Streuobstwiesen von Darmstadt-Eberstadt/Prinzenberg und Eichwäldchen

The Streuobstwiesen of Darmstadt-Eberstadt are orchards with scattered fruit trees that create a patchwork of natural habitats. The landscape is shaped by open grasslands dotted with individual mature trees across several separate zones.

This fruit-growing landscape developed over centuries as farmers planted the region with high-stem trees. In 2008 the area became a protected conservation site to safeguard this historical agricultural landscape.

The orchards here show traditional farming methods that have been passed down through generations. Visitors can see old-style high-stem fruit trees, the kind that once covered this entire region.

Access is via marked walking trails that cross the entire area and allow nature watching at any time. The best time to visit is during fruit harvest season in late summer and autumn, when the fruit is ripe.

These meadows are home to the carpenter bee, one of the largest wild bee species in Hesse, which nests in dead wood. The carpenter bees are tied to this location and show the ecological value of protecting old trees.