| Palatinate Forest Nature Park (Naturpark Pfälzerwald) | |
| Area: | 1771km2 |
| Coordinates: | 49.3°N 7.87°W |
| Established: | 1982 |
The Palatinate Forest Nature Park (German: Naturpark Pfälzerwald) lies in the south of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany and borders on France. The nature park covers an area of 177100ha and some 76% of its area is under the woods of the Palatinate Forest, the largest contiguous forest region in Germany. Together with parts of northern Alsace and Lorraine, it forms the Palatinate Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve and has an impressive Bunter sandstone landscape.
The park is the responsibility of the Naturpark Pfälzerwald e.V. founded on 20 July 1982. The members of the organisation are those districts and towns on whose territory the nature park is located as well as the Palatinate Regional Association and numerous sports clubs and environmental groups. Many business are involved in the work of the nature park which enables the independence of individual functional and regional interests to be guaranteed. The aim of the organisation is to develop in a coherent way the nature park and the biosphere reserve of the same name and to look after and preserve its uniqueness and beauty as well as its pan-regional value as a recreation area. The headquarters of the park association has been based in Lambrecht since 1997.
The Palatinate Forest Nature Park is divided into 3 regions based on their landscape:
It also includes the former landscape conservation area of the German Wine Route, which runs from the eastern edge of the nature park to the Rhine plain.
Based on the current state regulations dated 22 January 2007 the nature park has 16 core zones, which are under special protection: