The Perchtoldsdorf heath is one of the most well-known and popular
areas for daytrips south of Vienna. It is estimated that the area
receives more than 100.000 visitors every year. Only few people,
however, know that the heath is an ecological reserve of international
significance. It is home to more than 300 plant species and some very
rare animal species. The favourable climate in tandem with the fact
that it has probably been used as pasture land since the Neolithic Age
and the fact that prairie grass has probably grown there ever since
then, has resulted in very interesting wildlife. The ground-squirrel
colony is certainly a special attraction for all ages. The panorama is a
sight to behold: looking down into the Vienna basin one sees
Perchtoldsdorf nestling at the foot of the hill and the precincts of
Vienna on the horizon. In Perchtoldsdorf, “Heide” (heath) is a
topographical name. A botanist would probably call the vegetation found
on the hilly, partly rocky and stony ground “dry grassland”, or, even
more adequately, “steppe land”, since plants and animals that can be
found on the steppes of eastern Europe live on the Perchtoldsdorfer
Heide.
An ecological reserve of international significance
In 1997, the Ministry of the Environment published a book on
“steppe-land on the urban periphery” where renowned ecologists presented
scientific information in easily digestible form, thus supplying
nature lovers with a valuable source of information and a reference
volume on one of the most precious eco-systems of Austria.
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