Tannermoor Nature Preserve

The Tanner Moor is the highest raised forest bog in Austria.

The moor was formed after the last ice age around 12,000 years ago. It lies at an altitude of over 930 metres above sea level and entirely in the area of Weinsberg granite, which is interspersed with fine-grained gangue granite in some places. This forms the water-impermeable depressions in which this moor could form up to a thickness of 10 metres.

The area of the Tannermoor has never been deforested, nor has peat ever been cut in it. The only human intervention in this area is the Rubnerteich pond on the southern edge of the moor, which used to supply the water needed for the annual wood flooding. It is a romantic, hidden natural moor bathing lake with tiny bays and cosy spots.
The Rubner pond is fed by the Tannerbach stream, which flows from the raised bog - hence the dark brown colour - and is also open to fishing.

The wealth of rare plants and animals is the most precious treasure of the Tanner moor. In addition to roe deer, we can also encounter foxes, badgers, pine martens, weasels, black grouse, bog owls, long-eared owls, wild ducks, goshawks and sparrow hawks.

The main component of a bog is peat moss, which can store up to twenty times its volume in water. In a raised bog, the peat layer has piled up to such an extent that the living mosses on the surface have lost their permanent connection to the groundwater table - they rely exclusively on the water and minerals from the rain.