Türnitz Alps

The Türnitz Alps form a compact mountain range in southern Lower Austria, stretching roughly 30 by 30 kilometres between the Erlauf valley on the western edge and the Traisen and Unrechttraisen valleys to the east. To the south, the Salza valley and the town of Mariazell mark the boundary, while the northern edge meets the rolling Alpine Foreland near Wieselburg and St Pölten. Several deep valleys cut into the range, creating steep slopes that leave little flat land for villages. The highest point is the Grosser Sulzberg at about 1 400 metres, with other summits such as the Türnitzer Höger and Eibl rising above 1 350 metres. The range acts as a transition between the gentle pre-Alps of the Danube basin and the rugged peaks of the Mürzsteg Alps further south. Water flowing from these mountains is of exceptionally high quality, feeding clear streams that descend into the surrounding valleys. Most of the summits remain under forest cover, but popular walking destinations like the Eibl and Tirolerkogel open onto wide Alpine pastures where cattle graze in summer. Two well-known passes, the Kernhofer Gscheid and the Annaberg, provide crossing points between the valleys. Visitors find a landscape of forested ridges and open meadows, where quiet trails lead to summits offering wide views over Lower Austria. The steep-sided valleys channel rivers that remain clean and swift, while small Alpine huts dot the high pastures during the grazing season. The contrast between dense woodland on the lower slopes and the open grasslands near the peaks gives the range its distinctive character.