Natura 2000 area "Upper Danube Valley"

Life Project Donauleiten, nature reserve Steiner Fels and Castle Neuhaus.

One of the most impressive landscape features are the steep rocky sites of the Donauleiten. Light pine tree and oak tree populations colonise these habitats. The reptile fauna is especially dense, but also the eagle owl, the largest owl species, feels home here. With a bit of luck, an attentive observer can watch it during the nightly prowl.

If you are extra attentive, you might catch a glimpse of one of the geobionts. A few lizard species, amongst them the green lizard, swish through the bushes. With its 35cm length it is one of the largest local lizards. The name relates to the green colour of the adult animals. In the mating season the blue-colored throat of the males is particularly striking. In the Donauleiten they prefer rocky areas and piles of stones with plenty of bushes and briars, where they can hide from their natural enemies