Kalkalpen National Park

The Reichraminger Hintergebirge is one of the largest closed forest areas in Austria. No road or railway cuts through it. Hidden under the canopy of leaves, there is only a network of old forest roads and path. They remind us that the forests were once a rich reservoir of firewood and fuelled the forge lunches of the hammer mills. But even the tracks of the old forest railway have disappeared; its route, including tunnels, is now a cycle path that opens up the Hintergebirge as a recreational area.

The greenery of the forests and alpine pastures is lush. For water is abundant in the Kalkalpen National Park. Like a sponge, the limestone blocks of the mountains soak up the rain and release the precious wet again in countless springs and streams.

These trees have fought hard for their habitat, they grow over rocks, stretch out towards the sun with absurdly crooked trunks. Thanks to the national park status, these forests are completely left to the work of nature. Dying and dead trees remain in the forest, slowly rotting and in turn serving as habitats for animals and plants that have become rare.

And: they are forests of superlatives. Three quarters of the forests are older than 140 years. The oldest beech in the Kalkalpen National Park is 525 years old and the thickest multi-stemmed tree has a diameter of 2.13 metres at breast height. The tallest beech is more than 41 metres high. And these impressive trees even reach great heights - up to 1,450 metres above sea level.

The Lynx Trail leads in 11 stages over 200 kilometres through the habitat of the lynx, connecting the Kalkalpen National Park with the Gesäuse National Park and the Dürrenstein Wilderness Area. These nature reserves are part of the largest near-natural forest area in Central Europe, where lynx have been deliberately reintroduced. The starting point of the first stage is Reichraming in the Enns Valley. From here, the Lynx Trail leads into the territory of the predatory cat with partly challenging passages. The lynx itself is a shy creature and does not show itself to the hikers. The Lynx Trail is an adventurous journey into a fascinating ecosystem where, in addition to the lynx, other rare animals such as the Bechstein's bat or the ash fritillary butterfly find ideal conditions.

More than 240 km of signposted cycling and mountain bike trails, from family-friendly to competition-tested, are available for eventful biking days in the National Park Region.

The top biking route in the region is the "TRANS NATIONALPARK TOUR". It connects the Kalkalpen National Park in Upper Austria and the Gesäuse National Park in Styria in one big loop. Enjoyment of nature in rugged mountain scenery, on lush green alpine pastures and quiet forests is guaranteed on this tour. 240 kilometres and 7,200 metres of altitude difference in up to six daily stages are its cornerstones. It is perfectly suited for mountain bikers with a high level of fitness, but the well-developed infrastructure also makes the TRANS NATIONALPARK an ideal tour for e-bikers.

From the city of Steyr, discover the region around the Kalkalpen National Park by bike. The Steyrtalradweg (Steyr Valley Cycle Path ) with its almost 50 kilometres is ideal for this, cycling along the route of the former Steyrtalbahn (Steyr Valley Railway) along the turquoise-coloured Steyr. Numerous rest areas, vantage points and natural bathing spots make for varied breaks. For cycling adventures lasting several days, the Steyrtalradweg can be ideally combined with other cycle paths. With the Kalkalpen National Park Cycle Path, for example, which leads via Windischgarsten and Rosenau through the Pyhrn-Priel region. In Unterlaussa, the Hintergebirgsradweg connects to the Kalkalpen National Park Cycle Path. The Hintergebirgsradweg is popular due to its exciting routing along the route of a former forest railway - including rides through tunnels. You return to the starting point in Steyr via the Ennsradweg.