives on extremes," Rautenstrauch says.

The Regionalpark reflects the region's diversity. In the heights of Flörsheim's "Switzerland", the nature reserve in the west of the Regionalpark home to a whole host of flora and fauna, stands a tree which tells its story to visitors. The 18-meter high Tree of Steel – made of 38 tons of steel – is intended to make people think about the relationship between synthetic-technological design and the structure of living with and in nature. Those who climb the 46 steps to the viewing platform enjoy not only the view of the Taunus and Odenwald mountain ranges, but the magnificent Frankfurt skyline. For once you reach the top, the Tree of Steel, fitted with an audio-visual installation powered by solar cells, explains how it differs from its natural relative, and how it was erected by technical experts and engineers. In the Main River cities, Flörsheim, Hattersheim and Hochheim, the idea of a regionalpark began to take shape in 1995 as a pilot project. Today the Hattersheim Rosarium with its 6,500 blooming roses, the Flörsheim iron tree, and the adventure park in Hochheim make a good starting point for an exploration in the southern and southeastern parts of the Regionalpark. A stop well worth making on this route – signposted with Regionalpark red arrows – is the mouth of the Main. Visitors to the fortified banks at the confluence of the Main and Rhine rivers are rewarded with a beautiful view of Mainz and its cathedral towers. Not far from here lies the Mönchbruch Nature Reserve, Hessen's second largest coherent reserve, and the Langener Waldsee. This is the largest swimming lake in the region, covering an area of 80 hectares. Another spectacular view of the Frankfurt skyline can be seen from the Pole Pyramid in Dreieich, an installation composed of 450 wooden poles, that visitors can walk through. In the spring of 2011, these dispersed routes will be connected to one another, and 35 cities and communities, in a signposted route networking the Regionalpark RheinMain. The route will bring the visitor through diverse urban and natural landscapes – over a total of 190 kilometers.

Oliver Sefrin