Immerse yourself in nature in the Hartberger Gmoos, Hartberg
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Explore natural history up close. The Hartberg Gmoos has changed: from a silted-up lake to an ecologically valuable green island. A theme trail provides insight into the world of ecology.
Location & History
In a shallow depression, at an altitude of 319 to 328 meters above sea level, it borders directly on the built-up urban area of the district capital Hartberg. The fen developed through silting up of the "Edelsee", the remains of which can still be found in the deepest parts. The average sea level is 324 m.
Typical animals of the Hartberg bog are warblers, water rails, white storks, insects like butterflies and dragonflies, frogs and toads. The area is structured by rows and groups of alders and willows (Alnus glutinosa, A. incana, Salix cinerea, S. fragilis). On the Safenbach there are remains of a hardwood meadow with oaks, elms and ashes (Quercus robur, Ulmus laevis, Fraxinus excellsior).
The area of about 65 ha has been a nature reserve since 1992 and was declared a European nature reserve in 2005.
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More information
- Starting from the Hartberg recreation center (HERZ), we walk south past the Hartberghalle and past the Hartberg carpet factory Durmont to the railroad tracks of the Thermenbahn, which connects Eastern Styria to the railroad network from Vienna via Wiener Neustadt, Aspang and Friedberg,
- at the railroad crossing the red-white marked path No. 12 to Loretto Chapel turns off to the left. We go straight until the Safen forces us to follow the path to the right. Over the bridge we cross the Hartberger Safen to the Safenau tennis courts,
- after the tennis courts we follow the accompanying path of the Safenau road on the right to the brick chapel wayside shrine called "Sankl Kreuz" and are now also on the yellow and white marked pilgrims' path from Maria Heiligenbrunn via St. Johann in der Haide to Maria Lebing St. Stefan and Fieberbründl,
- about 300 meters after the chapel wayside shrine we leave the Safenauer Straße to the right and walk past the dog school to the fish ponds of the district fishing club Hartberg,
- here we continue over 2 bridges over the Brühl to the view Hartberger Gmoos on the right side and left past the natural pond and right past the tennis courts back to the starting point.
A beaver moved into the small ponds in November 2017, the traces of its activities can be easily seen.
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Gmoos 1 | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Nicole Friesenbichler
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Gmoos 2 | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Bernhard Bergmann
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Gmoosway | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Nicole Friesenbichler
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Gmoos with view of Hartberg and Ringkogel | © Oststeiermark Tourismus
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Hartberger Gmoos in der Oststeiermark | © Oststeiermark Tourismus | Bernhard Bergmann
What the weather will be like
Hartberg (422m)
Dry and partly sunny throughout the day, with cloudy periods from time to time.
Some clouds in the morning, lateron much sunshine and hardly any clouds
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