Nature & Wildlife Areas
THE 10 BEST Austrian Alps Nature & Wildlife Areas
Nature & Wildlife Areas in Austrian Alps
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- Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
Mountains • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Nature & Wildlife Areas
Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
Amusement & Theme Parks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Nature & Wildlife Areas • Hiking Trails
Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Nature & Wildlife Areas
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Nature & Wildlife Areas
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Nature & Wildlife Areas
Nature & Wildlife Areas
What travellers are saying
- ElimVirginia26 contributionsBreathtaking views and a healthy hike that got the blood pumping as well. The water was such an unusual and beautiful shade of blue, and the sound of the water running was so relaxing and calming.Written 15 September 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Raoul RongenSittard, The Netherlands996 contributionsWe came here in the afternoon because we walked another gorge in the morning. We were afraid it would be crowded by then but that was not the case.
Parking was strange because it was for maximum 2 hours and according to the pamflet the whole round walk would take longer. It was enough though and therefore very cheap. From the parking it was 5 minutes maximum to the entrance. Entrance to the gorge was free. The gorge itself is nice, you walk right next to the water for the first part and then you climb up to walk next to and under the wall of rocks. The gorge itself was around 30 to 45 minutes to the top. It was steep but very good doable with good shoes. On the top you walk through the forest and you can choose a nice round walk instead of going back through the gorge again which is also not recommended because of COVID. The first point of the round walk was the blue caves, small but fun to see, then you reach the hotel and cable car, you walk back through the forest to the weather top and then you walk back to the entrance. It is all indicated on the yellow signs. The whole round walk was fun to walk and varied. It took us around 1 hour and 30 minutes.Written 1 September 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Alon_ViIsrael1 362 contributionsWe paid 60 Euro for 2 adults and 5y kid (our 2y entered for free). There were plenty of things to do when we got to the top of the mountain Omega, play ground, wood boats, great view, bunnies, long slide, trampoline - wonderful place for young and and adults.
Highly recomended.Written 1 September 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Ramon416 contributionsEvery time we are staying in the region, we come to this park and it never disappointed. Somehow we always get to see pretty much all the animals that are living there and the animal compartments are generally built in a way that you can see a lot of them. The animals seem well cared for and the scenery is beautiful as well. For me one of the best parks of its kind.Written 14 October 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Damien-and-SoniaSydney, Australia162 contributionsNote: Somthing went a little weird wiith this review and the photos posted serperately!
Seen my other reviews from this trip? If not, check them out otherwise, read on.
I’d been traveling for 29hrs straight when I got to Villach, the closest major town to the Dorbratch Mountain and its nature park. My Mate says he has the cure for jetlag and who am I to question this, right? The cure is to hike the Dorbratsch and see the sunrise. Sounds fair. I tried to stay awake and got to about 10pm. His departure plan was 5am the next morning. This was no problem as I was wide awake at 4:30am!
So we gear up for -10c and head out.
The Dorbratsch Mountain is the centre piece of the Dorbratsch nature park, just outside of Villach in southern Austria, on the Italian border. It’s actually easy to access and you can drive most of the way on the Villacher Alpenstrasse, until you get to the top car park. In fact, if you don’t have a car, it’s on a public bus route! Nice twisty drive and if you are driving, there’s lots of black ice if the road hasn’t been salted or gritted. At the carpark, the rest of the trip is on foot, skidoo or like us, snowshoes. Yeah, February on an Austrian mountain, there will be snow. Lots of it. You don’t actually need snowshoes and a pair of warm, waterproof hiking boots will get you to the top but we wanted to go off-piste for part of the hike and for that we needed snowshoes.
Now, at the start of the hike there is a restaurant café and there is one at the end of the hike. That last one was the goal for breakfast. Summit and eat. Is this a difficult hike? No, but at 5:30am with wind and -7c, it had its moments.
So, start off from the carpark and follow the Bad Bleiberg path. It’s about 2km to the summit and 400m in altitude. Gradient varies but the path is good we were overtaken by the grooming tractor about half way up. It was a good hike and I’ve been up to the carpark twice previously on trips, but I was really happy to finally hike it.
Best part of the hike prior to the summit? The view, it is stunning. You can look east over the lakes or Worther See, Ossiacher See and the Faaker See. Yeah, it’s pronounced the way you were laughing about, but that view if so good.
There is a large retransmission mast at the top and this is the beacon you keep heading for. Along the way, there are a series of number marker poles that count down your journey to the top, giving you an idea of where you are in your journey.
At the summit, you will find another restaurant café called the Dorbratsch Gipfelhaus, the tower and the Maria am Stein church. Visit the cross at the summit but if it’s snowy, be very careful as what you think is the edge, is snow that’s past the edge and will collapse under you offering a very fast ride down to the valley floor! Again, a fantastic view from the summit at 2106 meters. We stopped for breakfast, which I’ll review next and recharged with food, beer and schnapps, had a rather giggly and easy trip back down!
