Steep cliffs are covered with forests, and the geological bedrock (granite) affects both the landscape and vegetation. There are two castles at the borders of the national park, Burg Hardegg and ruined castle Kaja. You can find there about half of all plant species originating from Austria.

Animal World is so prominent and contains a large number of very rare species of vertebrates. In terms of sport, cycling and hiking are popular activities in the park.

At the Czech side there is one of the most beautiful water reservoir called Vranov. In the case of bad weather you can visit nice city of Znojmo and test the Czech wine.

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Danube is still free flowing here and is the lifeline of the National Park. It creates a habitat for a number of animals and plants, some of which are rare species. Accompanied on guided walking tours or on boats, visitors have ample opportunity to get to know the fascinating world of the “Donau-Auen”, the Danube wetlands.

Donau-Auen National Park was established in 1996 and in 1977 the Lobau region was declared a preserved area by the Austrian government, as well as by UNESCO.

It is good alternate at your visit to Wienna.

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The distinctive shape of the gently rolling Nockberge Mountains is rare in the history of geology and unique in the Alps. The mountains developed hundred million years ago thanks to an interchange of lands, seas, desserts and jungles.

The name “Nocke” comes from the round shape of the softly rolling mountains and hills between 2,200m and 2,300m above sea level.

You can visit the following destinations that are close to this park:
Lake Bled – 67 km, the Julian Alps – 60 km, Triglav – 59 km, Ravines Vintgar – 64 km, Klopeiner See – 74 km, glacier Mölltal – 56 km, Wörther See – 46 km, Liechtenstein – 59 km, Waterfall Pericnik – 54 km, Kitzlochklamm – 70 km

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The lake is not deeper than 1.8m and is great opportunity for cyclists and trekkers.

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Gesäuse National Park currently covers an area of 110 km2. It is a great opportunity for hiking along the river Enns, especially in late summer or autumn.

National park includes Buchstein massif with its peak Großer Buchstein (2224 metres above sea level) and wild romantic mountain massif Gesäuse with the highest peak Hochtor (2370 metres above sea level). Those peaks are separated from each other by the wild river Enns, which created a really romantic valley – a monumental breakthrough between cities Admont and Hieflau.

Over 80% of the national park is a part of the Johnsbach and Weng areas, the remaining 20% stretch around cities of Admont, Hieflau, Landl and St. Gallen.

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The centre of Gesäuse National Park is among alpinists very popular Hesshütte cottage, romantically situated at an altitude of 1699 metres in the saddle Ennseck, below the Hochtor summit. For tourists who want to achieve it smoothly there is a marked trail No. 601 leading from the Johns-bach – the southern Gesaeuse Massif, and running through steep woods. The cottage can such be reached in 2,5 – 3 hours.

It is possible to get to Hesshütte cottage also from the northern side of the massif. There are two very nice ascent routes leading from the Enns River valley. The first one, marked as No. 665, leads through Hartelsgraben gorge to Sulzkaralm plain and continues along the No. 601 over the saddle at Rotofen. By following this route you reach the cottage in 5-6 hours. This route is recommended in the opposite direction for easy descent of this mountain massif to the Enns Valley.

It is also worth to visit an oldest mountaineers’ cemetery in Austria, located in Johnsbach.

For lovers of extreme kinds of sports there are available outdoor centres on the rivers Enns and Salza, offering adventure kayaking or rafting, and parks with rope obstacles. Very popular is also a water park Wasserspielpark St. Gallen and archery in Palfau.

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Winter lovers can go to a small, but beautiful ski area Kaiserau. For ski runners is recommended Hall, which is one of 15 centers ranked by Styrian seal of quality. Other activities include dog sledding, igloo building, tours on skis or snowshoes.

Even a trip to the monastery in Admont with the largest monastic library in the world should not miss when visiting this area.

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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.

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The National Park includes the Central Alps with the highest mountain ranges of Austria, including Mount Großglockner (3798 metres high) and Mount Großvenediger (3666 metres high). The “Großglockner Hochalpenstraße” is an alpine road to near the mountain top and offers spectacular scenery. On the way upwards (or downwards), several museums tell the story of its construction in the 1930ies (mostly to fight unemployment and support tourism), the ecology of the region and other aspects of the “Tauern” mountains.

The Großglockner Hochalpenstraße is Austria′s second most popular attraction after Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. Beyond this busy part of the park, there are plenty of areas that offer excellent hiking opportunities. The Krimml Waterfalls are another famous sight in the Hohe Tauern.

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