This area of approx. 25,700 ha described by the Council Directive 92/43/EEC largely corresponds to the large Landscape Protection Area Bernstein-Lockenhaus-Rechnitz (Provincial Law Gazette No 19/1972) and includes three Nature Protection Areas: “Gößbachgraben“, (9,26 ha), “Galgenberg“ (9.25 ha) and “Trockenbiotop beim Friedhof in Rechnitz“, an arid biotope near the Rechnitz cementary (2.86 ha).