Germany's wild side: Forests, moors and gorges

About 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast of Berlin the Spree river divides. The unique floodplain landscape remains largely unspoiled and provides a habitat for around 5,000 animal and plant species that are threatened with extinction. In addition to an ancient alder forest, there are large water meadows and bogs.

In 2009, the Wadden Sea National Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But it was back in 1985 that the tidal flats, salt marshes, beaches, islands and sandbanks were transformed into a national park. With the addition of the Halligen islands, it is now a biosphere reserve as well.

Former military land or lignite mining areas make good places for wilderness reserves, such as here in Wanninchen. Thanks to charitable foundations, nature is regenerating. In Brandenburg, animal and plant populations are recovering. The white-tailed eagle population is once again on the rise, wolves are returning and moose are even migrating from Poland to Germany.

The sandstone rock formations, the Elbe valley and the striking table mountains are often photographed — for good reason. More than half the Saxon Switzerland National Park has been left entirely to nature, and an abundance of animal and plant species are native to the area. It's a popular place for hiking and trekking trips.

In Saxony, a 70-square-kilometer (27-square-mile) wilderness area has come to life on a former military training area that has been defunct for decades. Silvergrass meadows, dry heaths, softwood floodplains, swamp forests, bogs and streams are creating a habitat for many plants and animals. They are allowed to grow and flourish there — without human intervention.

Two wilderness areas are currently being created on 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles) to make the largest nature reserve in Thuringia. The land was once used for military purposes, but today, wildcats prowl through beech forests. In addition to Bechstein's bat, which is threatened with extinction, a rare scarab beetle, once thought to have disappeared, is again native to the area.

Where the regions of Thuringia, Hesse and Bavaria meet lies the Rhön Biosphere Reserve, once again a flourishing wilderness. In addition to the marshes, there is also a lot to see at night in the Rhön Star Biosphere Park. Low levels of light pollution mean many stars, such as the Milky Way and fainter celestial bodies can be observed on clear nights.

Silvopasture is an agricultural practice that combines grazing animals with trees and foliage in harmony. The Basdorf Silvopasture Forest project was launched in the Kellerwald-Edersee region of Hesse. The initiative seeks to protect and expand the oak forest while including managed grazing. Heck cattle and Exmoor ponies graze among gnarled oak trees, some of which are over 250 years old.

In 2004, the 110-square-kilometer (42-square-mile) Eifel National Park was founded. However, it is still a "national park in development," because three-quarters of the protected area must be left untouched by humans for at least 30 years. At that point, the area will meet the international criteria for becoming an official national park.

Baden-Württemberg's national park, founded in 2014, is Germany's largest protected nature reserve. Black Forest National Park is home to a diverse mixture of moors, wet heaths, and mixed mountain forests, with spruce and beech trees being especially common. Interestingly, the Black Forest has the highest proportion of fir trees of all Germany's national parks.