Feldberg, Nature reserve in Black Forest, Germany

Feldberg is a nature reserve centered on Germany's highest peak outside the Alps, rising to 1,493 meters (4,898 feet). The area spans several municipalities and features an open high plateau with forests, meadows, and rocky slopes carved by streams.

The Feldberg area was designated a nature reserve by decree of the Baden Minister of Culture and Education on 11 February 1937, under the 1935 Reich Nature Protection Act, making it the first such reserve in what is now Baden-Württemberg. A revised regulation followed on 27 September 1991, registered under reserve number 3.001 at the Freiburg regional council. A full-time Feldberg ranger has looked after the area since 1989; since 2001 this has been handled by the Southern Black Forest Nature Conservation Centre in the Haus der Natur on the Feldberg.

The summit area and surrounding slopes draw local visitors and hikers who use the landscape throughout the seasons, with the open mountaintop offering views across the Black Forest. People come here to walk the ridge paths and find shelter in the stone huts that dot the terrain, shapes familiar to anyone who knows the region.

The reserve covers 4,226.7 hectares across seven municipalities in three districts. The Feldberg summit (1,493 m) is the highest point outside the Alps in Germany. Marked trails lead from Feldberg, Hinterzarten and Todtnau; the Feldberg-Ranger service, based at the Haus der Natur, advises on conditions. Weather changes quickly on the exposed plateau, so carry sturdy footwear and rain gear.

The reserve was the first nature reserve in what is now Baden-Württemberg, established under the 1935 Reich Nature Protection Act by decree of 11 February 1937. At 4,226.7 hectares it is the state's largest protected area after the Gletscherkessel Präg. A full-time Feldberg ranger has looked after it since 1989; since 2001 the Southern Black Forest Nature Conservation Centre in the Haus der Natur has handled its care.