Dry Grasslands
Natura Raetica
In the Roman Empire, the term terra raetica was used for the Alpine region along the borderlands of present-day Austria, Italy and Switzerland. With this long shared history in mind, several protected areas in the region now work together under the title Natura Raetica: two national parks, four nature parks and one UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Protected Areas in Natura Raetica
Stelvio National Park (South Tyrol section) | 53.495 ha |
| Texel Group Nature Park | 31.391 ha |
| Ötztal Nature Park | 50.800 ha |
| Naturpark Kaunergrat | 24.009 ha |
| UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Engiadina Val Müstair (including the Swiss National Park and Val Müstair Nature Park) | 44.870 ha |
204.565 ha
total
Natura Raetica includes both strictly protected wilderness areas, such as the Swiss National Park, which has existed for more than 100 years, and traditional cultural landscapes such as those found in Naturpark Kaunergrat. Its nutrient-poor grasslands, wet meadows, mountain meadows and alpine pastures are characterised by exceptional biodiversity. In the dry grasslands alone, more than 1,000 butterfly and moth species occur.
The dry grasslands shape the landscape of Terra Raetica, as seen here on the sunny slopes above Fließ.
Sunny Slopes of the Vinschgau Valley