Welcome to the National Geopark Vogelsberg Volcanic Region
Embark on a journey of time and discovery through the largest contiguous volcanic area in Central Europe!
On the way to the geopark
In 2009, the Vogelsberg district, the Wetterau district and the city of Schotten commissioned the "Vogelsberg Volcano Region Development Concept". The aim was to present the possibilities for the creation of a geopark "Volcanic Region Vogelsberg".
The volcanic region of Vogelsberg covers an area of over 2500 km² and thus 5 rural districts with over 50 towns and municipalities.
Comprehensive and lengthy planning work for the creation of a geopark therefore followed the preparation of the development concept.
At the beginning of 2011, the Vogelsberg district commissioned an implementation concept. Structures for the financing and organisation of the geopark were to be outlined. Due to the manifold possibilities offered by a geopark - not only in the tourism sector - many mayors of the volcanic region were pleased to participate. The district administrator of the Vogelsberg district, who was newly elected in November 2011, also declared his willingness to drive this interesting and promising project forward.
The contract was awarded to the cooperation e.t.a. & Abraxas from Thuringia. After a thorough analysis of the existing potentials, they created a development concept and a first brochure, which presented the goals, organisation and sights of a possible geopark. The concept met with considerable public and political interest. Especially in the Vogelsberg district, the decision was made to drive the project forward. The project was supported by the Vogelsberg Section of the German Volcanological Society e.V. (DVG).
The Vogelsberg Volcanic Region Geopark was eventually founded in 2012 as a registered association (e.V.). Members in the association were Amoeneburg, Homberg (Ohm), Muecke, Feldatal, Schwalmtal, Lautertal, Ulrichstein, Wartenberg, Schotten, Grebenhain and Freiensteinau.
At the end of 2021, the Geopark Association was dissolved and the "Geopark" structure was integrated into the Vogelsberg Volcanic Region Tourism GmbH based in Schotten.
- Volcanism & Life -
The Geopark has set itself the goal of making the fiery past visible and tangible. Explore millions of years of earth history and discover how this has shaped the region, the development of man, his culture and nature. The base of the Vogelsberg is completely saturated with groundwater - the region is therefore of supra-regional importance and represents one of the largest drinking water reservoirs in Hesse. The reason here is the geological nature of the subsoil and a resulting immense wealth of springs.
Whether geo-info centers or geo-stations, countless geotopes in the form of fascinating and bizarre basalt formations on geo- and thematic trails or exciting relics from deep inside the earth - the volcanic region is just waiting for you!
In November 2020, the Vogelsberg Volcano Region Geopark was officially declared a "National Geopark".