Kalkalpen National Park Region

Strange, yet familiar tones – the Jew’s harp is part of this region’s folk music tradition.


In former times, young lads had to hand over their Jew’s harp to their bride-to-be as a symbol of their love. This instrument, you see, was commonly used to serenade young women from beneath their windows – something which was not supposed to happen once they got married… Making music on this handy little instrument is as popular as ever, both in traditional folk music and in modern variations. Famous far and wide for the Jew’s harps manufactured there is the market town of Molln. Everything flows a little easier when accompanied by music – and that includes exploring this region, home to the Steyrtal and Ennstal valleys. Ennstal is richly forested and dotted with alpine huts, a veritable El Dorado for mountain bikers, whilst families find pleasant bicycle routes and hiking paths of their own. Steyrtal, with its many side valleys, is a feast for the eyes, not least for anyone who happens to love plants. Pure nature comes in the form  of the “Feel the Wilderness” initiative and caving tours, cultural institutions such as the Enns Museum in Weyer help cast light on the folk culture of the region, as they do barge traffic and shipping on the Enns, commerce that was once so very important to the region. And with so many meadows that are home to scattered fruit trees, it is no wonder at all that this region has been proclaimed an Austrian Genussregion for its fruit juices – an honor, incidentally, which the region’s organically husbanded beef cattle have also earned. Steyr offers romance and technology in a very compact area: a leisurely stroll through the town’s lanes conveys a peaceful atmosphere, whilst the Working-World Museum presents technology and modern society in all its facets.