Kaiserwald (Styria)

The Kaiserwald is a forest area in the Austrian province of Styria, a few kilometers south-southwest of the provincial capital of Graz. Its geological location, the Kaiserwald Terrace, is a clay-covered glacial gravel plateau above the Grazer field. The clay cap, which in the past enabled a local brick industry, provides a characteristic groundwater hydrology. Botanically, it is a mixed forest with pines and oaks as the dominant trees, providing a habitat for a wide variety of animal species and serving as a princely forest for centuries. The area is also significant for its numerous Roman burial mounds.

During the Second World War, the Kaiserwald was the site of armament activities of the German Armed Forces. Today, large parts of the 30-square-kilometer forest serve as recreational areas and commercial forests. Parts of the forest have been designated as protected areas. Due to its ecological and climatic relevance, the forest is anchored as a green zone in the local development concepts of the surrounding communities. With the Graz-Köflach railway (GKB) and the A2 South motorway, two important traffic routes cross the Kaiserwald.