Winter along the Danube

Guided winter hikes through Donau-Auen National Park in Lower Austria – an outdoor expedition in the snow.

What do foxes eat in the winter?How do geese sleep when ice and snow abound? And why don’t beavers get cold when temperatures drop below freezing? The guided winter nature hikes in Donau-Auen National Park captivate nature lovers of all ages.

schlossORTH National Park Center is open in winter too for hikes to wild animals. Visitors can explore the Danube wetlands in all its cold crisp beauty on excursions guided by experts. And find out all about the fauna and flora on and under the snow and ice. The topics range from resourceful fur-bearing animals to feathered holidaymakers.

Learning about master builders and hibernating animals

How do beavers insulate their lodges at below-freezing temperatures? Where do foxes find food in the snow? How do deer and weasels keep warm? And how do fish survive under the ice? Visitors take off all bundled up on winter hikes through the Danube wetlands in search of animals – and to answer these and other questions.

Winters in the Danube wetlands

Geese, ducks and other water birds from all over Europe gather every year to winter in the Danube wetlands. Armed with binoculars, you can take fascinating hikes through the winter residence of these fine-feathered guests. And with luck a white-tailed eagle may be circling majestically overhead.