Hohe Tauren – Alpine Wilderness 

The Alps were once dominated by untamed wilderness, shaped only by natural forces. Over centuries, human activities such as herding, forestry, and hunting gradually altered this balance, transforming wild ecosystems into a managed cultural landscape.Forests were cleared for pasture, alpine meadows heavily grazed, and valleys settled and cultivated. Hunting practices influenced wildlife populations and disrupted natural predator-prey dynamics.

Today, a shift is underway—core non-intervention zones are being established where nature is left to evolve freely, marking a new phase of conservation focused on the restoration of self-regulating ecosystems.

Please also read: Podyjí – Wilderness in the Heart of Cultural Landscape

From Wilderness through Pastures back to Wilderness

The first human interventions in the Hohe Tauern began thousands of years ago, when herders and farmers started using alpine meadows and cutting down forests.Gradually, a cultural landscape emerged, a mosaic of pastures, woodlands, and seasonal huts.
It was not until the 20th century that a turning point came—with the declaration of the national park, nature began to be seen not just as a resource, but as something worth protecting.
Today, Hohe Tauern shelters core zones where humans are learning to step back again—creating space for the return of natural processes and the modern European concept of Wilderness

The Return of Wilderness

Few landscapes in Europe have been inhabited and used for as long as the Alps. Yet, many natural ecosystems have survived—thanks to the harsh climate, difficult terrain, and remoteness of high elevations.
Today’s concept of wilderness does not exclude human history—it invites us to recognize natural processes even in landscapes shaped by centuries of use.
The Hohe Tauern Wilderness embodies this return: not as a denial of the past, but as a conscious decision to allow nature to regain space, dignity, and freedom.

Three Faces of Use: Forest, Hunting, and Tourism

Forestry shaped the species composition and structure of forests, as well as timber availability. Hunting maintained—but at times disrupted—the balance of wildlife populations, often favoring “trophy” species.

Modern tourism has brought millions of visitors, changing the pace of the landscape while also putting pressure on infrastructure and the tranquility of nature.

New Wilderness in Ancient Mountains

In recent decades, non-intervention zones have been established in the Hohe Tauern National Park—areas where nature is left to develop freely.

This marks a return to the principle of self-regulation—no logging, no hunting, no interference in natural processes dynamics. Such “new wilderness” is not a return to the past, but a vision for the future, where humans accept the limits of their influence.

Conclusion

Hohe Tauern Wilderness stands as a living witness to millennia of transformation—from primeval wilderness to cultural landscape to modern conservation. Each era left its mark on the mountains. Today’s challenge lies in finding a balance between human presence and the renewal of wild nature.

This balance is not about excluding people, but about redefining our role in the landscape. The concept of Wilderness offers a framework for this renewal—inviting us to protect space for natural processes, even in regions long shaped by human hands.