Austria, a landlocked country in the middle of Europe, is famous for its spectacular mountain landscapes. Its mountain areas cover about 70 percent of the country’s territory and are homes to about one third of the Austrian population. Mountainous regions comprise a significant part of the country’s geography and culture. The Austrian Alps are the most prominent mountain range in Austria and include three main subranges: the Northern Limestone Alps, the Central Alps (Hohe and Niedere Tauern), and the Southern Limestone Alps. The Großglockner is the highest peak in Austria, with an elevation of 3,798 m above sea level.
Mountainous and remote municipalities in general face minimal access to services, few economic opportunities, small markets, and limited economic diversification. Specifically, the abandonment of farm land in marginal areas threatens place-specific and essential ecological, socio-cultural, and economic functions. Demographic challenges in Austria, along with their socio-economic effects, include aging, low shares of employees at an employable age, and a subsequent lack of (skilled) workers, and are one of the most pressing periphery traps in Austria’s mountainous region. However, different mountain regions present distinct development patterns. In the Western Alps, in-migration driven by amenity migration and counter-urbanisation has led to a more positive migration balance in many municipalities over past decades, particularly in municipalities located in and nearby the prosperous valley regions of Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg. On the other hand, the Eastern part of the Austrian Alps suffers particularly from domestic out-migration, with young and female inhabitants often leaving mountainous municipalities for good.
With a long-time experience of marginalisation threats, governance to cope with mountain-specific challenges have been elaborated on. Initiatives in Austrian mountain regions aim at improving infrastructure, providing support to mountain communities, promoting local economic activities, and securing cultural and environmental assets.
