Mürzer Oberland Nature Park

Mürzer Oberland Nature Park
Typical landscape with a pond in the nature park
location	Hochsteiermark
Area / extent	223.488 km² / 26.5 km
Geographical location	47 ° 42 '  N , 15 ° 33'  E Coordinates: 47 ° 42 '  N , 15 ° 33'  E
Sea level	from 700 m to 2007 m
Setup date	2003
Legal basis	LGBl. No. 89/2003

The Mürzer Oberland Nature Park ( list entry ) was founded as a nature park in 2003 and is located in northeast Styria on the upper reaches of the Mürz River .

geography

The nature park area is located in northeast Styria on the upper reaches of the Mürz River. Since the municipal structural reform in 2015 , its area corresponds exactly to the municipality of Neuberg an der Mürz (including the districts of Altenberg an der Rax , Kapellen and Mürzsteg ), apart from small areas in the southeast . The Mürz runs through a landscape characterized by forests, waterfalls and rock formations. The nature park area is characterized by its abundance of water and very good water quality. The highest elevations (up to a maximum of 2007 m) are the limestone mountain ranges of Rax , Schneealpe and Hoher Veitsch .

Protected area

Mürzer Oberland Nature Park
location	Styria , Austria
Area / extent	231.837 km² / 26.5 km
Setup date	1981
Legal basis	LGBl. No. 69/1981, 32/2002

The nature park extends over an area of ​​226 km² and reaches altitudes of 700 to 2007  m ( Heukuppe der Rax). In the nature park there is also the nature and Ramsar reserve Naßköhr Moor in the northwest basin of the Schneealpe above Frein, the largest moor complex in the eastern Limestone Alps. There are also numerous natural monuments in the area, in particular the Totes Weib waterfall and the Roßlochklamm in the Mürz Valley north of Mürzsteg, and the rock faces of the Türkenkopf above Niederalpl .

The nature park was established in LGBl. No. 89/2003 on November 19, 2003. The landscape protection area Veitsch-, Schnee-, Raxalpe ( LSG 21 , LGBl. No. 69/1981) , which was designated as early as 1981, is largely the same . It was adapted to the nature park boundaries on March 21, 2002 (LGBl. No. 32/2002), and leaves out the Naßköhr Moor nature reserve, but also includes smaller areas in the south-west that belong to the municipality of Sankt Barbara im Mürzal (formerly the municipality of Veitsch ) belong.

The protected area is part of what is now the continuous nature protection corridor of the Austrian Alps: the Mariazell – Seeberg protected landscape area ( LSG 19 ) continues to the west . To the east is the Lower Austrian landscape protection area Rax – Schneeberg  (12), the mountain area also belongs in several sub-areas to the FFH area Northeastern Randalpen  (Lower Austria 12). The area to the south is not classified, as is a small Lower Austrian area on the Stillen Mürz in the north.

Flora Fauna

In the nature park there are low mountain ranges, mainly spruce forests (Picea abies) with mixed stands of pine (Pinus sylvestris), larch (Larix decidua), ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus). Isolated beech forest islands (Fagus sylvatica) can still be found, but have largely been displaced by the spruce due to human influences. The larch becomes more important with increasing altitude . In the gorges you can still find the gorge forests typical for this location with characteristic species, old trees (sycamore maple , ash ) and a high proportion of mosses, lichens and ferns such as the hart's-tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium). The high mountain areas are characterized by rugged limestone massifs. Alpine flora, typical of a lime-rich subsoil, grows here with Alpine edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), cabbage florets (Nigritella ssp.), Various rare gentian species (Gentiana ssp.) And lady's slipper (Cypripedium calceolus). In the moors on the Hinteralm you will mainly find various types of peat moss (Sphagnum sp.), The round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) and the cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum), to name just the most important of the numerous moisture-loving species here occurrence.

