In 1994 this district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt was renamed Burgenland, or ‘land of castles’, in recognition of the fact that there are so many mediaeval castles there. It takes in most of the Saale-Unstrut region and large parts of what is Germany’s most northerly wine-growing area. The nationally known sparkling wine Rotkäppchen, for instance, is produced in the Burgenland town of Freyburg, on the River Unstrut, which is regarded as the centre of the wine-growing region.
Wine from the Saale-Unstrut region has been given protected designation of origin status by the EU, meaning inter alia that wines with that designation must be entirely produced in the region. In addition, the Saale-Unstrut Wine Producers Association is a member of Vinest - a network supported by the European Commission which seeks to safeguard the diversity and individuality of wines from small European wine-growing areas.
Various projects being carried out in the Saale-Unstrut-Triasland Geo-Nature Park are being cofunded by the EU. One objective, for example, is to bring dry grassland back into use; to some extent, it is now being used as pasture for sheep and goats. The Hexenkeller tunnel near Freyburg is an important overwinter roost site for the lesser horseshoe bat. With EU financial support, work has been carried out inside it so as to make conditions there more suitable. In addition, requirements laid down in the EU Habitats Directive have made it easier to take protective measures in a number of areas within the nature park.
European Social Fund support is being provided for the project ‘Lebensmittelpunkt Weißenfels, which focuses on giving a boost to firms in the Mitte district of Weißenfels. A further objective is to promote tourism and ensure that the restaurant trade and cultural amenities are marketed more effectively.
The town of Zeitz has received EUR 11 million from the European Regional Development Fund for, inter alia, the environment-friendly renovation of a school and the redevelopment of the site of what used to be one of Europe’s largest pram makers, ZeKiWa, which in future will house the town’s records office.