On Turniansky hradný vrch (castle hill), which is part of the Horný vrch Site of Community Importance, we restored more than 25 hectares of dry grassland steppe habitats, classified as habitats of Community importance. In this karst area, we have restored several dozen hectares through the careful removal of volunteer woody species. These restored steppe grasslands create ideal conditions for the continued existence and expansion of the rare Carpathian-Pannonian endemic Onosma viridis. It can be observed on sunlit limestone slopes and in rock crevices, blooming from July to September.
Onosma viridis (syn. Onosma tornensis)
A clump of Onosma viridis growing from limestone pavement
Aerial photograph from 1950 showing the historical land cover and land use
Aerial photograph from 2022 — before restoration | Satellite image from 2024 — after careful restoration