Former vineyard terraces of Niederdonven

On this slope with former vineyard terraces, hedges were cleared in favor of orchids. Now wait and see if orchids settle. There are already some in other places not far from this slope.However, above the Palmberg, where a notice board indicates an orchid meadow, the grass was very high. Sheep should actually keep the grass short. If this is not done, should the orchids quickly be on the decline?

Former vineyard terraces in NiederdonvenThe slope is still in the wine-growing perimeter and until the 1990s, wine was still grown here, mainly Elbling (altlux .: Räifrench). The small plots and the arduous access were no longer compatible with modern machine management and viticulture was gradually abandoned. Many terraces are fallow, and fruit trees have been planted on some. Most of the old dry stone walls are still intact.

Vineyard terraces and dry stone wallsUnique variety in the smallest of spaces: vineyards, dry stone walls, fallow land, paths, brooks with embankments, woody trees, rocks. The naturalness and biodiversity of this landscape were preserved because humans hardly interfered with nature. Around 2,000 years ago, the Romans brought us wine, but also the dry stone walls. In dry stone walls, natural stones are piled up without mortar. They serve to fortify the vineyard terraces. The Romans quickly recognized that the walls store the sun's heat during the day (they are often heated up to 70 ° C) and only release it slowly in the evening - which has a positive effect on the vines. Thanks to the stone heat storage, the plants suffer less from high temperature fluctuations. Because of the modern machines in viticulture, the walls became an obstacle. In the. Most of our wine-growing regions have been carried out land consolidation (Remembrement) in the past few decades and almost all dry stone walls have been removed. Fortunately, some of the vineyards have been preserved in their original state. In order to preserve this cultivated landscape, which has become rare, the dry stone walls have to be repaired, using the old method from before. In this way, the rare "dry stone wall" habitat for animals and plants is preserved.