A Geopark does not have a distinct degree of protection incorporated in the law, but it hold a title for areas with a particularly rich geological heritage and a strategy for sustainable regional development. A Geopark does not have to focus on its geological potential exclusively, it can also integrate sites of archaeological, ecological and cultural importance creating a link between them via a network.

European and Austrian Geoparks aim to achieve the following goals:

• Raising environmental awareness among the public focusing on geotopics related to a specific area.
• Creating added value on a regional basis by offering sustainable geotourism activities
• Supporting and promoting academic research in the park.

For further information, please go to umweltbundesamt.at.

Austria has two more Geoparks besides the Styrian Eisenwurzen:

• The Ore of the Alps Geopark in Salzburg Pongau:
  geopark-erzderalpen.at
• The Karawanken Geopark near Bad Eisenkappel, Carinthia (Austrian-Slovenian Cross-border Geopark):
  geopark-karawanken.at