Nature in the Wilder Kaiser Region

The Wilder Kaiser region with the Kaiser Mountains nature reserve and the Ramsar conservation area forms an ideal habitat for numerous animals and plants. It is above all the many contrasts that promote the diversity of living creatures. The rugged cliffs and gentle slopes, the dense forests and mossy wetlands, the crystal-clear mountain lakes and lush alpine meadows...

If you walk through nature with open eyes, you will discover many small and large wonders along the way. Get involved and explore the diversity of flora and fauna on the Wilder Kaiser.

Nature on the Wilder Kaiser is home to a wide variety of plants and animals. Around 940 flowering plants, 38 fern species and over 400 moss species can be found there. The forests are mostly mixed forests, consisting of beech, silver fir and spruce. Ash, sycamore and alder can also be found at higher altitudes, with mountain pines and the pink alpine rush joining them further up.

At this altitude, you will typically also encounter chamois - if you look closely, you might even spot a snow vole or a snow hare. Further down, however, very unusual animals can also be discovered: As a product of glacial processes, a number of rare invertebrates can be found in the Kaiser Mountains, such as a special earthworm and rare species of snails and spiders. Typical vertebrates that can be found in the Kaiser Mountains include alpine and fire salamanders, smooth snakes, adders, dormice, hazel dormice and red-backed voles. And if you're wondering who some of the birdsong might be: From cliff swallows to golden eagles, the whole flock of birds is there.

The forests in Ellmau, Going, Scheffau and Söll are also colonised by wild animals. There is always the opportunity to spot roe deer, red deer, foxes, badgers or squirrels.

Buying bottled water? That's not necessary in Austria. Pure and particularly refreshing drinking water is available directly from the tap. And on the Wilder Kaiser, this luxury goes even further: the lakes, streams and fountains are fed with crystal-clear water from the surrounding mountain springs. But beware: while there are usually plenty of opportunities to refill your water reservoirs in the valley, there are hardly any fountains or streams in the Kaiser Mountains because the water quickly seeps away in the limestone. So always take enough to drink with you...