Nationalparks

National Parks, sites of outstanding beauty or unique or rare areas which have been assigned to a high protection category. As well as protecting the ecosystem, they serve as recreational and educational areas for visitors. The passing of laws concerning national parks is within the competence of provincial legislation; however, the Federal Government contributes to the financing of the parks. National parks are subject to international criteria, international acknowledgement falls within the purview of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources).

Existing natural parks: Hohe Tauern National Park (Carinthia, Salzburg, Tyrol), , 1,788 km²; Neusiedler See - Seewinkel National Park, Burgenland, 95 km², westernmost steppe lake in Europe, large reed areas and salt lakes, since 1994 international national park (altogether 222 km²) with Hungary; Donau-Auen National Park (Vienna, Lower Austria), 93 km², since 1996. - Kalkalpen National Park (Upper Austria), 165 km ² since 1997, Thayatal National Park (Lower Austria), 13 ² since 2000, one of the most beautiful water gap valleys in Austria, directly on the border of the Czech Podyji National Park (63 ²). In preparation: Gesäuse National Park (Styria).

Literature: H. P. Graner, Österreichs Nationalparks, 1996.