Scheftheimer Wiesen bei Darmstadt, Nature reserve in Darmstadt, Germany

Scheftheimer Wiesen is a protected natural area near Darmstadt comprising meadows and wetlands that run alongside the Ruthsenbach creek in the eastern part of the city. The site encompasses roughly 166 hectares of diverse habitats.

The Scheftheimer Wiesen became a nature reserve in 1993, covering 166.07 hectares. In the 16th and 17th centuries the open areas served the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt for so-called Eingestelltes Jagen, in which hunters shot game from wooden stands. After the end of the princely hunt, farming was abandoned, unlike on the Oberfeld to the west, and wet biotopes developed.

The southeastern section holds ancient burial grounds and granite stone monuments from prehistoric times. These archaeological remains show how long people have connected with this land.

Several marked trails wind through the area, allowing you to explore different sections while staying on designated paths to protect the environment. Keeping to these routes helps prevent disturbance to rare plants and nesting birds.

In the southeastern corner of the reserve stand 14 granite blocks, reassembled and set upright as the Menhiranlage von Darmstadt; several burial mounds lie along the Bernhardsackerschneise. The name Scheftheim refers to a deserted settlement with no surviving charter record.