Eisenwurzen nature reserve
A large-scale protected area for natural darkness in the "
" region, where Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and Styria meet
It is considered Austria’s largest natural dark sky area and has been certified as a “Dark Sky Reserve” by Dark Sky International. The area encompasses the Kalkalpen National Park, the Gesäuse National Park, the Dürrenstein-Lassingtal Wilderness Area, as well as the Steirische Eisenwurzen, Niederösterreichische Eisenwurzen, and Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Parks.
- Location: The tri-state border region of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and Styria
- Area: 2 ,396 km² total area, of which 975 km² is core zone
- Zoning: Core zone with very strict lighting requirements and peripheral zone with corresponding lighting requirements. 20 active municipalities created a lighting management plan.
- Objective: Protection of the natural night sky and reduction of light pollution
- Status: Austria's largest nature reserve and third largest in Europe
More information:
Why is the natural night so worth protecting?
- Biodiversity & insect decline: Billions of insects die every year due to artificial light sources—they are attracted to them, become exhausted, or burn to death. This also affects animals that feed on them, throwing the entire food chain out of balance. Artificial light secretly destroys habitats.
- Plants: Artificial light disrupts the natural biorhythm—trees shed their leaves later or do not change color in the fall—they are more susceptible to frost and become rotten. At the same time, nighttime pollination is disrupted because insects are absent.
- Animals need darkness: nocturnal animals such as bats, owls, and amphibians are disturbed or driven away—with long-term consequences for entire ecosystems.
- Protecting health: Artificial light inhibits the production of melatonin, which disrupts sleep and the human circadian rhythm. Since the dawn of humanity, we have become accustomed to a day-night rhythm and our bodily functions have adapted to it with our hormones (cortisol as the daytime hormone and melatonin as the nighttime hormone).
- Saving the starry sky: Light pollution is causing the stars to disappear—a loss for culture, science, and wonder.
- Save energy & protect the climate: Less light means less energy consumption and CO₂ emissions – contributing to climate protection.
Quote from Stefan Wallner, University of Vienna
Only about 1% of people in Europe still live under a naturally dark night sky, free from light pollution. Over thousands of years, living creatures have adapted to the natural day-night rhythm. Animal and plant life, as well as human health, need natural darkness. Light pollution, a recent but rapidly growing phenomenon, threatens this and is now one of the most underestimated environmental hazards on our planet."
