The entire Val d’Adige/Etschtal Valley was formerly made up of marshes, ponds and forests. As the result, the original human settlements of Lana, Postal/Burgstall and Gargazzone/Gargazon developed in the hills above the valley, at a safe distance from flooding and the risk of disease.
Over the years, much of the land around the Falschauer river delta has remained untended. With the economic boom of the early 1970’s and the industrialization that followed, the natural balance in the area was disturbed. The turning point came at the end of the 1970’s, when the remaining 32 hectares of untouched land around the delta were absorbed into a new biotope. Today, this is the habitat of a number of endangered species and over 200 species of birds.
Tip
While walking through parts of the delta, it is worth stopping near the ponds and marshes to listen to the sounds of the various birds and frogs inhabiting the habitat.