Kulturlandschaft

Our cultural landscape is the product of the natural landscape and its human use. Settlements, roads, commercial areas, but also many nature-close areas today shape the landscape.

The local and regional spatial planning regulates land use today and has the possibility to intervene in the development of the cultural landscape. The protection of areas is the responsibility of the nature conservation authority. Our "landscape trail" initially leads through built-up areas, but afterwards almost exclusively through agricultural or forestry-used areas. 42% of the Salzburg regional area is used for agriculture. About one third of this is farmland and grassland, while two thirds are alpine pastures and mountain meadows. Most agricultural businesses in the area of the "farm trail" operate extensive farming with various additional incomes. Many farmers run their operations as a secondary source of income and/or offer a tourism service (farm holidays). Agriculture provides invaluable services to society not only through food production. Farmers are guardians of rural traditions; they maintain and preserve the cultural landscape. Through careful use, they contribute significantly to the preservation of biodiversity, thereby securing the basis for tourism. Lush meadows, happy cows, the scent of hay – all of this should not, however, distract from the problems of modern agriculture, such as the perpetually declining milk prices, funding issues, and cheap imports of agricultural products. – You may think these topics do not belong here – but: Our society and our cultural landscape cannot afford to label our farmers as landscape caretakers!