Good news for Central Europe's largest river landscape: UNESCO has acknowledged 29,000 hectares of floodplain of the Slovenian Mur river as a biosphere reserve. This is a further important step towards the trans-border nature protection of the "Amazon of Europe".
Countless old arms of the Mur are surrounded by natural floodplain forests.
© Martin Schneider-JacobyIn the border area between Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia and Serbia one of the last intact dynamic river landscapes of Europe is located: the Danube-Drava-Mur region. The acknowledgment of the Slovenian section by the UNESCO on 25th July is another milestone in the protection of this unique biotope network. The new biosphere area along the Mur river covers a river corridor of about 100 kilometers, which comprises Slovenia's largest alluvial forests. Among others, white tailed eagles and black storks find ideal living conditions here.
Since 1990 EuroNatur and partners have been involved in the protection of the Danube, Drava and Mur rivers. Together, they were able to prevent profound destructive interventions. The goal is the realization of a 5-country biosphere area that should extend from Austria to Serbia. With the acknowledgment of the Slovenian area, this vision is within reach. Only the Austrian areas along the so-called "Amazon of Europe" have not yet been nominated.