Northern Limestone Alps

The Northern Limestone Alps stretch along the northern rim of the Eastern Alps, forming a long limestone barrier between Germany and Austria. They begin in the west near the Rhine valley and the Bregenz Forest, then run east through Tyrol, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Styria and Lower Austria. The range finally reaches the edge of Vienna at the Wienerwald, where its foothills meet the city. These mountains are made of limestone and dolomite, which sets them apart from the higher Central Eastern Alps to the south. Their highest peaks are the Parseierspitze in the Lechtal Alps and the Hoher Dachstein, both rising above 2,900 metres. The Zugspitze, on the German-Austrian frontier, is the tallest mountain in Germany and also belongs to this range. Visitors to the Northern Limestone Alps find steep rock faces, deep valleys and high plateaus shaped by glaciers and rivers. The contrast between the rugged limestone summits and the gentle wooded foothills near Vienna is striking. Hiking trails cross the range, linking alpine meadows with sheer cliffs. The Wienerwald at the eastern end offers a quieter introduction to the foothills before the mountains rise higher inland.