National Park Hohe Tauern

The National Park Hohe Tauern is the largest nature reserve of the Alps and the second-largest national park of Europe – it is 1.800 square kilometres big, but to be entirely honest, still lacks full National Park status due to agriculture that is permitted in too many spots of the park.

The National Park Hohe Tauern spans over three Austrian provinces and a total of 29 communities. Most of it, however, is in the province of Salzburg, with Tyrol and Carinthia holding relatively little of the total land.

The park is home to many endemic species of plants and animals, and the diversity in the flora and fauna is supported by the range of climate zones.

Stunning views on Austria's peaks

The difference in altitude between the lowest and highest spot in the Nationalpark Hohe Tauern is 2600 metres, which only adds to the diversity. Despite of the longstanding agricultural tradition in the National Park, a good part of it is considered to be “primary landscape”, meaning that hardly any human influence shaped it at all.

There are three visitor centres. If you are not Austrian (or Swiss, or Northern Italian, French or German), it is likely that you will consider the Nationalpark Hohe Tauern a very exotic and fascinating place for its sheer structure.

However, plan your visit in advance to make it most rewarding. A short trip can be great if you combine a stopover in one of the visitor centres with a short hike.

Links

http://www.hohetauern.at/
Official website - opens in new window

http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/nationalparks.htm
Travel Information for the National Parks of Austria

http://www.nationalpark.at/
More touristy information - opens in new window

http://www.nationalparkregion.at/
Information on the region of the national park - opens in new window

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