National and nature parks

What are national parks and nature parks?

The national park is - after the wilderness area - the strictest protection category in Austria. National parks are based on largely unspoilt nature and great biodiversity. Nature parks show protected and tangible natural and cultural landscapes, characterised by people and the region.

Thayatal National Park

Waldviertel and Weinviertel

Together with the Czech Podyjí National Park, the Thaya Valley National Park preserves one of the last near-natural valley landscapes in Central Europe. Over 40 % of the native plant species and rare animals are found along the Thaya. In terms of area, it is the smallest national park in Austria.

What is there to discover in the Thayatal National Park?

A total of around 100 kilometres of hiking and cycling trails are available in the Thayatal-Podyjí National Park.

The landmarks of the national park include the Überstieg and Umlaufberg, which can be hiked along the Thayatal Trail. The "Umlaufblick" lookout point on the Merkersdorf circular hiking trail is located at the transition from the plateau to the Thaya Gorge, which is around 120 metres deep. The Einsiedler Bridge connects the Austrian and Czech national parks and makes the Einsiedler Trail a cross-border circular hiking trail.

  • Experience the European wildcat up close during feeding sessions
  • The starting point for many hikes is the national park centre near Hardegg - in Austria's smallest town
  • Explore the most remote corners and stories of the "Valley of Diversity" on guided tours with rangers
  • ©Nationalpark Thayatal / Kulowska
    • DifficultyDifficult
    • Distance4,47 km
    • Duration:hour h

    Hardegg circular hiking route

    Hiking tour Starting from Hardegg, clock tower
  • ©Nationalpark Thayatal / Manhart
    • DifficultyModerate
    • Distance9,40 km
    • Duration3:00 h

    Thayatalweg

    Hiking tour
  • ©Nationalpark Thayatal / Übl
    • DifficultyModerate
    • Distance1,09 km
    • Duration0:20 h

    Kajaweg

    Hiking tour
  • ©Natinalpark Thayatal / Übl
    • DifficultyModerate
    • Distance6,04 km
    • Duration:hour h

    Merkersdorf circular route

    Hiking tour Starting from Merkersdorf, Parking lot Ruine Kaja
  • ©Nationalpark Thayatal / Bartl
    • DifficultyModerate
    • Distance7,28 km
    • Duration:hour h

    Hermit trail and wildcat trail

    Hiking tour Starting from Hardegg, National Park House

Donau-Auen National Park

Danube in Lower Austria

Between Vienna and Bratislava lies the last large floodplain landscape in Central Europe. For around 36 kilometres, the Danube forms a diverse natural area with alluvial forests, side arms, pools, gravel banks and meadows. Internationally protected since 1996, the area is home to rare animal and plant species.

What is there to discover in the Donau-Auen National Park?

The Donau-Auen National Park can be experienced on foot on marked hiking trails, by bike or from the water.

Extensive floodplain meadows and the castle park around the imperial hunting lodge Eckartsau bear witness to the historical importance of the floodplain as a hunting ground. The Orth circular hiking trail leads through stands of oak trees and along a side arm of the Danube where, with a bit of luck, European pond turtles and beaver tracks can be observed.

  • The starting point for many tours is Orth Castle on the Danube with the castle island and the underwater observation centre
  • The white-tailed eagle has been breeding in Austria again for 20 years. In winter, the "king of the floodplains" can be observed with rangers at the Rötelstein ruins in Hainburg.
  • Many other guided tours and hikes can be booked, such as beaver excursions in a rubber dinghy or nocturnal owl hikes. The Tschaiken trips on the Danube are also very special - with a detailed replica of a historic Danube ship. A Tschaike is a historic, long, narrow Danube ship that was used as a rowing and sailing ship by the Habsburg Danube fleet.
  • ©Donau Niederösterreich / Friedl und Schmatz
    • DifficultyEasy
    • Distance8,33 km
    • Duration2:00 h

    Eckartsau Danube loop

    Hiking tour Starting from Eckartsau Castle
  • ©Donau Niederösterreich Tourismus GmbH
    • DifficultyEasy
    • Distance50,52 km
    • Duration5:00 h

    Danube Cycle Path Stage 8 North Bank: Vienna/North Bridge - Hainburg

    Cycling tour Starting from Vienna/North Bridge
  • ©Donau Niederösterreich/Barbara Elser
    • DifficultyEasy
    • Distance4,45 km
    • Duration:hour h

    Via.Monte. - Braunsberg circular hiking trail

    Hiking tour Starting from Danube Promenade Hainburg
  • ©Niederösterreich Werbung/Franziska Consolati
    • DifficultyModerate
    • Distance44,04 km
    • Duration3:00 h

    National Park Donau-Auen Route

    Cycling tour Starting from Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, Kurpark
  • ©Donau Niederösterreich - Römerland Carnuntum-Marchfeld
    • Distance4,37 km
    • Duration:hour h

    Great Orth circular hiking trail

    Hiking tour
Zwei Frauen sitzen auf einem Stein in der Blockheide, umgeben von Wald und Wasser und machen eine Pause vom Wandern
©© Waldviertel Tourismus, Melanie Többe

Nature parks

From gorges, moors and dry grasslands to floodplains and pond landscapes, forests, karst formations and steep cliffs: Each nature park protects special landscapes and stands for a regionally characterised experience of nature.

  • 20 nature parks in Lower Austria
  • Austria's oldest nature park: Sparbach Nature Park
  • Lower Austria's largest nature park: Ötscher-Tormäuer Nature Park
  • Guided tours with rangers, for example to observe birds and animals, the plant world or night hikes
Nature Parks Lower Austria

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  • ©© Niederösterreich Werbung/Maximilian Pawlikowsky

    UNESCO World Heritage Site

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  • Inmitten der sanften Hügel des Waldviertels genießt eine Radfahrerin eine wohlverdiente Pause. Umgeben von üppigem Grün und der warmen Sonne strahlt die Szene Ruhe und Freiheit aus. Die frische Luft und die malerische Landschaft laden dazu ein, die Schönheit der Natur zu erkunden.
    ©© Waldviertel Tourismus, Franziska Consolati

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FAQs

Frequently asked questions about national and nature parks in Lower Austria