The Worringer Bruch is a section of swampy lowlands in the far north of

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It is approximately 8,000 years old, and is now almost a completely dried up

meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex ba ...

part of the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

. It was named after an adjacent district of Cologne,

Worringen Worringen is a ''Stadtteil'' (quarter) of the city of Cologne, Germany. Situated 15 km north of the city centre, on the left bank of the Rhine, it is part of the district of Chorweiler. In 1288, it was the site of the Battle of Worringen ...

, which once was an independent city, which has a thousand years of history (first mentioned in 922). The Worringer Bruch is geographically 37.5 m above sea level, and is the lowest point of Cologne (the highest is 118.3 m – Monte Troodelöh in Königsforst). The water level is closely related to the water level of the river Rhine. Today, Worringer Bruch offers shelter for different types of forest and cultural landscapes such as pastures and orchards, the most important being the floodplain landscape. In addition, Worringer Bruch serves as a valuable regional habitat for several endangered plants and animal species. Playing an essential role in the conservation and protection of nature, rare animals and plant species, it also serves as the "green lungs" of Cologne. It is also a notable area for recreation and nature experience such as hiking, and flora and fauna exploration. In 1991, the Worringer Bruch was designated as a nature reserve.

Fauna

As large parts of Worringer Bruch are difficult for people to access, it is an ideal habitat for many animal and bird species, including: *

Slowworm The slow worm (''Anguis fragilis'') is a reptile native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, a slowworm, a blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. These legless lizards are also sometimes called common slowworms. T ...

Toad Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scient ...

s * About 20 species of

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

s *

Nightingale The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (''Luscinia megarhynchos''), is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is no ...

s *

Marsh harrier The marsh harriers are birds of prey of the harrier subfamily. They are medium-sized raptors and the largest and broadest-winged harriers. Most of them are associated with marshland and dense reedbeds. They are found almost worldwide, excluding ...

s * Black woodpeckers *

Long-eared owl The long-eared owl (''Asio otus''), also known as the northern long-eared owlOlsen, P.D. & Marks, J.S. (2019). ''Northern Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)''. In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook o ...

s *

European honey buzzard The European honey buzzard (''Pernis apivorus''), also known as the pern or common pern, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Etymology Despite its English name, this species is more closely related to kites of the genera '' Leptodon'' a ...

References

* This article was translated from the German Wikipedia. The entry is available

here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Technologies, Here Television * Here TV (form ...

External links

Expert information on the nature reserve (German language)

Some additional detailed expert information in German language
{{Coord, 51, 2, 49.2, N, 6, 51, 31.8, E, region:DE_type:landmark, display=title Geography of Cologne Nature reserves in North Rhine-Westphalia Bogs of North Rhine-Westphalia