A long-distance hiking trail – launching in 2026 – will link three of Austria’s internationally recognised major protected areas across thirteen stages: the Kalkalpen National Park, the Gesäuse National Park and the Dürrenstein-Lassingtal Wilderness Area. The Luchs Trail thus runs not only through three federal states, but also through the country’s largest contiguous forest area – the home of the lynx.
After the shy wildcat had been all but wiped out in Europe, it has managed to regain a foothold – or rather, a paw – here.
The Luchs Trail is a declaration of love. A love of unspoilt forests, biodiversity and wilderness. The impressive beech forests in these protected areas have therefore been designated by UNESCO as Austria’s first World Natural Heritage Site. But the Luchs Trail is also a declaration of love for strong calves. After all, there are over 12,000 metres of elevation gain and 250 kilometres to cover across a total of thirteen daily stages.
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Kalkalpen National Park
In the Kalkalpen National Park The Luchs Trail begins here. It is situated in the Upper Austrian Pre-Alps and covers an area of over 20,000 hectares. This makes it Austria’s second-largest national park. The protected area in the Kalkalpen stretches across two mountain ranges, the Sengsen and Reichraminger Hintergebirge, the highest point of which is the Hoher Nock at 1,963 metres.
The national park was established in 1997, and the following year it received international recognition from the IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
It is not without reason that the nature reserve is regarded as the Austria’s National Forest Park. Over 80 % of the National Park’s area in the Kalkalpen consists of forest. This makes it the country’s largest contiguous forest area. Whilst natural beech forests in Europe have been reduced to just a few areas, and are mostly confined to small patches there, the beech dominates the forest landscape of the Kalkalpen.
Gesäuse National Park
The Gesäuse National Park This is the second protected area that you enter along the Luchs Trail and subsequently hike through. Upon crossing the Haller Mauern, you cross the border from Upper Austria into Styria and enter the Ennstal Alps. Like the mountains of the Kalkalpen National Park, they form part of the Northern Kalkalpen. Covering 12,000 hectares, the Gesäuse National Park is Austria’s third-largest national park; its highest peak stands at 2,369 metres. The Hochtor is therefore also the highest peak in the Ennstal Alps. And the Gesäuse has yet another superlative to boast: it is Austria’s youngest national park. It was founded in 2002, and the following year it was recognised by the IUCN as a Category II national park.
And although the Gesäuse is situated in Upper Styria, some people feel as though they are in Tyrol – such is the sheer grandeur of the mountains. Steep cliffs, as if drawn with a ruler. Rock faces that can easily rival those of the Dolomites. It is this impressive alpine terrain that has always held a fascination and was already swept up in the spirit of alpinism at the turn of the century. Alpine history was written here.
Dürrenstein-Lassingtal Wilderness Area
The Kalkalpen National Park has the forest, the Gesäuse has rock and water. The third – and final – protected area along the Luchs Trail can hold its own despite the high standards set by the others. And how! Because the Dürrenstein-Lassingtal Wilderness Area is home to the Rothwald, the largest primeval forest in Central Europe. It lies partly in south-western Lower Austria, in the Mostviertel, and partly in Styria, in the Salza and Lassing valleys. When one thinks of the Mostviertel, one might initially picture leisurely walking trails, gently rolling hills and – of course – fruit and cider. But it also has an alpine side. Gorges and caves, cliffs and primeval forests. All of this can be found in the wilderness area, which covers 7,000 hectares. Around half of this is made up of ancient mixed red beech forests and is protected by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site.
The wilderness area is subject to the strictest protection measures and a requirement to stay on designated paths in order to preserve these ancient forests. It was officially designated in 2002, recognised by the IUCN as a Category I „Wilderness Area“ in 2003, and expanded by 3,500 hectares in Styria in 2020 to its current total area of 7,000 hectares.
