In the far north of the province of Styria lies the romantic Salzatal valley. Embedded in a rough mountain landscape the valley has kept much of its untouched character up to the present day. Massive mountains like the Kräuterin, Zellerhut, Göller, and Tonion mountains and of course the Hochschwab mountain protectively encircle the area. The village of Wildalpen lies at the foot of the northern parts of the Hochschwab mountain and is the center of the Styrian Salzatal valley. Every day 220,000m³ of drinking water are transported to Vienna via the II Vienna water pipe. The seclusion of the nature reserve is ideal for hikers and mountaineers. A real white-water paradise for kayakers, rafters and hikers is the crystal-clear water of the 35km long Salza river.

The Wildalpen local heritage, parish and pipe museum has an exhibition on water pipes on display. Besides several interesting models, a lot of information on the fauna and flora of the Hochschwab region is available. Also the connection between water supply, forestry and environmental protection is shown. The Zur schmerzhaften Gottesmutter pilgrimage church, that has the shape of a double cross and was consecrated in 1731, is also worth a visit.