Badberg, Nature reserve in Vogtsburg im Kaiserstuhl, Germany

Badberg is a hill in the Kaiserstuhl, a volcanic range in Baden-Württemberg's Upper Rhine Plain, protected as a nature reserve since 1969. The reserve covers the triangle between Altvogtsburg, Oberbergen and Schelingen, and its slopes support rare plant and animal communities. It is also part of the Kaiserstuhl FFH and bird protection areas.

The Badberg was first designated a nature reserve by the Südbaden Regional Council (Regierungspräsidium Südbaden) through a decree of 9 August 1969, under protected area number 3076. It lies entirely within the FFH area Kaiserstuhl (No. 7911-341) and the bird sanctuary of the same name (No. 7912-442).

The reserve's purpose, set in the 1969 protection ordinance, is to keep the Badberg as a habitat for rare and partly endangered plant and animal species. The same ordinance names it a demonstration and research object for geology, botany and zoology, so the site is used for study as much as for conservation.

Several hiking paths cross the reserve, and visitors will find information boards with maps at the main entrances near Oberbergen and Alt-Vogtsburg. The slopes vary in steepness and can become slippery after rain, so appropriate footwear makes the visit more comfortable.

The southern slopes reach soil temperatures around 70 degrees Celsius during summer, creating extreme conditions for specialized species like the praying mantis. These unusual conditions make the area a valuable refuge for animals that require such heat to survive.