Among the trees — Oh Magazine

This post is sponsored by the Austrian National Tourist Office

Forest bathing is a living meditation, and an escape to Austria’s woodlands provides myriad wellbeing benefits to body, mind and spirit

“Indoors, we tend to use only two senses, our eyes and our ears,” writes Dr Qing Li, author of Shinrin-Yoku: The Art and Science of Forest-Bathing (Penguin Life). “Outside is where we can smell the flowers, taste the fresh air, look at the changing colours of the trees, hear the birds singing and feel the breeze on our skin. And when we open up our senses, we begin to connect to the natural world.”

The forest offers us so many unique invitations to just ‘be’ – to hear, feel, see, touch; to transport our minds into a place of stillness and appreciation where we move from over-thinking to deeply feeling. This is the essence of mindfulness – creating moments of pause and quiet focus that enable our ever-busy minds to rest and re-set.

Green magic

Mindful forest experiences abound in Austria, where you can enjoy everything from guided forest bathing to Alpine walks and hiking, wild-animal trails to luxury treehouse escapes. The forest calms, the earthy scent refreshes and the green colours soothe. As numerous studies prove, spending time in the forest works wonders, and the different types of forests in Austria invite you to immerse yourself in nature as you explore and relax miles away from the relentless noise of modern life. Discover wondrous natural springs hidden in the conifer forest on the Hochrindl mountain pass in Carinthia, or have fun getting lost (and found) in the high-lying stone pine forest in Obergurgl, Tirol, which is one of the country’s precious natural treasures.

Healing trees

As well as having a higher concentration of oxygen, the air in the forest is also full of phytoncides,” writes Dr Li. “Phytoncides are the natural oils within a plant and are part of the tree’s defence system. Trees release phytoncides to protect them from bacteria, insects and fungi. They are also part of the communication pathway between trees: the way trees talk to each other.” Studies have also shown that the common and harmless Mycobacterium vaccae, which is readily found in forests, also has a positive effect on both our mood and immune system. Simply by choosing to spend time among the trees we improve our wellbeing in countless profound ways.

Primeval forest

In the Reichraminger Hintergebirge and the Sengsengebirge regions of Upper Austria, the Kalkalpen National Park protects Austria’s largest contiguous forest. Eighty-one per cent of the area is forest – almost 21,000 hectares of mountain woods, some of which have been left completely untouched by man. This primeval forest is reclaiming nature, bit by bit, enabling each and every visitor to experience and enjoy the forest wilderness in their own unique and unforgettable way

Starry nights in the forest

Visit Austria’s International Dark Sky Park

Naturpark Attersee-Traunsee spans 77 square kilometres of forested land situated between the eponymous lakes Attersee and Traunsee. After extensive scientific analysis the area between the two Upper Austrian lakes was deemed to be ideal for certification as a night landscape protection area. The unique geographical terrain of this region, which is mountainous and typical of that found in the foothills of the Alps, makes this one of the darkest remaining regions in continental Europe. It’s so dark that the Milky Way can be easily seen with the naked eye – a sight that’s absolutely mesmerising.

Discover more at austria.info