Gentle Giant - Otter’s Paradise in Capercaillie County

Compared to its fellow Alpine summits, the Oetscher is not very high: in fact, less than 2,000 meters. But among the gentle slopes of western Lower Austria, it really is a giant, with shoulders broad enough to bear the last of the Alps’ virgin forests. It has the country’s coldest plateau where temperatures fall to -50 degrees, the oldest trees in all of Austria, and its very own Grand Canyon, the “Tormauer”. In making access difficult for human settlers, the gentle giant has succeeded in protecting its primary fauna. The capercaillie – rare in other parts of Europe – still make their home in the coniferous forests, while snow grouse roam above the tree-line. Hawks lie in wait, and otters hunt in the brooks. Even the brown bear has found refuge on the Oetscher’s Mountainsides.

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