Nature and Geopark Styrian Eisenwurzen, Austria

The Nature Park Eisenwurzen became a member of the Global Geoparks Network in 2004. It is located in southwestern Austria and covers an area of 586 km². Geologically, it is part of the Northern Calcareous Alps and is composed of limestones and dolomites from the Late Permian to the present, an interval of 250 million years. These rocks were faulted, folded and uplifted during the Alpine orogeny. The landscape was modified by glaciers during the Great Ice Age, and the rivers subsequently shaped the unique landscape. The geopark is geologically significant because it includes the type section of the Anisian stage of the Triassic, Cretaceous and Palaeogene rocks in the Gams area which is associated with the discovery of Austria’s largest known marine reptile. The geopark is a magnificent window into the Earth’s evolution and shows the harmonious interaction between nature and humans.