zeit.los Sommer 2020

Page 21

E N G L I S H S U M M A RY

THE WILD KINGDOM The Karwendel Nature Park is an invaluable treasure located in the middle of densely populated areas. It is the largest of its kind in Austria and one of the oldest protected areas in Europe. This year it was elected Nature Park of the Year.

ealth has many aspects and only a few of them are financial. You can discover things that leave you speechless and overwhelmed if you take the time to go through life with alert senses. And trigger unexpected feelings of happiness. Hardly anyone can resist the magic of the great outdoors, the majesty of tall trees, the unique smell when rain covers the moss, rugged rocks that have gazed down into the valley for centuries. The unbelievable colours of the plants in all their forms and, of course, the numerous creatures we so rarely get to see - because we fail to look for them. Yet everything is so close at hand.

W

T h e K a r w e n d e l N at u r e Pa r k is the largest

nature park in Austria. It encompasses almost the entire Karwendel massif with a total area of 727 square kilometres. The Karwendel Nature Park has been protected since 1928 and is one of the oldest nature reserves in Europe. The rich variety in this mountain region with its 340 outstanding water sources makes it one of the largest unspoilt alpine natural environments. It plays host to 1,305 plant and 3,035 known animal species, although probably as many as 10,000 are living here. It is certainly impressive that between two metropolises - Munich and Innsbruck

– lies an area where you can find numerous places where you will not meet anybody. Despite about one million visitors per year, there are many unspoiled locations for those who look for them. Keep your eyes open and you will find many treasures here.

V i s i t o r s n e e d t i m e and awareness to experi-

ence the special features of the park. Then you will be able to see and hear the numerous creatures that so skilfully can hide from anything that disturbs them in their habitat. Chamois, which descend into the valley in spring to feast on fresh greenery and demonstrate their climbing skills on steep rock in summer. Here you can also observe ibex, who do not appear below the tree line even in winter. Marmots that sleep through the winter. The primal roaring of the deer, which can be heard right down in the valley on autumn nights, is an impressive sound, and in spring, the knocking of the many species of woodpeckers. The songs of the many birds driving away the quiet of the night in the early morning is a daily pleasure. What makes it so exciting for hikers and nature lovers is the incredible variety of ways to discover this park and everything that lives in it. No matter how frequently you come back or take the same path: it will always be different.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
zeit.los Sommer 2020 by eco.nova verlags gmbh - Issuu