Kalkalpen National Park (in
English literally Limestone Alps National Park) is a
national park
A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...
within the
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps (), also called the Northern Calcareous Alps, are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. The distinction from the ...
mountain range, located in the state of
Upper Austria
Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...
,
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. The park was established in 1997. The ancient beech forests within the national park were added to the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
known as
, because of their undisturbed nature and testimony to the ecological history of Europe since the Last Glacial Period.
Description
The park contains
Central Europe
Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
's largest forested area, as well the largest
karst
Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
region in Austria.
It opened on 25 July 1997,
and has an area of .
Features
Kalkalpen National Park has
visitors center
A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center or tourist information centre is a physical location that provides information to tourists.
Types
A visitor center may be a Civic ce ...
s in
Molln
Molln is a municipality in the district of Kirchdorf an der Krems in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. It is remembered as a place where there was a poacher battle in 1919 and four people were shot and killed.
Geography
Molln lies in the Trau ...
, Ennstal, and at the ''Hengstpaßhütt'' near
Rosenau Rosenau may refer to various places in Europe:
*in Austria:
**Rosenau am Hengstpaß, Upper Austria
**a hamlet near Seewalchen am Attersee, Upper Austria
**the boroughs ''Rosenau Markt'' and ''Rosenau Schloss'' in Zwettl, Lower Austria
**Schloss Ros ...
.
The ''Wurbauerkogel'', a high panorama view tower, is located near
Windischgarsten
Windischgarsten is a municipality in the district of Kirchdorf an der Krems in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Since 1964, the town has been classified as a Luftkurort, a mountain spa town.
Geography
Windischgarsten lies in the Traunvie ...
. It is accessible by a chair lift and hiking paths. In clear weather 21 peaks of or greater in elevation can be seen from ''Wurbauerkogel''.
The park has numerous
hiking
A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time.
"Hi ...
,
mountain biking
Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...
, and
horseback riding
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the u ...
trails. The former
Steyr Valley Railway
The Steyr Valley Railway () was a narrow gauge railway in Upper Austria, which ran along the valley of the River Steyr from Garsten through Steyr, Grünburg and Molln to Klaus, with a branchline to Sierning and Bad Hall. A section of the li ...
, with sections now the Steyrtal
rail trail
A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...
, pass through the park in the Molln area. In the winter there are
snowshoe
Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...
hiking and
alpine skiing
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...
routes.
The national park's lodge and seminar center is the 1907 Villa Sonnwend, located in Windischgarsten.
Villa Sonnwend website
ˆ’
See also
* Limestone Alps
* List of national parks in the Alps
*National parks of Austria
Austria has six national parks, all of them internationally accepted according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN standard. The first national park, Hohe Tauern, was established in 1981. They include each of Austria's most ...
*Ennstal Alps
The Ennstal Alps (German ''Ennstaler Alpen''), the Alps of the Enns valley, are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps System. They are located primarily in the Austrian state of Styria, and also into the state of Upper Austria.
The most ...
*Southern Limestone Alps
The Southern Limestone Alps (, ), also called the Southern Calcareous Alps, are the mountain range, ranges of the Eastern Alps south of the Central Eastern Alps mainly located in northern Italy and the adjacent lands of Austria and Slovenia. The ...
References
External links
*â
Official Nationalpark Kalkalpen (Limestone Alps National Park) website
*
*
National parks of Austria
Geography of Upper Austria
Northern Limestone Alps
1997 establishments in Austria
Protected areas established in 1997
Tourist attractions in Upper Austria
Protected areas of the Alps
Primeval Beech Forests in Europe
Ramsar sites in Austria
{{UpperAustria-geo-stub