With an area of 11,054 hectares, the Gesaeuse National Park is the third largest of the six Austrian National Parks. More than 99% of the area is owned by the Steiermaerkische Landesforste (Styrian Provincial Forestry Commission); the rest is constituted of open-access stretches of water and of an alpine pasture, which is in private ownership.

Parts of the National Park lie within the municipalities of Johnsbach, Weng, Admont, Landl, Hieflau and St. Gallen and together these make up the 'National Park Region'. This nature reserve is made up of a variety of constituent elements: mountainous areas, with rocky outcrops and alpine grass-, wood- and scrub-land, along with open water and high meadows.

86% of the National Park is a designated 'Natural Zone', where the virgin landscape is subject to either preservation or conservation. The rest of the National Park is a 'Conservation Zone'. Here our central protective concern is an area of natural land - as developed and cultivated by man.

The aim of the Gesaeuse National Park is to secure long-term international recognition as a IUCN (Category II) site. It is mandatory for all Austrian National Parks - including the Gesaeuse National Park - "to ensure that the area is permanently protected".

The intention is that the Gesaeuse National Park Protected Area should be distinctive in its unique scenery and variety of species. In this context 'protection' means not just supporting natural processes of development, but positively securing them. It also means proactively reducing exploitation of the Natural Zone by human beings, whilst ensuring that activities in the Protected Zone are environmentally friendly and compatible with good ecology.

Besides promoting the international standing and reputation of this unique area, the National Park has legally binding educational obligations in the areas of conservation and the environment. It also has a responsibility for maintaining traditional, non-exploitative forms of tourism. Alongside the preservation and conservation of this virgin landscape, a high priority is to sensitise visitors to the motivating ethos behind National Park's work and to mediate a system of values: namely, the protection of nature in accordance with the highest standards and principles.

The Gesaeuse National Park aims to become an outstanding, high-profile example of how to raise awareness of natural and environmental issues. It is achieving this goal through its team of locally recruited, highly motivated and thoroughly trained National Park Guides, through its network of attractive themed footpaths, offering visitors a wealth of different experiences, and through its range of guided tours and lectures, informed by state-of-the-art knowledge in nature-education and suitable for groups of all tastes and ages.

Now it is a matter of seizing the opportunity to demonstrate how conservation and regional development can go forward together in harmony. On the National Park's side, this requires consistent conservation and educational work at the highest level. On the part of the National Park Region it means acting as a model region with a unique natural and cultural landscape.

Collaboration with the National Park Region was also laid down as part of the original blueprint for the Gesaeuse National Park. The National Park itself and the activities of the Gesaeuse National Park Ltd. both open up opportunities for the permanent development of the rural areas involved. The National Park Administration is endeavouring to present a wide range of special offers and attractions. Its aim is to turn nature into adventure and to provide leisure and relaxation to the highest of standards. What unites visitors to the National Park is an interest in natural history; they should be able to devote time to understanding, experiencing and enjoying the variety of nature and the ecological cycles.

The original plan for the Gesaeuse National Park also provided precise guidelines covering research, that should be scientifically grounded and that should serve the interests of the protection of nature within the Park. Through a programme of long-term observation and study at the 'National Park Outdoor Laboratory', scientific research is gaining further understanding of the cycles of nature and the development of the Protected Area.

Together the Gesaeuse National Park and Gesaeuse National Park Ltd. support a modern style of conservation based on partnership. Highly qualified and fully committed team workers translate the National Park's policies into action. They do so in ways that everyone can understand, dedicating themselves to the concerns of the people who live in the National Park Region.