Tal des Kleinen Kößlbaches

The Kleine Kößlbachtal nature reserve is located in the Sauwald forest in the Innviertel municipalities of St. Ägidi, Engelhartszell and Waldkirchen am Wesen. The stream that gives the area its name carves its way northwards through the incised valley towards the Danube.

The partly steep slopes that rise up on the sides of the stream are covered in ecologically valuable forests. The upper part of the slopes is dominated by mixed beech forests, which are replaced by oaks and hornbeams towards the centre. On the moist valley floor, ravine forests of maple, ash, elm and black alder grow. The forest in this valley often thrives on so-called block streams. These are slopes of granite rocks, originally weathered underground, which have come to the surface and now "flow" incredibly slowly down into the valley. The Kößlbachtal valley is also important as the habitat of the freshwater pearl mussel, which is threatened with extinction. A hiking trail runs through the valley up the slope and ends at the "Vier-Viertel-Blick" viewpoint.