Hiking on the information trail
Chirping crickets, tall grasses and steppe plants, twittering birds and winding sandy paths. Unusually warm and dry conditions create an almost Mediterranean landscape at Mainzer Sand between Mombach and Gonsenheim. The Mainzer Sand nature reserve invites visitors to stroll, jog and hike along its nature trail and information boards. Let yourself be enchanted by a landscape populated by Mediterranean and continental plant species and rare animal species.
Information path
The information trail was created as part of the EU LIFE nature conservation project "Restoration and Preservation of Dry Grasslands in Rhineland-Palatinate" under the direction of the "Nature and Environment Rhineland-Palatinate (opens in a new tab)" foundation. Oak posts marked with a star and blue or green paint guide visitors through one of Europe's most important nature reserves without significantly impacting the landscape. The "blue trail" leads through Nature Reserve I and can be reached via the Mombach Forest Cemetery. The "green trail" opens up Nature Reserve II and can be reached via the Westring or the "Am großen Sand" underpass.
Along the information trail, eight information boards point out special features of the landscape, such as flora and fauna, the climate, and the history of its formation. A hike along the information trail is a journey of discovery through a steppe landscape that was formed after the last ice age, recognizable by Mediterranean and continental plant species such as pheasant's eye and sand everlasting, which already existed in Central Europe 8,000 to 12,000 years ago. Instead of the beech trees commonly found in Germany, pine and oak trees thrive in the Mainz Sand area. The area is also home to rare animal species such as the sand beetle and the blue-winged grasshopper.
The Lenneberg Forest is located in the immediate vicinity of the Mainz Sand.