Hirschauer Berg

On the hillside of the Hirschauer Berg, in Germany, the work of centuries remains visible. The steep, south-facing terraces trace the contours of the old vineyards, edged by dry stone walls. Built stone by stone, by hand, they date back to the Middle Ages. The hill is a strictly protected nature reserve, where the wild and the tended meet.

When winemaking faded, nature retook the slopes: dry grasslands, shrubs and light pine woods replaced the vines. In this opening live rare plants, like the Hungarian vetchling, with roots reaching far eastwards. The dry, sun-warmed areas also harbour the Libellen-Schmetterlingshaft, an insect so rare in Central Europe that few people ever come across it. The walls and the terraces, together, give shelter to thousands of animal and plant species.

Caring for this landscape is work that never stops. Volunteers and specialists rebuild the most ruined stretches of wall every year. The stones serve as refuge for small creatures, hold the soil and keep the hillside open for wildflowers. Take a close look: every stone and every plant tells at once of the past and of the present.