Kalkalpen National Park is Austria’s largest contiguous forest wilderness — 20,850 hectares of limestone mountains, deep gorges, and ancient beech forests in Upper Austria that form part of the UNESCO World Heritage “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe.” One of Austria’s least-visited national parks, Kalkalpen offers a rare opportunity to experience genuine wilderness — including the return of the Eurasian lynx — within easy reach of Vienna, Linz, and Salzburg.

Quick Facts: Kalkalpen National Park

• Best time to visit: May–October for hiking; spring for wildflowers; autumn for spectacular forest colours and the deer rut
• Top attraction: The Reichraminger Hintergebirge — the largest roadless forest area in Austria — and the Dr.-Vogelgesang-Klamm, one of the longest gorge walks in the Eastern Alps
• How to get there: ~1.5 hours from Linz by car; ~2.5 hours from Vienna; ~2 hours from Salzburg; park visitor centres at Molln and Reichraming
• Entry fee: Free access to trails; guided ranger walks available for a small fee
• Best for: Hikers, wildlife enthusiasts, and those seeking solitude and wilderness

The National Park Kalkalpen in the South of Upper Austria covers 21 km2 of mixed woods of Reichraminger Hintergebirge and Sengsengebirge make it the largest protected forest area in Austria. The National Park Kalkalpen includes the Sengsengebirge Mountains and Reichraminger Hintergebirge Mountains, parts of the Northern Alp Foreland and parts of the Northern Calcareous Alps.

The park is famous for its many brooks and sources and offers great hiking opportunities. The highest mountain in the park is the Hohe Nock Mountain (1963 metres high). The majority of the park (80%) is covered with forest, which host some 50 species of mammals, 80 songbirds, 1600 butterflies.

From the botanical point of view, there more than 1000 different species of higher plants. Much of the flora and fauna of the park is typically alpine. The National Park Kalkalpen is also near some of Upper Austria’s most attractive historical spots, such as the towns of Enns or Steyr.

View National Park Kalkalpen in Upper Austria in a larger map

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