Hochrieß Wildlife Park – An experience for the whole family
The Hochrieß Wildlife Park in the Mostviertel, Lower Austria, offers a nature experience in the midst of a charming landscape. Here you can see numerous animal species up close and leave everyday life behind you. We named the wildlife park after our little Hike in the Erlaufschlucht visited.
Short info:
- What is the Hochrieß Wildlife Park? The Hochrieß Wildlife Park is a 23-hectare animal park with over 300 animals, including fallow deer, sika deer, red deer and mouflons. The park offers species-appropriate enclosures, a petting enclosure and special feeding stations.
- Where is it? The wildlife park is located between Wieselburg and Purgstall on the Erlauf. Address: Hochrieß 5, 3251 Purgstall.
- How do I get there? The park is easily accessible by car. It takes about 1.5 hours from Vienna. Public transport is limited, so arriving by car is recommended.
- Where can I park? There are plenty of free parking spaces directly at the wildlife park.
- How much time should I plan for? at least 2 to 3 hours
- Is the park child-friendly? Yes, the wildlife park is particularly suitable for families. There is an adventure playground, a children's puzzle pass and many opportunities to feed and pet animals.
- Is there an entrance fee? Yes, admission costs 9 euros for adults and 6 euros for children aged 5 to 15. Children under 5 years of age are admitted free of charge. You can find all prices here. Since 2024, the wildlife park is new to the Lower Austria Card
- Opening hours: The park is open from April to October Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In November and December, reduced opening hours apply. opening hours.
Hochrieß Wildlife Park – Experience nature up close
The Hochrieß Wildlife Park, idyllically located in the Mostviertel region of Lower Austria, is an exciting destination for nature and animal lovers. This animal park offers visitors the opportunity to observe native animal species in natural enclosures and to enjoy the beauty of the region. Here you can find out everything you need to know about a visit to the Hochrieß Wildlife Park.
Animal world in the Hochrieß Wildlife Park
- Small animals and petting zoo: Children can feed dwarf rabbits, guinea pigs and Belgian giant hares. Dwarf goats are also waiting to be fed and pampered. Young goats are a particular highlight for the little visitors.
- Poultry and ducks: There are numerous bird species in the wildlife park, such as pheasants, geese, ducks, turkeys and chickens. Visitors can watch the ducklings growing up, especially in spring and summer.
- Horses and ponies: The wildlife park's horses and Shetland ponies are on pasture in summer and in the stable in winter. Pony rides are possible without prior reservation from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Cats: The farm cats enjoy being petted and are especially popular with children.
- mouflon: The circular trail leads through the mouflon enclosure, where visitors can feed the animals.
- Red deer: Red deer breeding has been an attraction in the wildlife park since 1971. The deer live in the enclosure together with the ponies and horses. The deer rut in autumn is particularly worth seeing.
- chamois: Since the opening of the wildlife park in June 2022, there has also been an enclosure for chamois.
- fallow deer: The fallow deer with their characteristic shovel antlers and speckled fur can be observed in the enclosure.
- Sika deer: The circular path leads directly through the enclosure of the sika deer, which are significantly smaller than the red deer and have a reddish-brown coat with spots in summer.
nature trail and adventure points
The 1.8-kilometer circular path through the wildlife park takes you to the various enclosures and offers impressive views of the wildlife and the surrounding area from several vantage points. You can rent a handcart right at the entrance to pull children or things you've brought with you. However, we don't necessarily recommend this, as the path is very steep in places and pulling it can be very difficult.
Children can also pick up a stamp pass at the entrance. Be careful, the 5 stamps are not that easy to find if you don't know what they look like at first. You can find the first stamp hanging from an information board after the duck pond. The stamp is made of metal and punches an animal into the card.
There are informative boards along the way that provide interesting information about the animal species and their natural habitats. There is a lot to discover, especially in spring when the young animals are born.
At the very top of the panoramic point there is a lovely children's playground, although it offers very little shade. At least there is a drinks machine here.
At the end of the nature trail you will find a trampoline area with 4 trampolines. For 1€ you can bounce for 6 minutes. This is obviously a hit with children.
culinary delights
A visit to the Hochrieß Wildlife Park can be perfectly combined with a culinary break. park restaurant offers a selection of regional Mostviertel specialties and homemade desserts. After an exciting day in the wildlife park, you can relax here in a cozy atmosphere and enjoy the local delicacies.
Seasonal Highlights
Every season offers special experiences in the Hochrieß wildlife park. In spring you can watch the newborn young animals, while in summer the shady spots and watering holes provide cooling. Autumn impresses with the red deer rutting season, and in winter you can watch the majestic stags feeding. These seasonal features make the park an attractive destination at any time of the year.
Our conclusion
A very nice wildlife park if you are in the area. For example, we had previously done a hike through the Erlaufschlucht. However, anyone who only goes there for the wildlife park will probably be disappointed.