Schwarzes Moor in der Rhön, Protected bog in Bavarian Rhön Mountains, Germany
Schwarzes Moor is a sprawling wetland located where Bavaria, Hesse, and Thuringia meet. Its peat soil reaches several meters deep and supports specialized plants and animals adapted to this environment.
This bog formed after the last ice age through the buildup of plant material in wet hollows. It gained protection in the 20th century after earlier extraction attempts had threatened its natural character.
The site's dark name comes from the color of its peat layers, which stand out distinctly when viewed from above. This visual contrast has defined the place's identity throughout its history.
Access is via an elevated wooden walkway that is easy to navigate and provides a dry path through the wetland. Information boards along the route explain the ecology and help visitors understand what they are seeing.
The landscape displays a regular pattern of parallel troughs and ridges that formed over thousands of years through natural processes. This geometric design emerges because water flows along specific lines and shapes peat growth in those zones.
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