Surface area: 450 hectares
Population: 220 000 residents
The Anillo Verde de Vitoria-Gasteiz belt is made up of a group of parks and areas with high ecological interest surrounding the city. These natural areas are easily accessible on foot. They serve as bufferz ones and green lungs between the urban area and surrounding rural environment.
Ecological and landscape restoration of these areas and development suited for public use make nature be part of the city by balancing the availability of park areas for all neighbourhoods.
Links between urban parks and agricultural natural areas have thus been favoured, which implies a noticeable increase in biodiversity. At the same time, new outdoor leisure and environmental education activities have been developed.
Natural heritage
The Green belt has an important natural heritage. This includes: the Salburúa wetlands the Armentia park, an arboretum that spreads over 104 hectares and acts as an "ecological corridor" between periurban parks and the Vitoria mountains the Zalbalgana oak grove, typical of small city woods which are a woodland fauna and flora refuge and some sections of the Zadorra river, where one can observe flora and fauna belonging to this environment.
Main activities
There are numerous possibilities for entertainment and education: walking observing the fauna, flora, and landscape, etc. Education, leisure and research activities, and research are varied as well. They serve to bring Green belt residents closer together, with the goal of raising people concern for the preservation and wealth of this heritage. These activities are addressed to schools, as well as retirees and individuals.
Remarkable aspects
The Salburúa wetlands, the restoration of which has entailed a strong growth of plant and animal species, are a major asset. Today, this enclave is one of the main nesting and wintering areas for Basque country aquatic birds. The herd of stags, artificially introduced to maintain wetland vegetation, as well as a small plains oak grove illustrating this area's past characteristic vegetation are equally noteworthy.
