Ehrwalder Becken, Glacial cirque in Biberwier and Ehrwald, Austria.
Ehrwalder Becken is a glacial cirque that forms a broad, flat basin floor surrounded by steep mountain walls of the Wetterstein range. The area is covered in moorland with slow-moving streams and wet meadows that create a distinctly different landscape from the peaks above.
Around 4100 years ago, a massive rockfall created the Fernpass and dammed the Loisach River, permanently changing how water drained from the basin toward the north. This geological event fundamentally shaped the landscape we see today.
The local population has long relied on the basin as a natural passage between valleys and as a source of peat for fuel and building materials. Today, the area continues to shape how people move through and understand the landscape around these mountain communities.
The basin is accessible from three nearby towns and offers a network of walking and cycling routes suitable for all ability levels. The flat terrain makes it easy to explore on foot or by bike without steep climbs or technical challenges.
The area harbors rare transition moors and specialized plants like orchids that are strictly protected and often go unnoticed by visitors. Over 50 bird species use the meadows and wet zones, including endangered species found only here and in a few other Alpine regions.
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