This hike can be done by all ages in a reasonable state of fitness and I can confirm that by 10am on our way down, Parents with small kids, older people and lots of Athletic types were well on their way up for a Saturday morning outing. The sun was up, the wind was gone and it was a really pleasant. I can recommend this hike as a must-do when visiting Villach. It is not suitable for all people with disabilities, especially in winter, but I would say in summer there’s a really good chance for all.
More reviews to come from this trip so follow see and see what happens!Written 17 April 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - sarbeLondon, UK83 contributionsWe had been here before but we didn't notice the little house with all kinds of wood souvenirs. There you can make your own walking stick, the kids pick a branch from a big pile of wood that is the right height for them, they then get a wood peeler to shave the branch and make it nice and smooth. Then the shopowner burns their name unto the stick and adds a leather string to the top of it. The kids really enjoyed this!Written 19 November 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Annie BLondon, UK5 contributionsEnjoyed a great morning walking through the gorge, good boardwalks & suspension bridge. If you like walking make sure you climb to the top and visit the Inn for food & drink-& a rest!Written 16 September 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Angelique_1111Alkmaar, The Netherlands20 contributionsA nice place to visit up on the mountains. Beautiful surounding with a lot to do for kids. One level higher they can also enjoy RodelingWritten 18 September 2017This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- GlobalexplorernlUtrecht, The Netherlands38 contributionsThis Gletscherweg is an amazing round trip from the bottom of the Innergschloss valley, going through the forrest alongside a big powerfull waterfall up to some lakes and eventually to boulders and the glacier, to then return on the other side back to the valley.
To get to this hike, you can park (or get a bus to the parking area) at Matreier Taurnhaus and then either walk up to Innergschloss (3 hours return) or take a taxi or carriage to Innergschloss. They go all the time in the summer, so no need to make a reservation. Then once up at Innergschloss, you hike about 25 minutes through a flat valley to the start of the loop, which is 4 hours back to the valley. So in total, around 5 hours from the place you can get to with public transport, or around 8 hours from the Matreier Taurnhaus.
You can hike very close to the glacier and the views are amazing there! The last bit you have to be a bit more steady on your feet as there is some clambering up boulders, but kids were doing it too, so take it easy and you will be fine.Written 21 August 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Sudha M17 contributionsbeautiful park with happy animals- the interesting highlight was the aggressive stags behaviour stalking the female-charged at us for daring to watch him in action. Sad that the bear was asleep as were the racoons too. Rainy weatherWritten 16 October 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Philip_BolsterGroningen, The Netherlands890 contributionsThis part of Austria can only be reached via a tollway from Germany. It is a private road open from May till the end of October. The very old maple trees are especially beautiful in autumn. We were here on 16 as well as on 23 October and the trees still had many leaves, but this might vary from year to year. Great hiking tracks.Written 25 June 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- theresalwaysoneLyme Regis, UK502 contributionsA camera is totally needed as you walk through the gorge - the path is beautifully maintained and will accommodate pushchairs and wheelchairs along it's couple of mile length. The river pours alongside you , carving out the gorge with its' milky coloured water. You cross wooden bridges and go through the narrow, steep sided gorge with many wild flowers, grasses, trees, ferns and butterflies - a truly lovely place. At the other end of the gorge is a good cafe serving good homemade dishes and strudel whilst seated either outside or in. Well worth a visit.Written 30 August 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Johan EOslo, Norway30 contributionsVery nice, but somewhat expensive trip to Alpinolino from Westendorf. Nice climbing wall at the top. We walked down, a beautiful but quite long hike. Several restaurants and activities on the way to keep the kids happy, so all in all a perfect day!Written 12 July 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Diane_Ed_FFrankfurt, Germany39 contributionsWe enjoyed the show and the place. If you are in the area, I would recommend, but would not drive 2 hours for it. The Stuibenfall hike is starting on the same corner, so that you can combine both. Only 2 shows per day, so plan your day according to the show times. Without the show, not worth paying the entry.Written 4 September 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Vicky SilveAbbadia Lariana, Italy697 contributionsThis little lake can be reached after a walk among the woods of Nauders, it’s a very regenerating view. You can also see many cute ducks and ducklings!Written 4 March 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Austrian Alps
- These experiences are best for nature & wildlife areas in Austrian Alps:
- Skip-The-Line Salt-Mines and Bavarian Mountains Tour from Salzburg
- Salzburg Super Saver: Original Sound of Music and Salt Mines Day Trip
- Eagle's Nest, Lake Königssee and 'Fuehrer Headquarters' Private Tour from Munich
- Bavarian Mountains including Berchtesgaden from Salzburg
- Private Half-Day Eagle's Nest Tour from Salzburg
- These places are best for nature & wildlife areas in Austrian Alps:
- Rosengartenschlucht
- Leutascher Geisterklamm
- Wagrain Grafenberg
- Schmugglerland
- Tier & Spielpark Bichlbach
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