Dürrenstein Wilderness Area

The wilderness area on the south side of the Dürrenstein is home to Austria's largest natural forests. The area reaches from 650 m altitude to the summit of the Dürrenstein at 1,787 m altitude. The wilderness area has been protected since 2002 and is therefore permanently protected. In the largest primeval forest remainder of Central Europe, firs and spruces over 50 m high and well over 500 years old with circumferences of up to 4.8 m and red beeches over 35 m high and more than 400 years old can be seen. It is a habitat for numerous wild animals, including some rare species such as the snow mouse, the alpine shrew, the brown long-eared bird and the lynx.

In 2011, in the "Year of the Forest", the wilderness area was included in the seven forest wonders of Austria as a "Fairytale Forest". To protect this unique forest area, people have access only within the framework of limited and guided hikes. In 2021, the new Haus der Wildnis, an interactive museum and international research center, opened in Lunz am See.