Right at the summit of the Demmerkogel in the middle of the red pine forest is a lookout tower that offers a view of the entire Südsteiermark Nature Park and beyond. Just a few minutes' walk below is a particularly colorful flower meadow. The delicate, pink-flowered carthusian pink, the orange-yellow cypress spurge, the purple-flowered meadow widow flower and the meadow hickory with its yellow flower head - to name just a few.
From the animal world, the protected stag beetle is definitely worth mentioning. It lives in the adjacent pine-oak forest and can also be observed at the edge of the meadow. Overall, the meadow is very rich in insects - around 50 species of butterflies and damselflies have been recorded. Conspicuous butterfly species on the Demmerkogel are: Blue-eyed Fritillary, Eastern Hummingbird, Chequered Fritillary and Lean Grassland Pearl-bordered Fritillary. Many birds do not miss out on this wealth of insects and so the red-backed shrike, among others, can be seen here on its foraging flights.
The starting point for a visit is the parking lot on Demmerkogelweg below the butterfly meadow near house “Höch 87”. The path leads up an embankment to reach the colorful butterfly meadow after a few minutes.
More information about the natural gem of the butterfly meadow
Location: 532766.3 E or 5181363.4 N;
Google Maps Link
Municipality: St. Andrä im Sausal Category: Meadows & moors