he reverse of the coin depicts the entrance to the Gesäuse National Park: an impressive natural panorama framed by forests, with the River Enns flowing beneath the majestic 2,335-meter-high Großer Ödstein mountain. In the foreground, an alpine salamander is shown crawling across the coin.
Obverse: The obverse of the coin features a species native to the Gesäuse National Park – the pink, with its Latin name Dianthus plumarius blandus inscribed on the lower right-hand side. The top of the coin bears the inscription "Republik Österreich." Slightly to the right, the coin’s denomination of 50 Euro is minted.
About the coin: The dramatic beauty of the Alps stems not only from their towering peaks but also from the rivers that traverse them. This is particularly evident in Austria’s Gesäuse National Park, where the River Enns has carved its way through the Northern Limestone Alps, leaving steep, rugged slopes above the riverbanks. Established in 2002, Gesäuse is the newest of Austria's six national parks. This park is distinguished not only by its biodiversity, home to about 195 native animal species, but also by its rich plant life – with 30 endemic plant species, the most notable being the pink, which thrives due to the park’s unique soil composition.
