Danube gorge and side valleys

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The Danube Gorge and Side Valleys in the north-west of Upper Austria is one of 41  Upper Austrian spatial units and extends mainly along the Danube .

Location and landscape

All Upper Austria room units

The spatial unit is divided into several individual parts and is characterized in particular by the deeply cut Danube breakthrough valley. The largest part is between Passau and the Eferdinger basin . The gorges of the Inn Valley , Aschachtals , Pesenbachtals , Rodltals , hazel trench and Strudengau are isolated from each other.

The size of the Danube gorge and side valleys is about 130 km². The longitudinal extension over the entire, non-contiguous areas is almost 120 km. In terms of width, however, the spatial unit only reaches a maximum of a few kilometers. The deepest area is around 240  m above sea level. A. on the border with Lower Austria. The highest elevations in the area are along the Schlögener Schlinge at around 500  m above sea level. A.

The following municipal areas are largely located in the Danube Gorge and the side valleys (starting in the northwest): Engelhartszell , Esternberg , Vichtenstein , Hofkirchen , Kirchberg , St. Martin , Haibach , Hartkirchen , Grein , St. Nikola an der Donau .

The room unit is surrounded by the following Upper Austria room units (clockwise, starting in the north): Central Mühlviertler Hochland , Aist-Naarn-Kuppenland , southern Mühlviertel peripheral locations , Inntal , Inn- and Hausruckviertler Hügelland and Eferdinger basin .

Characteristic

  • Deeply incised narrow valley of the Danube and side valleys with the Schlögener loop in the center as a scenic feature. The bank has blockwork construction throughout. Side valleys rise to over 300 meters and there are castle ruins at the top of the gorge that shape the landscape.
  • Richly structured relief: wooded and unwooded block heaps, gullies, rock formations and many, partly deeply cut stream valleys.
  • Valley slopes almost entirely forested, interspersed with rocks, many very natural habitat types in high density and number. Many near-natural forest areas oak , hornbeam , sessile oak , red pine , linden block forests with little or no use. Deciduous forests in shady locations ( maple - ash - elm canyon forests). Spruce forests are mostly to be found in the right bank slopes of the Danube and in some side valleys.
  • Rocky lawns with rare plant species, protruding moss and lichen flora and significant occurrences of reptiles ( green lizard ).
  • The main streams of the side valleys are almost entirely unobstructed, only in small areas or bank areas secured by block stones etc. in the lower courses.
  • Accompanying traffic areas almost continuously along the Danube (Danube Cycle Path ). Only a few areas on the banks of the Danube are not accessible by traffic routes. Some serpentine roads in steep slope areas, whereby there are some side valleys without through-roads (e.g. Rannatal , Kösslbachtäler, Pesenbachtal). Motorboat operations as well as passenger and goods shipping can be found.
  • Rural cultural landscape in the valley floor, mainly grassland, used on a small scale with a strong tendency towards afforestation of hillside meadows, very rarely remains of dry meadows.
  • A few larger places (Engelhartszell with Engelszell Abbey , Aschach), mostly small village structures and hamlets can be found. The side valleys are almost uninhabited.

literature

  • Office of the Upper Austrian Provincial Government, Nature Conservation Department (Ed.): Nature and Landscape / Guiding Principles for Upper Austria. Volume 19: The Danube Gorge and Adjacent Valleys . Lochen and Linz 2007 ( pdf [accessed on February 18, 2017]).

Web links