The already extinct ibex was resettled here. Furthermore, golden eagles , red deer, chamois , wild boar, capercaillie and black grouse belong to the inhabitants of the Mürzer Oberland Nature Park. Occasionally wolves can be shown to roam ; the lynx seems to be settling again. The otter can also be felt again. The common toad (Bufo bufo), common frog (Rana temporaria), agile frog (Rana dalmatina), yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata), pond newt (Triturus vulgaris) and mountain newt (Triturus alpestris) are among the most common species of amphibian fauna .

Attractions

Infopoint of the Mürzer Oberland Nature Park at Preiner Gscheid

There are special places in the nature park that are known as nature park jewels. These are natural beauties, natural monuments or places of power that have often developed through centuries of interaction between nature and humans, for example gorges, caves, ponds, moors, waterfalls and sources of origin. These locations are easily accessible and freely accessible.

Natural sights

Adventure trail Roßlochklamm in the nature park Mürzer Oberland

The natural monument "Waterfall to the Dead Woman" is fed by water, which suddenly disappears on the Hinteralm in the area of ​​the Naßköhrmoor when so-called diarrhea occurs.

The lead white pit is located on the northern slope of the Karnsteinerkogel near Kapellen . The cave is a natural monument with rich wall and ceiling sintering as well as mountain milk formations. It is used as winter quarters by various bat species.

Adventure trail Roßlochklamm in the nature park Mürzer Oberland. The adventure trail, opened in 2007, was named the most creative educational trail in Austria in 2008. The theme of the interactive path is the cycle of life.

Lurgbauernmühle

The “climate change” adventure trail, which was reopened in 2018, provides information about the effects of climate change in the Alpine region. The 200-year-old “Lurgbauernmühle”, one of the last functioning mills, is located along this path.

Built sights

In addition to the natural sights, there are also man-made structures that help shape cultural life in the region.

The Neuberger Münster is the earliest uniform hall system within the Austrian Gothic architecture and carries the largest wooden roof structure of the churches in Austria. In the Neuberg Abbey there is a cloister with pictures of 38 abbots, a Renaissance high altar and the chapter house with the donor's crypt. The remains of Duke Otto the Merry and his family rest in it .

In the small town of Kapellen there is the largest functioning spinning wheel in the world and a very active spinning circle.

In the neighboring district of Altenberg an der Rax , in addition to the “Klimawandeln” adventure trail, there is also a small mining museum called “Montanarum”.

In the area of ​​the Neuberg Abbey is the nature museum with the extensive collection of animal preparations and paintings by Herbert Schliefsteiner . A glassworks that works with traditional methods was also installed on the abbey site. The production of glass items from the liquid glass melt can be traced in the sight glass blowing workshop.

In the lumberjack museum you can find tools and implements used by the lumberjacks as well as historical everyday objects. In front of the museum, a true-to-the-original logger's hut was built.

In the local history museum "Museum der Neuberger", which is housed in a farm building, local, economic and cultural life is documented through everyday objects and photos. The Pillhofer sculpture hall in Neuberg an der Mürz houses numerous sculptures and works on paper by the artist Josef Pillhofer . Other sights include the forest of the senses, the Altenberg aqua cell, the Appelhof playground and the Lurgbauer organic cheese dairy.

Web links

Commons : Mürzer Oberland Nature Park  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Mürzer Oberland Nature Park
• Styrian nature parks

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ordinance of the Styrian state government of October 20, 2003, with which the Mürzer Oberland in the political district of Mürzzuschlag is given the title "Nature Park". Main version: LGBl. No. 89/2003 (as amended online, ris.bka ).
2. ↑ Ordinance of the Styrian state government of January 28, 2002 on the declaration of areas of the Veitsch, Schneealpe and Raxalpe as a landscape protection area. Main version: LGBl. No. 32/2002 (as amended online, ris.bka ) - the ordinance does not explicitly mention a name, therefore various spellings can be found in official publications ( Veitsch-, Schnee-, Raxalpe , Veitsch – Schneealpe – Raxalpe , etc.)
3. ↑ Neuberg an der Mürz Nature Park - Schliefsteiner Collection Nature Museum and Neuberg Museum. Marktgemeinde Neuberg / Mürz, accessed on November 28, 2012 .