Southern Styrian Nature Park
Using and protecting the cultural landscape
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,.
Good to Know
All about nature reserves and facts about the nature park
The main objective of the Southern Styrian Nature Park is to develop and implement strategies for the preservation of the small-scale cultural landscape. Active strategies are strived towards which give the region the opportunity to determine the development of the cultural landscape itself, at least to a certain extent.
Many projects have already been implemented. For example, in Southern Styria there is a nature experience programme to raise awareness of the nature park among the population and guests, a management plan that elaborates the added value of the nature park for the region, its role in the overall structure as well as its mission statement, a biodiversity and species protection offensive, sustainable landscape management and many other initiatives that contribute to the protection of nature and the cultural landscape.
Facts & Figures
- The Southern Styrian Nature Park covers an area of around 417 km²
- The nature park is home to around 49,200 inhabitants.
- 15 boroughs in the district of Leibnitz bear the distinction of being a nature park borough
- Altitude: between 250 - 900 m
- The nature park is home to 9 nature reserves
Nature Park Specialities
Products of local origin that contribute to the preservation of the typical cultural landscape in the nature park are sold throughout Austria under the brand "Naturpark-Spezialitäten" (Nature Park Specialities). There is also a group of nature park producers in the South Styria Nature Park who make their products with sometimes laborious but loving manual work.
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