European Wilderness Network Kalkalpen Wilderness
2018 Š European Wilderness Society www.wilderness-society.org
European Wilderness Network
Kalkalpen Wilderness, Austria
Wilderness Protected area
Map scale 1 : 600 000 Š European Wilderness Society www.wilderness-society.org
13 034 ha 2015 Large contiguous area of old-growth mixed and conifer forest in Central Europe with presence of large carnivores
approx. 40 000
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PLATINUM
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approx. 210 000
ET
Number of visitors per year to the protected area Number of visitors per year to the Wilderness
20 820 ha
E U ROP E A
Wilderness Uniqueness
Kalkalpen National Park Kalkalpen Wilderness Austria
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The 13 034 ha Kalkalpen Wilderness was audited in 2015 and meets the Platinum Wilderness Quality Standard. A European Wilderness Quality Standard Renewal-Audit is scheduled for 2025.
Protected area Wilderness Country Size of the protected area Size of the Wilderness European Wilderness Quality Standard Audit
EU
European Wilderness Quality Standard Audit System
Wilderness information
ALIT Y QU
The 13 034 ha Kalkalpen Wilderness is embedded in the Kalkalpen National Park, Austria. Kalkalpen National Park is a large protected area, located in the north-eastern Limestone Alps in Upper Austria. The park consists of the two mountain ranges Sengsengebirge and Reichraminger Hintergebirge. Kalkalpen Wilderness features the largest forest region in Central Europe and the largest karst in Austria. It is a colourful mosaic of pristine forests, hidden gorges and untouched mountain streams. The long-term vision is to protect dynamic Wilderness. The successful implementation of this vision is illustrated by the current achievements, where the midterm goals - to create a protected area - were established and had been partially achieved. Practical outcomes of this vision will be that 75% of the national park area will reach the Wilderness standard. Within the Kalkalpen Wilderness, there is a smaller designated WILDForest with a unique beech forest character.
O WILDERNESS S
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Kalkalpen Wilderness / Austria
Biodiversity Kalkalpen Wilderness is a large contiguous piece of wild land and it includes several important habitats types, such as conifers, mixed and broadleaf forest, alpine pastures and rocks. The flora of Kalkalpen Wilderness and the Kalkalpen National Park represents 927 vascular plant species, which have been documented through biotope mapping. This represents about one third of all plant species that exist in Austria. Priority species include also the sporadically presence of wolf, the protected alpine long-horned Rosalia beetle, and the bear moth. In 1999, the Eurasian lynx was reintroduced in Kalkalpen National Park. This was an important step for the return of the Eurasian lynx to the Alps.
Wilderness Tourism Experience The Kalkalpen Wilderness is an important place from a tourism and recreational perspective. Visitors and other recreational activities have a long tradition in Kalkalpen National Park and the management has made great strides to minimise the negative impact of tourism, in particular in the Kalkalpen Wilderness. Canoeing is not possible because of the steepness and ruggedness of relevant river sections. Mountain biking is directed to the Kalkalpen Wilderness transition zone with abandoned forest roads. Paragliding is forbidden by the regulations of the Kalkalpen National Park, which do not allow for any aerial traffic for sports. Pitching tents is allowed in designated spots throughout the Kalkalpen National Park.
Contact Kalkalpen Wilderness Nationalpark Allee 1 4591 Molln, Austria Phone: + 43 7584 3651 Website: www.kalkalpen.at
Š European Wilderness Society www.wilderness-society.org
European Wilderness Society
Founded on more than 20 years of Wilderness work by our members, the European Wilderness Society is the only Pan-European, Wilderness and environmental advocacy non-profit, non-government organisation. It has a dedicated multi-cultural and experienced team of Wilderness and wildlife specialists, nature conservationists, researchers and scientists, tourism experts, marketing and business professionals, legal advisors and Wilderness advocates, whose mission is to: XX XX XX XX
identify designate steward promote
Europe’s last Wilderness, WILDCoasts, WILDForests, WILDIslands and WILDRivers. Here non-human intervention leads to open-ended, dynamic processes. This is conveyed through a range of projects that facilitate Wilderness knowledge exchange, including education, culture and science, from local community through to scientific and governmental level.
European Wilderness Network
The European Wilderness Network connects Europe’s wildest places. Certified by the European Wilderness Quality and Audit System, these unique areas host diverse wild ecosystems governed by dynamic open-ended processes, with no or minimum human-intervention. The Network includes, for example, Europe’s last primeval beech forests, the arctic tundra, and mountain landscapes in different climate conditions. It aims to promote Europe’s last Wilderness, WILDCoasts, WILDForests, WILDIslands and WILDRivers, with a comprehensive marketing strategy. The European Wilderness Network offers a platform to share Wilderness Stewardship best-practice examples and Wilderness research. It connects like-minded Wilderness managers and advocates and fosters the exchange of ideas and knowledge across Europe and the world through the European Wilderness Exchange Programme. For more information please see http://european-wilderness.network
European Wilderness Society Registration number / ZVR Zahl: 305471009 Registered in Austria Dechant-Franz-Fuchs Str. 5 | A-5580 Tamsweg EU Transparency registration number: 706136913777-83
www.wilderness-society.org