Naturwald Kraxenbach Protected Forest: Mapping the Old Growth Montane Landscapes of the Bavarian Alps

The park is best known for its extensive, permanently protected montane mixed forests, including mature spruce-beech-fir stands with noble hardwoods and high-elevation larch-spruce communities. The inclusion of the long-established Naturwaldreservat Fischbach, with stands over 200 years old, makes it one of the more significant old-growth mountain forest reserves in Bavaria. The presence of exceptionally tall holly trees, reaching up to 10 meters in height, is a particularly distinctive botanical feature of the area.

The area's modern conservation history began in 1998 with the establishment of the Naturwaldreservat Fischbach, a 314-hectare core zone designed to protect old-growth forest stands. Even before this designation, parts of the broader area had been set aside as 'Klasse-1-Wald' by the Bayerische Staatsforsten, withdrawing them from active timber management.

A major turning point came with the 2019 Bavarian citizens' initiative 'Artenvielfalt & Naturschönheit in Bayern' ('Biodiversity and Natural Beauty in Bavaria'). In response, the Bavarian state government announced that ten percent of state forest would be removed from active management. Naturwald Kraxenbach, formally designated in 2020, is one of the outcomes of this policy. The designation converted the previously restricted Klasse-1 areas into a fully protected Naturwald, ensuring permanent natural forest development for the entire 1,801-hectare area.

The reserve occupies a section of the Chiemgauer Alpen characterized by steep, forested mountain slopes and deeply incised valleys. Prominent peaks in and adjacent to the area include the Sonntagshorn at 1,961 meters, the Dürrnbachhorn at 1,776 meters, and the Prügelbergkopf at 1,202 meters. The terrain transitions from mid-elevation montane forest zones to higher subalpine elevations close to the Austrian border.

Water plays a defining role in the area's landscape character. Streams such as the Fischbach, which forms the right upper course of the Weiße Traun, the Vorderer and Mittlerer Kraxenbach, and the Vorderer Steinbach, carve through the forest and shape moisture variation across the slopes. These watercourses contribute to the diverse microclimates that support the range of forest types found throughout the reserve.

The ecological character of Naturwald Kraxenbach is defined by its zonation of montane forest types. At lower elevations, especially where historical grazing influenced the landscape, spruce-dominated forests prevail. Mid-elevations support classic Bergmischwald communities with a mix of Norway spruce, European beech, and silver fir, complemented by noble hardwoods such as sycamore maple.

Toward the Austrian border, the forest gives way to higher-elevation larch-spruce communities typical of more exposed subalpine settings. A botanical highlight of the reserve is its unusually tall holly (Stechpalme), with individual specimens reaching up to 10 meters in height and around 15 centimeters in diameter. The integration of the reserve into the larger Östliche Chiemgauer Alpen Natura 2000 network further strengthens its ecological connectivity and habitat value within the northern Alps.

Naturwald Kraxenbach represents a significant conservation commitment in the Bavarian Alps. Officially designated in 2020 under Article 12a of the Bavarian Forest Law, the entire 1,801-hectare reserve is permanently withdrawn from timber production and dedicated to natural forest dynamics. Management is restricted to forest protection and necessary public safety measures, with no active harvesting permitted.

The reserve is embedded in the European Natura 2000 network as part of the Östliche Chiemgauer Alpen FFH site and the associated bird protection area. Inclusion of the older Naturwaldreservat Fischbach adds another layer of long-term protection, with some stands exceeding 200 years of largely uninterrupted development. This combination of statutory protection, ecological network integration, and old-growth forest value makes Kraxenbach one of the more ecologically significant forest reserves in Bavaria.

Naturwald Kraxenbach stands out for its combination of size, age, and ecological diversity within the Bavarian Alps. With more than 1,800 hectares under permanent protection, it offers a rare large-scale example of freely developing mountain forest in a region historically shaped by forestry.

The reserve's diverse altitudinal zonation, ranging from low-elevation spruce stands to high-elevation larch forests, and its notable holly specimens give it both ecological and botanical interest. Its integration with the Östliche Chiemgauer Alpen Natura 2000 network, along with the inclusion of the older Fischbach reserve, reinforces its role as a key node in the protected landscape of the Chiemgauer Alps.