Merfelder Bruch — Dülmen Wild Horses

About this spectacle

In the Merfelder Bruch nature reserve near Dülmen in North Rhine-Westphalia, a herd of roughly 400 semi-feral Dülmen ponies roams freely through woodland and heath. Visitors can observe the ponies year-round from marked paths and viewpoints, watching them graze, foal, and move through the misty lowland landscape in loose family groups. The highlight of the annual calendar is the last Saturday of May, when the herd is driven together and young stallions are separated and sold at public auction — a tradition stretching back centuries. The scene is visceral and chaotic: hooves thundering, dust rising, foals calling to mares. Outside the catch event, the reserve offers quieter pleasures — watching small groups emerge from treeline at dusk, hearing the snort and stamp of ponies in morning mist.

When to go

May

Getting there

Nearest airport: DTM. Nearest city: Dülmen.

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