Naturschutzgebiet Rannatal

The Rannatal is a piece of pristine nature with unwooded block screes, on whose barren soils mosses and lichens thrive. In addition to the block forest consisting of deciduous trees (elms, ashes, etc.), the spruce block forest in particular exerts an irresistible charm, especially in spring with the bright green foliage and in autumn with the rust-brown discolored leaves of the blueberry bushes.A particularly unique natural phenomenon are the block streams, which descend from the valley slopes in some places. These piled-up gneiss blocks are colonized by a pioneer vegetation of mosses and lichens. The luminous yellow of the rocks comes from a water-repellent lichen species, the sulfur lichen (Chrysothrix chlorina). One speaks of block streams because these screes are still in motion and slide a few centimeters annually.No wonder, the natural jewel with its near-natural forests and rock locations is an important refuge for a large number of rare and endangered species, such as the emerald lizard, which finds its last retreat here in Upper Austria outside the Danube Valley!Less well-known animal and plant species also occur here, and for the lichen flora, the valley represents a nationally outstanding location. Many block streams with meter-thick silicate rocks characterize the Rannatal. In the interstices, constantly low temperatures prevail, which allow some insect species to survive here since the Ice Age. Where the cold air escapes, bogs could form.The Rannatal almost fell victim to a power plant construction but was fortunately declared a nature reserve in 2002. In 2004, it was also nominated as a Natura 2000 area.From Linz via Eferding or Aschach to Neustift im Mühlkreis.From Passau via Untergriesbach or Wegscheid to Neustift im Mühlkreis.