Austria’s youngest UNESCO biosphre reserve! The recognition is an alpine landscape typical of the Central Alps, with pwaks up to 3,000 meters high, located in Salzburg, the Lungau and Carinthia. In the 1500 square kilometer area natural and man-made landscapes alternate. Today, the area has about 33,500 inhabitants. Toursim is the most important economic factor, but by no means the only one.

Under the MAB program (“Man and Biosphere”) draws the UNESCO regions as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, where are preserved through environmentally sound and sustainable development measures unique ecosystems and significant cultural landscapes.

The Lungau has been awarded by UNESCO as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Decisive for the award that the population supports the concept of sustainability. Especially valuable making the award, the fact that the Lungau in Salzburg is naturally grown into this role, as the original habitat with distinct traditions and rich ecological diversity.

The Lungau is a plateau of over 1000 square kilometers, surrounded by the Hohe Tauern mountains in the west, the Niedere Tauern (Radstädter and Schladminger Tauern mountains) in the north and east, and the Gurktaler Alps (Nockberge) in the south.

Details

Size: approx. 1500 km², 1020 km² of them in the Lungau
Residents: about 34,000, about 21,000 of them in the Lungau
Municipalities: A total of 19 municipalities, including 4 in the Nock Mountains:
Bad Kleinkirchheim, Radenthein, Reichenau and Krems in Carinthia
Highest/Lowest point: Large Hafner with 3.076m (Lungau)
Millstättersee on 588m (Nockberge)
UNESCO Cultural Heritage: (immaterial cultural heritage)
Samsonumzüge, 2010
The United to Tamsweg, 2010
Silent Night, The Song, 2011

From the north the Lungau can be reached on the road over the Radstädter Tauernpass or through the Tauerntunnel of the Tauernautobahn. From the east you can reach Lungau via the Murtalbundesstraße, the Krakauebene or the Murtalbahn. From Carinthia to the south, the district can be reached on Passstrasse over the Katschberg, through the Katschbergtunnel or through the Bundschuhtal. From the west there is no direct road access to the Lungau area.

But there is soooooo much more. Have a look at www.biosphaerenpark.eu