UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 2014, the production of the jew's harp in Molln was recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Austrian UNESCO Commission. For 400 years now, Molln has been the centre of European Jew's harp production, where this unique musical instrument is painstakingly made by hand by family businesses spanning generations.

In the Molln Jew's Harp Experience, you can experience the production site for Jew's harps up close - run by the 13th generation of the Schwarz family since 1679. A one-hour guided tour provides interesting insights into the manufacture of this traditional instrument. A special highlight is the live presentation of a jew's harp piece for every visitor. Adjacent to the Jew's harp, harmonica and harmonica museum, there is also a Jew's harp shop where visitors can purchase a copy of these extraordinary instruments.

In the Wimmer family's Jew's harp factory, you can experience a free guided tour with all your senses. Here you can watch a Jew's harp being made entirely by hand and learn interesting facts about the correct way to play it. You can even listen to exotic bamboo Jew's harps from faraway countries being played during this unrivalled experience at the Jew's harp maker Molln Museum & Demonstration Centre.

Since 2012, the Nigloumzug has been a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage site and a unique living tradition. Traditional verses such as "Da rennt da Leutzammfresser um...", written by Rudolf Kusché in the 1950s, can still be heard today. The custom was first mentioned as early as 1860 and takes place every year on 5 December at around 5.30 pm through the village, which is transformed into a living stage.

Over 30 figures appear in historical masks and costumes - including Habergoaß, Leutzammfresser and the Trud. However, the focus is not on the scary, but on the good: St Nicholas, who brings light and peace.

The Steyrer Kripperl in Steyr has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018 and is the last surviving rod puppet theatre in the German-speaking world. It has been performed at Christmas time in the historicInnerberger Stadl for over 100 years and has always delighted audiences with its unique combination of tradition, theatre art and living customs.

Hand-played rod puppets take centre stage, telling the Christmas story in lovingly staged scenes. The experience is complemented by oral texts in Steyr dialect, which lend the play its unmistakable authenticity. Different performances on selected play days make each performance a special experience. The result is a living cultural heritage that is deeply rooted in regional tradition and touches visitors of all ages - right in the centre of Christkindlstadt Christkind.

Trattenbach pocket feitel production has been part of the intangible cultural heritage since 2015 and can be experienced up close in living workshops in the Trattenbach museum village "In the valley of the feitel makers". The dialectal term "Feitl" or "Feitel" is used in High German to refer to a pocket knife. The Trattenbacher Taschenfeitel is a special form of such a pocket knife - it is foldable and consists of a blade and a turned wooden handle.

This typical "Feitel" has been made by hand and with meticulous dedication in Trattenbach, Upper Austria, for almost 600 years. The pocket whip has many uses: as a snack knife, for carving, for hunting mushrooms or simply as a souvenir or key ring. Precise knowledge of the material and experience in working with steel, wood and water power are required for production.

Even before the Industrial Revolution, scythes were manufactured on a large scale for export in Upper Austria. Austrian scythe forging was listed as a traditional craft by UNESCO in 2013. On the site of the 16th century "Sensenschmiede am Gries" scythe forge in Micheldorf, which was shut down in 1966, the OÖ. Sensenschmiedemuseum was established in 1978.

The so-called "Gradn workshop" became famous for the outstanding quality of the scythes it produced, which were shod with its own trademark - a chalice with a host. In the 19th century, Caspar Zeitlinger was considered the largest and most important scythe manufacturer in the monarchy and helped the traditional craft to become widely recognised.

Since 2017, our region has been home to Austria's first and only UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site: the ancient beech forests in the Kalkalpen National Park. unlike intangible cultural heritage, the World Natural Heritage Site protects pristine nature and its valuable ecosystems. Ancient beech forests with trees up to 550 years old cover around 5,250 hectares and are home to thousands of species of animals, plants and fungi. They are among the last large-scale remnants of primeval forest in Europe.

With over 80 % forest cover and more than 10,000 species - including rare primeval forest relict species such as the white-backed woodpecker and Alpine longspur - the area is considered the most important beech forest conservation area in the Alps.