Königsforst, Nature reserve in Cologne, Germany

Königsforst is a large protected forest area in east Cologne with continuous woodland and diverse plant and animal habitats. The landscape is shaped by gentle hills, creating a varied terrain within the city's eastern bounds.

The area began as a royal hunting ground for Frankish rulers and passed to the Archbishop of Cologne during the Middle Ages. This transfer shaped how the forest became an important possession for the region for centuries afterward.

The forest is designated as a recreation area for nature-based leisure, one of the official reasons for its protection in 2000. It lies on the Bergische Heideterrasse and is part of the European Natura 2000 network as a bird protection area since 2004. Visitors can look for kingfishers, grey-headed woodpeckers and black woodpeckers along the streams.

The protected area lies in Cologne's east, bounded by the Lützerather Straße (L 358) to the north, the A 3 motorway to the south, and the Rhein-Berg section of the forest around Bergisch Gladbach and Rösrath to the east. The Königsforst is part of the Bergische Heideterrasse, and its sand brooks and alder woods reward walkers who follow the watercourses rather than the main paths.

The Königsforst is part of the Bergische Heideterrasse and has been a Natura 2000 site since 2000, listed as FFH area DE-5008-302. Since 2004 it has also been an EU bird protection area (DE 5008-401), designated for species such as the kingfisher, grey-headed woodpecker, middle spotted woodpecker, red kite, black woodpecker and honey buzzard.