Limestone Alps National Park

The Kalkalpen National Park is home to more than 10,000 species of animals, plants and fungi, many of which are rare primeval forest relics that can only survive in old, near-natural forests. Since the establishment of the national park in 1997, human intervention has been largely reduced, allowing nature to develop undisturbed. This natural dynamic promotes the recovery of the forest and allows it to slowly grow back into a primeval forest.

The forests of the Kalkalpen National Park were once used intensively, especially in the Middle Ages, when the wood was processed into charcoal in charcoal kilns. Today, however, the protection of the area is enabling the return of the primeval forest. The remaining primeval forest islands provide a habitat for endangered species that depend on dead wood and natural forest dynamics. With an area of over 15,000 hectares, the forest has been declared a biotope protection zone in which nature is once again allowed to reign freely.

The ancient beech forests of the Kalkalpen National Park have been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2017. Covering an area of 5,252 hectares, they are not only home to an impressive variety of species, but also the oldest beech tree in the Alps, which is more than 550 years old. These forests are the largest beech forest reserve in the Alps and an invaluable treasure for science and nature conservation.

The Kalkalpen National Park is not only a refuge for plants and fungi, but also for many animal species. Endangered animals such as the lynx, golden eagle and peregrine falcon have found a new habitat here. The protected area also offers a unique ecosystem for numerous insect species, including 41 species of relict beetles such as the alpine longhorned beetle and the large flat beetle.

Anyone entering the Kalkalpen National Park is immersed in Austria's largest forest wilderness - a place where nature still belongs entirely to itself. A fascinating interplay of over 30 forest types unfolds between the mountain ranges of the Reichraminger Hintergebirge and the Sengsengebirge. More than 10,000 species of animals, plants and fungi live here, including rare primeval forest relics that have long since disappeared elsewhere. Since its creation, nature has been allowed to take its course on 16,000 hectares: Paths have been removed, interventions stopped and the forest has begun to renew itself. The result is a refuge in which unspoiled nature and biodiversity are not only protected, but can be experienced at first hand.