Aukrug Nature Park

The Aukrug Nature Park (German: Naturpark Aukrug) is a nature park in north Germany with an area of 380 square kilometres (150 sq mi). It lies in the centre of the state of Schleswig-Holstein in the region of Holstein (districts of Rendsburg-Eckernförde and Steinburg). It is sponsored by an association formed by the 2 districts.

The nature park lies near Neumünster only a few kilometres west of the A 7 motorway. Two landscape forms occur in the park: the flat and pure loamy ground moraine landscape and the considerably more subdivided push moraine landscape, that rises to about 80 metres above NN.

The area of the nature park includes all or part of the following 42 towns and municipalities:

The landscape is characterised by moraines, woods, heath and a large number of ponds. The most important rivers in the nature park are the Stör and its many tributaries in the centre and the smaller Bünzau with its tributaries, the Buckener Au, Fuhlenau and Höllenau. Its highest point is the Itzespitze (83.4 m).

Pond at Aukrug-Innien

Landscape near the tumulus of Kluesbarg in Homfeld

View from the edge of the Bünzau valley towards Innien

Valley of the Bünzau in Bünzen

The near-natural woodlands and their springs, streams and ponds which are typical of the nature park provide habitats for many endangered animal and plant species. These include the black stork, the eagle owl, many species of bat, the red kite, the common spadefoot toad and the alpine newt. Unique in Schleswig-Holstein are the wild-growing wolf's bane meadows.

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