Merfelder Bruch, Heubachniederung, Protected landscape area in Dülmen, Germany

Merfelder Bruch lies between Merfeld in Dülmen and Maria Veen in Reken, an open, flat grassy field with scattered trees where Dülmener horses graze. The 291-hectare nature reserve "Wildpferdebahn im Merfelder Bruch" has protected most of the area since 1956; the rest belongs to the landscape protection area "Merfelder Bruch, Heubachniederung". The whole site is part of the Hohe Mark Nature Park, established in 1963.

The area was first documented in 1316 when hunting, fishing, and wild horse rights were formally recorded. This deep connection between the landscape and its horses has persisted through medieval times to the present day.

The name Bruch refers to the marshy lowland that once stretched from the Lippe to the German-Dutch border. The Dülmener horse, the breed kept on the Wildpferdebahn, takes its name from Merfeld's neighbouring town of Dülmen. The 291-hectare reserve has been protected since 1956 and lies within the Hohe Mark nature park, established in 1963.

The Merfelder Bruch lies between Merfeld in Dülmen and Maria Veen in Reken; the 291-hectare Wildpferdebahn nature reserve has been protected since 1956 and is part of the Hohe Mark nature park. Visitors reach the grazing areas on foot or by bicycle, and paths cross open grassland where the horses graze. Keep a distance from the herds and stay on the marked routes.

The Dülmener horse is also called the Merfelder pony after this area. The Wildpferdebahn, first recorded in 1316, is a fenced wild-horse range where the herd lives year-round; the annual capture of the young stallions is a public event. The reserve covers 291 hectares and has been protected since 1956.