Size 302 hectares Protected area identifier NSG-00743.01 Established in 2005
The nature reserve (NSG) is the northernmost section of the Maintalhange fauna-flora-habitat area between Gambach and Veitshöchheim. It begins south of the Karlstadt district of Gambach on the climb to Grainberg and follows the Main in a south-southeast direction for about 5 kilometers at varying widths. It ends in the east of the city of Karlstadt, north of federal highway 26.
The approximately 302ha area is a complex dryland network. You can find shell limestone bastions, red sandstone terraces, vineyard walls, borders, hedges, shifting sands, heat-loving forests, various dry grasslands and wild herb locations. In 1941, parts of the Grainberg and Kalbenstein were designated as an NSG for the first time. This makes it one of the oldest NSGs in Lower Franconia. It was initially initiated as Gregor Kraus Park (full professor of the Würzburg Botanical Faculty, 1841–1915), who collected scientific data in this area. In 1904 he acquired around 2 hectares on Kalbenstein. These were the foundation stone for the NSG, which was designated in 1941 with around 90 hectares. In 2005 it was expanded to over 300 hectares and included the Natura2000 area boundaries.
The shell limestone of the Main Franconian Plateau in the southeast meets the Buntsandstein of the Spessart here. You can see the alternation between the older Buntsandstein layers and the younger Lower Muschelkalk above them. The eroding power of the Main during the Ice Ages created mighty bastions and scree slopes. On the windward side of the Muschelkalk step and on the Saupurzel mountain, drifting sand from the Main valley was deposited. The dry areas around Karlstadt are the most floristically and faunally rich in Bavaria. Less than 600 millimeters of precipitation per year, continental climate, high solar radiation with low-earth coquina and sandy soil provide a specialist habitat. There are still remnants of the historic low and middle forest use here, but forests hardly have a chance here. That's why steppe and Mediterranean plants thrive here, some of which migrated here at the end of the last ice age. Over 20 species of orchids, blue-green fiber umbrella, species of sun rose, feather grasses and earth sedge are just some of the plant specialists found here. In 1998 the Karlstadt saxifrage hawkweed was discovered here. It is one of five endemic plant species. Particularly worth mentioning are the wild herb communities, which only occur sporadically and are considered to be of nationwide importance in the Karlstadt area. With rock bunting, woodlark, eagle owl as well as sail butterflies, blue thrushes and other types of butterflies, Red-winged and blue-winged barren grasshoppers and Italian beautiful grasshoppers are endangered species native to this area.
With the designation as an FFH area and the expansion of the NSG realized in 2005, further valuable areas could be protected. Centuries of use through grazing or timber extraction, alien species and the intensification of agriculture threaten the area.
General Info: The NSG is well served by a number of local hiking trails. The circular hiking trail with the is recommended for experienced hikers Marking "K 1", which leads from Karlstadt to Gambach and back to Saupurzel. Two regional hiking trails also lead through large parts of the NSG: the Main Valley hiking trail (marked blue "M") and the Karolingerweg (marker "K" on a yellow background). Recommended parking spaces: * east of Karlstadt north of the B 26 towards Arnstein * at the glider airfield south of the B 27 in the direction of Eußenheim * in Gambach at the music hall and the sports field The area around the “Edelweiß” on the Kalbenstein offers a particularly beautiful view of the Main Valley and the city of Karlstadt. Particularly recommended visiting times are the month of April with the mass occurrence of pasque flowers throughout the NSG and the flowering of the Adonis rose near the “Edelweiss”, as well as May and June with the flowering of orchids and the sun roses as well as the flowering of the diptam at the “Edelweiss”. .