Blood cranesbill or fumitory?

About the botanical voyage of discovery

In the steep vineyards of the Middle Rhine Valley, dry stone walls have been built without the use of mortar since the 11th century. These culturally and historically valuable structures shape the old cultural landscape and have a positive effect on the microclimate.

As dry biotopes, rough grasslands, dry stone walls, rock crevices, vineyards, rubble heaps and quarries provide the habitat for many valuable and heat-loving plant and animal species.
Together with a botany expert from NABU-Rheingau, we get to know the highly interesting, specific flora – not only biologically valuable woody plants such as the French maple or the rock cherry. For example, does the blood cranesbill have something to do with our blood? Does the earth smoke everywhere on our tour or what is it about earth smoke? Discover plants that store water and CO2, plants that protect themselves against heat and again other plants that led to the rise of cloth dyeing until 1900.

In addition, we will provide you with an overview of the local heat-loving animal species on this tour – for you to discover for yourself. Test yourself to see how good you are at spotting animals: does a small, unfamiliar animal similar to a grasshopper jump up in front of you? Does an olive-green butterfly flutter around your ears? Then take a look and think about what characteristic may have led to the strange animal names.

Discover a variety of plants and animals that exist in this form almost only in this regional dry biotope.