Upper Sûre National Park

The Nature Park of the Upper Auer is a natural park in the northwest of Luxembourg. It was founded as the first natural park in Luxembourg in 1999.

Location

The nature park Oberauer is in the northwest of Luxembourg on the border with Belgium and includes an area of 162 km ² and 5,500 inhabitants, the area of the four municipalities Winseler, Bauschleiden, Reservoir community and Esch- sur -Sure around the Oberauer reservoir. The Nature Park of the Upper Auer is a member of the network of national parks in the greater region and is adjacent to another member of the network, the Belgian Parc Naturel de la Haute -Sure Forêt d' Anlier.

History

The idea of ​​establishing a national park in the region around the reservoir dates back to the year 1989. On 27 September 1993, the legal way to create a the Natural Park was initiated by the board of the syndicate SYCOPAN ( Syndicat Intercommunal pour l' Aménagement et la Gestion du Parc Naturel Haute -Sure ). Since August 1993 there is a natural park in Luxembourg law ( " loi du 10 août 1993 relative aux parcs naturels "). On April 6, 1999, it was initially decided for a period of 10 years with großherzoglichem regulations the establishment of the nature reserve, as well as a syndicate for its administration. The Executive Board of the Natural Park consists of a partnership between the local communities and various ministries. The nature park Oberauer making it the older of the two natural parks of Luxembourg. The member communities Bauschleiden, Ell, Esch- sur -Sure, Heischent, Reservoir community, Neunhausen and Winseler were miteingebunden from the beginning in the elaboration of concepts. Municipal mergers in the year 2011, the member communities reduced to its current four: Bauschleiden, Esch- sur -Sure, Reservoir community and Winseler. In 2009, the duration of a nature park was extended for another 10 years.

Landscape and ecology

Landscape nature park through the 3.8 km ² large reservoir is characterized, which supplies about 70 % of the entire population of Luxembourg with drinking water. The shoreline of this scale in the 1950s artificial lake is 42 km and is divided into different protection zones. With a solar boat, the flora and fauna of this habitat can be explored on a natural history journey. Deep valleys, wet meadows, forested slopes and agricultural plateaus are properties of unspoilt mountain landscape nature park communities. As a refuge for rare and endangered animals and plants of the nature park Auer has a great importance. Several species protection projects are devoted to, for example, the rare little owl, the hazel grouse or the smooth snake.

Tourism

The nature park is a popular hiking area. The entire Wegwandernetz extends over about 700 kilometers. On numerous topics and round trails you can explore the entire area of ​​the Nature Park of the Upper Auer. Of particular importance for tourism of the local leisure beside the reservoir and the many activities such as swimming, boating, fishing and diving are also museums and discovery centers. In the former cloth factory in Esch- sur -Sure and the nature center is set up next to a museum on the subject today. The Forest Discovery Centre " Burfelt " of nature and forest management arouses interest in forest and nature. In Heischent in the town of Esch- sur -Sure, a candle factory is to see and climb a high ropes course. The ruins of Esch- sur -Sure towering majestically over the town.

Projects

The nature park is positioned as a water region of Luxembourg and, with its projects and events, a bridge between culture, tourism and the region as an economic and living room. We have developed numerous hiking trails and prepared for the visitors with maps and visitor management otherwise. In the area of ​​coordination and networking, the Natural Park strives to achieve sustainable development of the Upper Region. An awareness of the nature and its protection and enhancement is the goal of experiential environmental education. The important aspect of agriculture is recognized with an agricultural advisory statements that support the operations of the member municipalities in their work. By producing a variety of products from the reservoir region ( " vum Séi " ), such as tea, herbs, cosmetic products or meat, the agricultural producers involved in the marketing of regional characteristics. The second natural park in Luxembourg, the Nature Park Our in northeast of the country, numerous joint projects such as the annual Nature Park calendar or a digital nature park guide can be realized. In addition, the cross-border European cooperation in the Greater Region plays such as the network of natural parks a major role.