Schwäbische Alb, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Schwäbische Alb is a biosphere reserve covering 85,270 hectares of the Middle Swabian Alb and its foreland in Baden-Württemberg. It stretches about 40 kilometres from north to south, from the Alb foreland over the Albtrauf escarpment and the Alb plateau to the Danube. At its centre lies the former Münsingen military training area with the abandoned village of Gruorn.
The area gained UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status in 2009 to protect its natural landscape and promote sustainable development across the region. Medieval castles and monasteries scattered throughout show the region's long human settlement history.
The name "Biosphärengebiet" was deliberately chosen over "reservat" by Baden-Württemberg, and the label UNESCO-Biosphärenreservat is used only in UNESCO contexts. The name Schwäbische Alb was agreed at a 2006 meeting of the Ministry for Rural Areas, the Tübingen regional council and the districts of Reutlingen, Esslingen and Alb-Donau. The former village of Gruorn, abandoned when the Münsingen training ground was established, lies inside the reserve.
The reserve is accessible through various towns and villages, with routes suited to different fitness levels and interests. Spring and autumn offer the best visiting conditions, with mild weather and easily walkable trails.
The reserve's core is the former Münsingen military training ground, a 6,700-hectare area that includes the abandoned village of Gruorn. When the military use ended in 2005, this conversion opened the way for the protected area, and the surrounding municipalities of Bad Urach, Münsingen and Römerstein were the first to seek membership.
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