Save The World Awards 2009

Heart of Europe. The province of Lower Austria under the patronage of its Governor, Erwin Pröll (photo), is hosting the 2009 SAVE THE WORLD AWARDS.

The primeval forests at the Danube, March and Thaya rivers, the brusque canyons of the Ötscher mountain, the gently rolling hills of the country around Retz, the swamps in the Waldviertel, the great river valley of the Wachau, the pine woods in the Wienerwald and the oak woods in the Weinviertel, alpine pastures, sun flower fields, vineyards, wild mountain rivers – this is the diversified beauty of Lower Austria.

Just as well, the vast country around Vienna has seen many of its treasures man-made: The offer goes from small and old treasures like the Venus vom Galgenberg - the oldest stone plastic of the world, dating back to the year 30.000 BC - up to large and modern sights like the Landshaus district in St. Pölten - a excellent example of modern architecture.

The unique variety of nature and culture is also reflected in Lower Austria's tourism offer. Active holidays at hiking, cycling, golf or trend sport experts, wellness days in spa centers, culture tasting in small towns or mighty convents, pleasureful holidays at the wine grower or local host, nature experience in the national parks or at the farm - the selection of ideas for your holidays is nearly endless. The scenic and cultural variety of our region will amaze you.

Dr. Erwin PrÖll, Governor of Lower Austria: 2010 has been declared the Year of Biodiversity. Lower Austria is characterized by a wide range of habitats and species.

From Mount Ötscher to the Pannonian plains, from sand dunes and dry grasslands to riverside forests and moors–the most precious natural areas enjoy a high level of protection.

Austria boasts a wilderness area, two national parks and the Vienna Woods Biosphere Park. They are all tributes to a comprehensive approach to nature conservancy that ranges from nature protection to resource utilization. In the Dürrenstein Wilderness Area, human intervention is kept to a minimum while the two national parks Donau-Auen and Thayatal invite visitors to discover and experience nature first hand. The Vienna Woods Biosphere Park, for its part, demonstrates how effectively conservation can be combined with farming and with meeting the economic needs of people in the region.

Diverse landscapes typical of the various regions and intact ecosystems ensure clean drinking water and high-quality food production as well as providing beautiful vibrant natural areas for recreation and relaxation. We have taken a variety of steps to keep biodiversity at a high level so we can continue enjoying the fruits of our ecosystems. Contract-based nature conservancy in agriculture is one example. Carefully coordinated species and habitat protection programs and the establishment of further protected areas are two others.

The European Union signed the Biodiversity Convention along with 160 signatory states. With the Natura 2000 program, the EU has built up a network of more than 25,000 protected areas across Europe. Lower Austria has put 23 percent of its total area into the Natura 2000 network. Just as other countries are called upon to protect the rain forests as part of our global natural heritage, we too are making our contributions to maintaining biodiversity.

Lower Austria is diverse in every way. We have the pristine natural landscapes mentioned above as well as precious gifts rendered by human hand throughout our province.

They range from small and ancient (the Venus of Galgenberg, the oldest stone figurine in the world created around 30,000 BC) to large and modern (the government quarter in St Pölten – a striking ensemble of modern architecture).

Tourists can look forward to offerings just as diverse as the unique nature and culture in Lower Austria. The choice of holidays is virtually unlimited. It extends from action-packed days full of hiking, cycling, golfing or the latest trend sports to a wonderfully relaxing getaway at a spa or resort; from cultural explorations in the many small cities or magnificent monasteries to gourmet delights at winemakers or innkeepers or immersion in idyllic nature at the national parks or on a local farm. All the options are clearly laid out. You are just a few mouse clicks away from www.niederoesterreich.at, where you can find all the ingredients for your own personal dream holidays.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL PROVINCE OF LOWER AUSTRIA.