Spetzgarter Tobel

The Spetzgarter Tobel is a ravine and Nature Reserve (NSG-Number 4.055) located in the northwest of Überlingen, Germany.

Area
The perserve has an area of about 12,5 Hectares, and is part of the Lake Constance Basin. It is to the north of Bundesstraße 31, between the neighborhood of Goldbach to the south, Spetzgart to the Northwest, and Aufkirch to the East. It spans from an elevation of 427 m to an elevation of 520 m. The preserve has 2 main trails - both starting from Spetzgart Castle- One leads to the Aufkircherstraße, and the other leads to the neighborhood of Goldbach.

Protection
The main purpose of the nature reserve is to protect the erosion ravine, through which a year-round creek named Killbach flows. The creek cuts up to 65 m deep into the gorge, through the "Sipplinger Molasse" and sandstone of the Überlingen area. A special protection applies to the existing orchid-beech forest, the ash forest, and other alpine plant species.

Flora
From the protected flora, along with the fern communities, ash, mountain elm, and sycamore maple populations, the following plant species are to be mentioned:


 * Wild garlic (Allium ursinum), a species from the genus Allium in the Allioideae subfamily
 * Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), currently the only plant species of the genus Convallaria in the Nolinoideae subfamily
 * The shrub crown vetch (Hippocrepis emerus), a species of the genus Hippocrepis in the Fabaceae family
 * Goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus), a plant species from the Spiraeoideae subfamily within the Rosaceae family