Kalkalpen National Parc

In the south of our region lies the impressive Kalkalpen National Park with many protected areas, which was established in 1997. The national park includes the Sengsengebirge and the Reichraminger Hintergebirge. The latter is one of the largest closed forest areas in Austria. What does that mean? Only forest roads necessary for the conservation and management of the area cut through this almost 21,000 hectare area of mountain forests, whose mountain landscape is characterized by water, rocks and alpine pastures. An unmistakable feature of this area are the more than 200 kilometers of unspoilt streams and over 800 springs of crystal-clear mountain water. Four-fifths of the entire area of the Kalkalpen National Park is covered in forest, with the spruce-fir-beech forest dominating. This green oasis thus provides a unique habitat for countless creatures and plants. The forests of the Kalkalpen National Park are currently home to the only lynx population in the Austrian Alps. With 5,250 hectares of ancient beech forests, the Kalkalpen National Park is Austria's first UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the Dürrenstein Wilderness Area.

Old hermitages and footpaths in the Reichraminger Hintergebirge remind us of the use of wood many years ago. For centuries, the entire forest was an elementary supplier of energy and raw materials. The name Sengsengebirge is derived from the use of the forests as a source of energy for the many scythe smiths of the past.

The Kalkalpen National Park awaits its visitors with attractive offers: impressive hikes, guided tours with the national park rangers, cycle and mountain bike routes as well as rustic alpine pastures and huts. Further information is available directly from the Ennstal National Park Visitor Center.

With the national park rangers, you can experience Austria's largest protected forest area from its most beautiful side. The passionate nature educators draw your attention to details, tell you interesting facts about plants and animals and know the most beautiful places to stop for a snack.

Discover everything about wild animals, special plants, forest wilderness or the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Ancient Beech Forests” on guided tours with the national park rangers.

Tip: Book a Ranger - your individual tour with the National Park Ranger

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The Kalkalpen National Park is home to 50 species of mammals and 80 species of breeding birds, 1,400 different butterflies and more than 1,000 different flowering plants, ferns and mosses. The forest floor in this unique ecosystem is also home to a special habitat. Fallen trees are not tidied up, which is crucial for biodiversity. The deadwood is a stabiliser in the cycle of the forest wilderness, as fungi, insects and other microorganisms decompose the material and the nutrients from the deadwood enter the forest floor as humus fertiliser.

However, the national park not only serves to preserve impressive nature, but also people. Here you can relax and enjoy the green surroundings with all your senses.

WWF Austria (World Wide Fund For Nature) is concerned with the protection of natural habitats and animal species that are threatened with extinction. In the past, the Kalkalpen National Park in Austria has played a pioneering role in preserving the lynx population. Unfortunately, however, the endangered big cat species is in danger of disappearing again because there have been hardly any offspring for many years. The WWF is therefore working on measures such as relocating more lynx to the Kalkalpen National Park region as well as cross-provincial projects to preserve the population of these shy forest dwellers.