Danube Ecology: The Donau-Auen National Park

A section of Europe's best-known river, the Danube, runs from the Slovakian border near Bratislava upstream through eastern Austria for 38 km towards Vienna, and beyond. Along this section, the water level rises and falls seasonally as much as 7 metres. When at its highest levels, the river overflows its banks into a flood plain alongside the Danube where a unique and bio-diverse riparian (= river wetland) woodland ecosystem has evolved.

As with many wild habitats in Europe, development has taken its toll but in 1996 further development of this precious natural resource was arrested by the creation of the Donau-Auen National Park*. The park runs as a ribbon-habitat along the north side of the Danube from Bratislava to the eastern outskirts of Vienna where the area is known as the Lobau and is popular with the Viennese for natural history and outdoor pursuits**. The park boasts some long distance hiking and cycling trails along its length from, which the great diversity of habitat types within the Auen may be explored.

The Donau-Auen National Park stretches along the north bank of the Danube for 38 km between Bratislava and Vienna. Please click on the image to enlarge and see the detail.

Map source here

View of part of the Donau-Auen I took from a Sky Europe flight just after take-off from Bratislava, tracking the Danube west towards Vienna. The dark green band of vegetation running along the near-side of the river is a section of the Donau-Auen National Park that runs for 38 km between Bratislava and Vienna.

Within the park, certain areas maintain the impenetrability of a jungle...

... others resemble more the Everglades of Florida (without the alligators!)

Extensive reed beds are the habitat of Reed and Great Reed Warblers, Nightingale, Cuckoo, Black Kite and a range of wetland birds.

Quiet backwaters are filled from seasonal flooding of the Danube...

...and may become overgrown swamps in summer

Open water is colonised by various species of water lily...

...and shallower swamps are invaded by the ancient horsetail plants that have survived from the Carboniferous era...

Shoals of carp move through the clear water

Be careful where you go! Apparently Zugang für alle Naturisten does not mean something like "Nature Trail", as I imagined. I went through this gate, only to leave rather suddenly and red-faced when a naked couple entered the field of view of my binoculars!

Open heathy areas provide a habitat for birds like Turtle Dove, Yellowhammer, Kestrel and Whitethroat

Other areas abound with the colour of poppies and cornflowers which attract butterflies...

Meadow Brown, feeding on black- thorn flowers






Painted Lady, freshly emerged from pupation







A White Admiral? Other offers are welcome!







A Comma butterfly with it rather uneven wing edges

The setting sun catches the canopy of part of the Donau-Auen National Park

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*Etymology: Donau = Danube (German); Au (plural = Auen) is the German name of the habitat.

** To get there from Vienna city centre, take the metro U1 to the Vienna International Centre and then jump on bus 91a and jump off at the Roter Hiasl stop (15 min) - the entrance to the park is close by.