Devín Carpathians

The mountains feature numerous cultural monuments, caves, tramping huts, an open-air geology museum and a chemical waste dump.

Military structures in the mountains include an abandoned rocket base and preserved artillery fortifications from the time of Austria-Hungary.

Flora and fauna is similar to that of the Little Carpathians, yet the area of Devínska Kobyla represents the edge of the thermophilic dry vegetation of the pannonian plane.

According to the phytogeographical division of J. Futák (1964, 1972), Devínska Kobyla is grouped together with the neighboring Hundsheimer Berge in Austria, consisting of an area of xerothermic pannonian flora (Eupannonicum).

Humans have been shaping the environment in this area for centuries and anthropic changes included cutting and burning forests, creating meadows, establishing vineyards and orchards, grazing animals and planting new trees.

Dominant flora includes Stipa pulcherrima, Carex humilis, Scabiosa suaveolena, Festuca valesiaca, Ranunculus illyricus and Bromus erectus.

Protected plants include Adonis vernalis, Pulsatilla nigricans, Pulsatilla grandis, Anemone sylvestris, Lilium martagon, Stipa joannis, Jurinea mollis, Iris pumila, Dictamnus albus, Cornus mas, Prunus mahaleb, Fraxinus ornus, Chrysopogon gryllus, Vinca herbacea, Lathyrus pannonicus, Platanthera bifolia, Iris variegata, Himantoglossum adriaticum, Limodorum abortivum and Rhamnus saxatilis.

Other plants include Ononis pusilla, Lathyrus sphaericus, Conringia austriaca, Potentilla pedata, Smyrnium perfoliatum, Bupleurum rotundifolium, Consolida orientalis ssp.

Protected insects include Saga pedo, Mantis religiosa, Papilio machaon, Iphiclides podalirius, Ascalaphus macaronius, Lucanus cervus, Parnassius mnemosyne and others.