Using and protecting the cultural landscape
Southern Styrian Nature Park
The southern Styrian Nature Park, one of 7 nature parks in Styria, is seductively diverse with an area of 417 km². From the depths of the Mur to the heights of the Poßruck, it is crisscrossed by countless hills and vineyards that have been used in a variety of ways for thousands of years.
A nature park is a cultural landscape area, created by human management, that is particularly worthy of preservation, and is to be maintained in this condition. In addition, it creates recreational and educational opportunities for the locals and visitors.
The cultural landscape in the Southern Styrian Nature Park is dominated by two elements: warm mixed deciduous forests with oak and sweet chestnut trees, and steep, intensively used vineyards. In between, there are remnants of the formerly much more diversely used stone walls, scattered fruit stands, rough pastures and hedges. Arable farming is mainly limited to the valleys and the Leibnitzerfeld, while small areas around Leutschach are still used for hop growing. The special feature of the Southern Styrian Nature Park is that it is also a landscape conservation area and home to several nature reserves. These include the Attemsmoor, the Demmerkogel meadows, the Sulmaltarme or the alluvial landscape along the Laßnitz and Sulm as well as the "Demmerkogel-Südhänge, Wellinggraben mit Sulm-, Saggau- und Laßnitzabschnitten" Natura 2000 site,.