Rheinholz

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In the Rheinholz
Beach on the Rheinspitz

As Rhein wood is hardwood floodplain forest of the Austrian part Rheinspitz referred.

location

It forms the western part of the Vorarlberg nature reserve Rheindelta in the municipality of Gaißau , which runs along the Old Rhine to its mouth .

The state border between Austria and the Swiss Confederation is located in the river bed of the Old Rhine, which closes off the Rheinholz to the west . On the Swiss side, the municipality of Thal borders the river. A few meters from the river bank and thus from the Rheinholz is the St. Gallen-Altenrhein airfield in the municipality of Thal .

ecology

In the last natural alluvial forest, which is periodically flooded by Lake Constance, ash, elm, birch, maple, and oak are the predominant tree species. Ornithologists cast a spell over rare birds such as the black owl, night heron, gray woodpecker, lapwing, yellow mocker, small woodpecker and oriole. Grass snakes, yellow-bellied toad, badger, tadpole shrimp and two beaver families with territories on the Old Rhine and the Gaissau seaport are at home here.

Towards Lake Constance, the dense forest becomes a Steifseggenried (colloquially Moggenried) with isolated willow and poplar trees. The wealth of butterflies in the area is unique (poplar moth, alder moth, tooth moth, willow owl, willow borer).

Agriculture

Isolated litter meadows are mowed only once a year in late autumn to ensure a compatible interaction between nature conservation and use. A centuries-old tradition is the use of the sparse forest as a meadow pasture for cows, which prevents clearings from encroaching and ensures the spread of the hawthorn. The Rheinholz is the lowest alp in Austria.

tourism

The Rheinholz is a popular, car-free excursion and hiking destination. The beach area east of the old mouth of the Rhine with barbecue areas and a small snack station ("Rheinholz kiosk") invites you to linger and swim.

Ringwall in the Gaißauer Rheinholz
Inside view of the ring wall

history

Around 100 m west of the kiosk are the striking remains of a ring wall with a diameter of around 20 m, which are now covered by trees and which, according to oral tradition , may go back to the Appenzell Wars.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ State of Vorarlberg - Auwald. Retrieved October 19, 2018 .
  2. ↑ RIS - Ordinance of the state government on the nature reserve "Rheindelta" in Fußach, Gaißau, Hard, Höchst and in Lake Constance - state law consolidated Vorarlberg, version of October 19, 2018. Accessed on October 19, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Rhine delta on Lake Constance, nature reserve with the most species, natural diversity and wilderness - vacation in Vorarlberg . In: Holidays in Vorarlberg . March 30, 2017 ( vorarlberg.travel [accessed October 19, 2018]).
  4. ↑ Marcel Elsener: AUENWALD AM RHEINSPITZ: Hare alarm in the bird concert room | St.Galler Tagblatt . In: St.Galler Tagblatt . ( tagblatt.ch [accessed October 19, 2018]).
  5. ↑ Michael Götz: 120 cows graze in the middle of the forest | St.Galler Tagblatt . In: St.Galler Tagblatt . ( tagblatt.ch [accessed October 19, 2018]).

Coordinates: 47 ° 29 ′ 26 "  N , 9 ° 34 ′ 24.8"  E