Kalkalpen National Park, called Limestone Alps National Park in English, is a national park in the Northern Limestone Alps mountain range. It is located in the state of Upper Austria, which is in Austria. The park was created in 1997. The ancient beech forests in the park were added to a UNESCO World Heritage Site called Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe. This is because the forests are undisturbed and show the ecological history of Europe since the Last Glacial Period.

Description

Kalkalpen National Park is home to Central Europe's largest forested area and the largest karst region in Austria. It opened on July 25, 1997, and covers an area of 20,825 hectares (51,460 acres).

The park has visitor centers in Molln, Ennstal, and at the Hengstpaßhütt near Rosenau. A 21-meter (69-foot) high panorama view tower called the Wurbauerkogel is located near Windischgarsten. It can be reached by a chair lift and hiking trails. On clear days, 21 peaks that are 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) or higher in elevation are visible from the Wurbauerkogel.

The park offers many trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The former Steyr Valley Railway, now part of the Steyrtal rail trail, runs through the park near Molln. In winter, the park provides snowshoe hiking and alpine skiing routes.

The national park's lodge and seminar center is the 1907 Villa Sonnwend, located in Windischgarsten.