| Vienna Woods | |
| Wienerwald | |
| Range | |
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Vienna Woods near Breitenfurt
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| Country | Austria |
|---|---|
| States | Lower Austria, Vienna |
| Part of | Northern Limestone Alps |
| Highest point | Schöpfl |
| - elevation | 893 m (2,930 ft) |
| - coordinates | |
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Map with Vienna Woods (yellow area, top-right)
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The Vienna Woods[1] (German: Wienerwald) are forested highlands that form the northeastern foothills of the Northern Limestone Alps in the states of Lower Austria and Vienna. The 45 kilometres (28 mi) long and 20–30 kilometres (12–19 mi) wide hill range is heavily wooded and a popular recreation area with the Viennese.
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The Vienna Woods may be defined as that group of hills bounded by the rivers Triesting, Gölsen, Traisen and Danube. It is a favourite outdoor destination for the densely-populated area around Vienna.[2]
It is located at the border between the Mostviertel and the Industrieviertel, two of the four quarters of Lower Austria, and reaches far into the city of Vienna.
The highest elevation in the Vienna Woods is Schöpfl at 893 metres (2,930 ft) above sea level, the location of the Leopold Figl observatory. Important rivers in the Vienna Woods are the Wien, the Schwechat and the Triesting. The northeasternmost Leopoldsberg overlooking the Danube and the Vienna Basin forms the eastern end of the Alpine chain.
Even though the Vienna Woods is a protected landscape and important recreational area, it is threatened by urban sprawl. The Lainzer Tiergarten, an extensive park populated by wild boar and other woodland animals as well as the Schwarzenbergpark were created on the territory of the city of Vienna during the 19th century. The natural park Sandstein-Wienerwald is near Purkersdorf, some 20 km (12 mi) west of Vienna. There are also some natural caves, such as the Dreidärrischenhöhle ("cave of the three deaf men").
The mountain ranges of the Vienna Woods are the transition between the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians, separated by the Danube and some tectonic lines near to Vienna. Its north is part of the Alps' sandstone zone, while its south is part of the Northern Limestone Alps. In the east, its border is the thermal line, which forms a geological break line to the Viennese Basin. Beeches, oaks and hornbeams are erected throughout the north of the Wienerwald forest, whereas in the south conifers, mostly pines and firs add to the botanical mix. The Föhrenberge (Pine Mountains) natural park is in the latter region.
The Vienna Woods has probably been populated since the 8th century. Under the influence of the Avars, a Slavic population settled here after the Völkerwanderung, which may account for village names such as Döbling, Liesing or Gablitz. The Vienna Woods was a princely hunting ground, but beginning with the 16th century, it gained importance also for forestry. From 1840 onwards, the industrial development encouraged increased settlement of the area. In 1870, plans were brought forward to mostly clear the forest, but this caused widespread public resistance, in which Josef Schöffel was one of the most important figures.
In 1987, the governors of the states of Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland signed the Vienna Woods Declaration to protect nature in the region. The film actress Hedy Lamarr, in keeping with her request for when she died, had her ashes spread in the Vienna Woods.
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