Frastanzer Ried

Frastanzer Ried is a large and important wet meadow area in the Walgau region of Vorarlberg, Austria. It lies between the centre of Frastanz and the Felsenau district, covering about 39 hectares at an altitude of 462 to 466 metres. The land is flat with a very gentle slope, forming a flat fen with artesian springs. The site connects rich Rhine Valley peatlands with inner-Alpine moors and includes small fragments of floodplain forest along the Ill River. The area is recognised as a nature monument and Natura 2000 site under the EU Habitats Directive. More than 100 endangered plant and animal species live here, including the rare Liparis loeselii, of which this is Austria’s most significant single occurrence. Botanists have recorded 374 plant species, among them 14 orchids and 76 medicinal plants. The wet meadows are dominated by Molinia grass, and the site supports 504 butterfly species, 18 dragonfly species, 220 spider species, and 110 wild bee species. Visitors walk along the Blödlebach stream which winds through the reserve from north-east to south. The paths are bordered by extensive hay meadows and small woodland patches. Common breeding birds include blackbird, chaffinch, willow warbler and wren, with rarer species such as the red-backed shrike and black kite also present. The reserve is used for quiet recreation and low-intensity farming, while beneath its surface a horizontal filter well supplies up to 220 litres of drinking water each second to nearby Feldkirch.