Donau-Auen National Park

Donau-Auen National Park protects 9.600 hectares of largely intact floodplain forest along a 38-kilometre stretch of the Danube between Vienna and the Slovak border. It was designated in 1996, more than a decade after a 1984 citizens' occupation blocked a planned hydro dam at Hainburg, a turning point for Austria's environmental movement. Here the Danube is still allowed to meander, carving side arms, gravel banks and one of the last dynamic riverine forests in central Europe. More than 800 plant species share the park with white-tailed eagles, kingfishers, beavers and European pond turtles. From Schloss Orth visitors row traditional flat-bottomed boats through backwaters, cyclists follow the long-distance Donau-Auen route, and guided walks through the Lobau on Vienna's edge run all summer. Schloss Orth itself houses the Nationalpark Centre with an aquarium and observation tower.