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Kulturlandschaft
Trithemius

Climate of the Nahe valley

Precipitation at the source of the Nahe is much higher (900mm per year) than at its mouth (up to 550mm per year). The average yearly temperature at the source is around 7 degrees Celsius, while the area of the lower Nahe averages 9.5 degrees Celsius, making it one of the warmest and driest areas of Germany.

This climate gives rise to certain plants and groups of wildflowers otherwise not seen in Germany: Felsheide, Steppenheide and Felsahornwald, as well as species usually restricted to Mediterranean habitat. Characteristic plants are Juneberry, Wild Apple and Mahaleb Cherry. Dittany, Mountain Medlar, Feather Grass, Blue Saxifrage and Hart's Tongue Fern were already described in detail in 1735 by Johann Christian Senckenberg of Frankfurt, a physician and naturalist. Some types of orchids, such as the rare Lizard Orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum) belong to the botanical gems of our latitudes. All this was known in medieval times, because Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), the most famous woman of her time, collected and described plants along the Nahe, especially medicinal plants. Viewed from today, it is remarkable that in the "Physica" by Hildegard von Bingen, there are more than 250 plant types described.

Photo: Fallow deer in winter coat in the early morning hours of a frosty but sunny November day on a meadow near the Wildenburg castle by Kempfeld.

vSpacer hSpacer Fallow deers of the «Soonwald» Forest (Nahe Valley, Hunsrück) rFrame
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