The Ruster Hills

Summary The Ruster Hügelland is a small mountain range situated westerly of the Lake Neusiedl. Just like the Leithagebirge as such, the hills of this range are considered as the most eastern foothills of the Alps. In its northern part the Ruster Hügelland is almost almost covered with vineyards. The southern slopes of the area are still dominated by woods. Some quarries still attest to the economical importance of mining in former times. Many important buildings in Vienna were built with material mined at the Ruster Hügelland. As a result of the decline in animal husbandry and the rapid expansion of viniculture, the species-rich arid grassland of the Ruster Hügelland formed during centuries of grazing has almost disappeared. Without systematic landscape conservation, the small remains of these spaces are threatened to become overgrown.