Wandern um den Zauberwald

Welcome to the national park dream loop Börfinker Ochsentour

Welcome to this dream loop with ist beautiful nature and biodiversity. A Footbridge leads you along the bog called „Ochsenbruch“. Ist the ideal place to watch birds and other domestic animals.

If you want to enjoy the nature oft he national park Hunsrück Hochwald this ist he right tour for you. Right in the middle of the national park is where you will notice the charecteristics of the nature around the protection area. Learn more abot the nature oft he region while walking along ancient beeches, and discovering the „Hangmoor“ bog. With some Luck you can watch wild osprays and black storks in the wild.

In each Season the tour has something new to offer: In winter the tour charms with ist beautiful view across the bog. During spring wild daffodils and daphne ar blooming and change the landscape into a ocean of colors. Summertime is butterfly season along the meadows in Börfink. In the fall you have the opportunity to hear the roars oft he deer in the area during the „Brunftzeit“.

Commandbunker Erwin

Right behind the fence is the former commandbunker Erwin with its 68.000 square kilometre big terrain. The secret NATO bunker served as a base to controll the airspace above europe as well as the european borders during the times of the cold war. Operator was the Control and Reporting Center Börfink. Later the „NATO war head quarters for middle europe“ (HQ AFCENT/AAFCE) moved here.

The bunker was built between 1960 and 1963 and was expanded multiple times. The operation began in the April 1964 with troops oft he US-american and german air force moving into the building. Since 1973 the NATO has been using the bunker declaring him to a NATO Commandbunker The Building could fit up to 250 soldiers ,but during work it was at average filled with 300 to 350 people. When exercising the number of soldiers could rise to 750.

Until 1990 there was also a message center oft he US-military as well as a message center oft he german military.In the year 2002 the location was given to the administration in Idar-Oberstein and in 2011 it was sold. Today it is used by a private company as a data center. A part oft he building is also used as a base by the rangers oft he national park Hunsrück-Hochwald.The facility is not open for visitors.