Remember the sound of freedom. It echoes through the Landschaftspark Hachinger Tal. This park wasn’t always a haven for leisure. It was once a military airfield.
Welcome to the Landschaftspark Hachinger Tal. It spans 126 hectares. This green space sits in Neubiberg, Ottobrunn and Unterhaching. It is south of Munich. The park emerged from the former Neubiberg airbase. The airbase buildings are gone.
In 1997, Unterhaching bought much of the abandoned airfield. Transformation began in 2001. Atelier Loidl, a Berlin landscape architecture firm, designed the park.
The Landschaftspark Hachinger Tal divides into zones. The south and southeast are largely for nature. Sports areas lie west of the autobahn bridge. Other sports facilities are in the northeast. This part belongs to Neubiberg.
The old runway forms the park’s central axis. Inline skaters and kitesurfers enjoy it. The Hundemeile is at the park’s north edge. Dogs can run free here. Elsewhere in the park, dogs must be leashed.
A fun park adds to the recreational offerings. Beach volleyball and soccer fields invite play. A water playground sits by the Hachinger Bach.
The area includes a remnant of the Perlacher Haid. This was a vast grassland shaped by grazing. Now, the meadows are developing into species-rich grasslands. Some areas are off-limits at times. They protect threatened species. The Feldlerche and Wachtel are examples. The Idas-Bläuling and Himmelblauer Bläuling also live here. These are types of butterflies.
Shrubs were planted at the edges. They provide nesting for birds. These include Neuntöter, Gelbspötter, and Dorngrasmücke. The Zauneidechse, a lizard, is also present.
Unterhaching and Munich created amphibian spawning waters. These protect the Wechselkröte. This toad is endangered in Bavaria. Other species also live here. Laubfrosch and Bergmolch are among them. These are types of frogs and newts.
West of the autobahn, you will find orchards. The Hachinger Bach flows through the west. It was renatured. An alluvial forest was planted. Footbridges over the brook attract visitors. Especially on warm days, people seek relaxation here.
Citizens of Unterhaching help design and maintain the Landschaftspark Hachinger Tal. An “Obstweise” working group plants and cares for the orchard. The “Bewusstseinsbildung Landschaftspark” group informs visitors. They highlight flora, fauna, and protected areas.
The Landschaftspark Hachinger Tal forms part of Munich’s green belt. Several filled-in bunkers lie on the grounds.
The former military airfield was erected in October 1933. It was built on agricultural land. It first had a civilian cover name. The Treaty of Versailles forbade the German Reich from having an air force. Flight operations started on July 1, 1934. It mainly served to train pilots. The airfield served as a US Airbase from 1945 to 1958. The runway was lengthened during this time. The US Air Force handed the airbase over to the German Air Force on May 5, 1958.
In 1965, military flight operations were discontinued in Neubiberg. However, the Munich Flying Club settled on the site in 1967. The enormously increased aircraft noise led to the first protest meeting in Unterhaching on April 5, 1968. The protests lasted almost 30 years. In 1991, the mayors of Unterhaching, Neubiberg and Ottobrunn decided that a natural recreation area should be created here. The ongoing resistance of the sports pilots could not prevent the municipality of Unterhaching from finally buying the site in 1997.
Take a moment. Consider how the Landschaftspark Hachinger Tal transformed. From military base to natural retreat, its story is etched in every blade of grass.