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Four Austrian national parks worth paying a visit

If you are looking for a place for skiing, hiking, climbing, or just taking a walk in stunning nature, Austria offers some spectacular national parks worth a visit no matter the time of the year. We are listing the four most beautiful national parks in the country.

Published: 8 January 2024 12:16 CET
Four Austrian national parks worth paying a visit
Thayatal National Park in Austria (photo: Nationalpark Thayatal R. Podolski)

Hohe Tauern National Park

The Hohe Tauern is the largest national park in central Europe, covering an area of about 1,834 square kilometres. It is shared between three of Austria’s regions – Tyrol, Carinthia, and Salzburg. Located in the high Tauern mountain range, it includes Austria’s two highest mountains, Grossglockner and Grossvenediger. The park is divided into a core zone with a prohibition of agricultural use and an outer zone used for alpine farming and forestry.

Among silent, untouched valleys and large glaciers, the park is also home to a unique biodiversity with 15,000 animal and 3,500 plant species, representing more than one-third of all plant species documented in Austria. For mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians, the figure is around 50%.

Hohe Tauern is a popular destination for skiing, hiking, biking, climbing, or simply enjoying nature. Some of the most famous places to visit within the park include Krimmler waterfall, Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe viewpoint, and Grossglockner.

Several visitor centres offer guided tours and provide nature enthusiasts with information, including National Park Worlds Mittersill, Infocenter Innergschlöss, and National Park Centre Mallnitz.

 
 
 
 
 
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Gesäuse National Park

The Gesäuse National Park is situated in the Ennstal Alps in Styria and spreads over 12,000 hectares of land. It is home to numerous plant and animal species, including rare and endangered species, such as the Eurasian lynx and golden eagle. The park is characterized by rugged limestone peaks, pristine rivers and deep gorges. Popular sights within the park include the majestic peaks of Hochtor and Hochturm. Hochtor is the highest mountain, with an altitude of 2,369 meters.

Visitors can explore the national park on foot, skis, bikes or by rafting on the river Enns. The park offers themed trails and hikes along marked paths. If you enjoy climbing, it is also a popular activity in the area, offering various climbing trails, such as the Rosskuppe trail.

If you plan to visit the park, The Johnsbach and Gstatterboden visitor centres can provide information, exhibits, and guided tours.

Andreas Hollinger. Gesäuse National Park.
 

Kalkalpen National Park

Kalkalpen is a national park within the Northern Limestone Alps mountain range, located in Upper Austria. The park is Austria’s second-largest national park and is known for its diverse ecosystems, rich biodiversity, and ancient forests. In fact, the park preserves one of the largest areas of uninterrupted old-growth forest in the country.

The national park covers an area of approximately 209 square kilometres and is an oasis for plants and wildlife, including over 40 species of orchids and the Austrian spurge.

Visitors can enjoy the park’s wide range of trails while hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, or skiing. One of the most popular hiking trails is the Mühlbach Trail, which takes you through the Mühlbach valley and offers beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.

 
 
 
 
 
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Thayatal National Park

Thayatal National Park is situated in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria, along the Thaya River, which forms the border between Austria and the Czech Republic. The park is known for its beautiful river valley, rugged cliffs, and diverse ecosystems. It has a rich biodiversity with a variety of plant and animal species.

The park is well known for its birdlife and is a popular destination for birdwatching. Visitors can spot various species of birds, such as eagles and kingfishers.

Thayatal is also a popular choice for all sorts of mountain sports, such as hiking, skiing, biking, and climbing. A popular hiking route is the Panoramaweg, which treats hikers to great views of the Thaya River, the rugged cliffs, and the diverse landscapes.

The national park has a visitor centre where tourists can obtain all the information needed. The centre also provides insights into the park’s ecosystems, conservation efforts, and biodiversity.

D.Manhart. Thayatal National Park.

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Will Austria’s Hallstatt restrict tourism this season?

One of Austria's most beautiful and crowded villages is looking for ways to curb overtourism. Here are the restrictions that could be coming - and those that won't be implemented - for those wanting to visit the Disney-like jewel.

Published: 8 May 2024 15:16 CEST
Will Austria's Hallstatt restrict tourism this season?

The photo went all over the world: a makeshift wall was erected in Hallstatt’s top “selfie” spot, a raised section of the main road where people would squish together for the perfect photo overlooking the quaint church by the lake. 

The residents of the small Salzburg town decided to strike back against overtourism in the region—a hotspot due to its charming vibes, which are said to have inspired the Disney movie Frozen. After a social media backlash, the village—which is also a UNESCO heritage site—removed the fence, but signs remind visitors to enjoy the site quietly.

Since then, some of Hallstatt’s 750 residents have protested in favour of tourism curbs in the village – which gets as many as 10,000 visitors a day in high season. 

The Italian solution

One of the possibilities floated in Austria was to adopt the “Venetian model”, with every visitor simply having to buy an entrance ticket. However, Mayor Alexander Scheutz (SPÖ) said he was against an entrance fee for the jewel of the Salzkammergut.

“Charging an admission fee would lead to guests taking away even more rights, which would create even more of a museum aura,” said Scheutz. “There are also complicated legal aspects: How are we supposed to charge a penalty fee for guests from all over the world if they don’t have a ticket? The effort would simply be too great.”

However, the region is still looking for ways to curb overtourism. Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) recently went to Venice with a delegation to exchange ideas on the topic with the President of the Regional Council of Veneto, Roberto Ciambetti. 

READ ALSO: Four of the best hidden villages in Austria’s Salzkammergut region

What is Hallstatt doing?

Even if entry fees are not planned, the village wants to “guide and regulate” visitors and create guidelines for when the area is “full” and no more tourists are allowed. 

A working group has been set up, and the first step will be to introduce precise measurements of visitor flows – something that had yet to be done until the local tourism association started carrying out counts at several checkpoints just last year. The results of these counts have yet to be made available.

One thing that is already in place is time slots for coaches. Hallstatt has strictly limited time slots for coaches that determine how long they and their passengers can stay. “This is already working very well. In terms of overnight stays and day visitors, we are back to pre-pandemic levels—however, the number of coaches per day has halved, and we have not yet reached the maximum of 54 coaches per day,” said Mayor Scheutz.

READ ALSO: 6 great alternatives to Austria’s overcrowded tourists hotspots

Still, he admitted, Hallstatt’s busiest times are the summer months and around Christmas, so things are about to pick up there. So far, there have been no particular restrictions or extra payments for tourists travelling without bus companies.

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