Hohe Tauern National Park
Covering 1,856 km², Hohe Tauern National Park is the largest national park in the Alps. It spans the Austrian provinces of Salzburg, Tyrol and Carinthia.
In the interaction between the core zone and the surrounding outer zone, there is an extraordinary connection between the unique natural space and an outstanding cultural landscape in terms of landscape aesthetics.
The landscape of Hohe Tauern National Park bears traces of the formation of the Alps and the ice ages. Glaciers, water and weathering have created a variety of landforms and continue to shape the mountains today. The Tauern Window provides insights into the geological structure of the Alps. Different rocks, soils and climatic conditions, ranging from oceanic to continental, support diverse habitats and their plant and animal communities.
These habitats range from mountain forests and alpine grasslands to rocky terrain and glaciated areas. Numerous peaks above 3,000 metres, mountain lakes and glaciers characterise the landscape. The highest mountain is the Großglockner at 3,798 metres. Well-known landscape features include Lake Kratzenbergsee in the Hollersbach Valley and the Pasterze Glacier in the Großglockner mountain range.
Traditional alpine farming shapes the cultural landscape in the national park’s outer zone. It is an important part of the region’s cultural heritage.
The harsh winters with sometimes enormous avalanche danger make the Hohe Tauern accessible only to a few, very experienced mountaineers. In summer, however, the National Park opens up to visitors - with all its diversity and beauty. For several hundred years, poets and painters have been inspired to create great works, scientists have been motivated to explore the natural area and mountaineers have been challenged to achieve special summit achievements.
Tourenportal
Explore the Hohe Tauern National Park holiday region on a variety of routes. Our tour portal offers suggestions for hiking, long-distance walking, cycling, mountain biking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.