Under Austria's Forest Act, anyone who takes more than two kilograms of mushrooms a day in a forest without authorisation commits an administrative offence. Running or taking part in mushroom picking events is an offence under the same section. Carinthia also has its own mushroom ordinance, under which you may only pick between 7 am and 6 pm.
Anyone may enter a forest for recreation and stay there, unless one of the exceptions set out in the law applies.
Anyone who takes more than two kilograms of mushrooms a day in a forest without authorisation commits an administrative offence. The Forest Act sets a fine of up to 150 euros for this. Anyone who runs or takes part in mushroom or berry picking events faces a fine of up to 730 euros or up to one week's detention.
Forest areas that may not be used for recreation include areas under an official access ban and areas with forestry facilities such as tree nurseries, timber yards and buildings. The same applies to reforested and newly forested areas until their growth reaches three metres. These young plantations do not have to be specially signposted.
Under certain conditions the forest owner may close a forest to recreation, either temporarily or permanently. A closure is marked with signs where public roads, waymarked paths or forest roads lead into the closed area.
In Carinthia, picking wild mushrooms is prohibited in nature reserves, European protected areas, the core zones of a national park and the natural zones of a biosphere park. In Salzburg, picking is prohibited in the areas listed in the annex to the mushroom protection ordinance.
Carinthia's mushroom ordinance only allows mushrooms that are not fully protected to be picked for your own use, only from 7 am to 6 pm and only up to two kilograms per person per day. Porcini of the species Boletus edulis, Boletus pinophilus and Boletus aestivalis and the golden chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) may only be picked there from 15 June to 30 September. Only the fruiting bodies above ground may be taken, not the mycelium in the soil.
Rakes, hoes and other tools that could destroy the humus layer of the soil are prohibited. Mushrooms you pick have to be roughly cleaned where you found them. Organised mushroom picking events are not allowed.
The annex to the ordinance lists species that are fully protected all year, including beefsteak fungus, hen of the woods, pig's ear, all tooth fungi of the genera Hericium and Creolophus and all underground sac fungi, for example the genus Tuber. These mushrooms may not be dug up, removed, damaged or traded.
Salzburg's mushroom protection ordinance prohibits picking more than 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day. For groups whose mushrooms can no longer be assigned to individual people, the limit is 2 kg multiplied by the number of people, but no more than 8 kg per group.
Picking is not allowed before 7 am or after 7 pm, and from 1 October not after 5 pm. Rakes, hoes, mattocks and other mechanical aids are prohibited; a knife for cutting the stem and cleaning the mushroom is allowed.
It is also prohibited to pick mushrooms without exact knowledge of their species, or mushrooms that are not fit to eat, such as poisonous, old or worm-eaten ones. Mushroom picking events may not be organised, announced, advertised or held, and you may not take part in them.
Picking mushrooms for sale is not allowed in October and November and otherwise needs a permit from the nature conservation authority; this does not apply if a local restaurant or inn buys the mushrooms and uses them there, or if landowners and their close relatives pick and sell them. Landowners and their close relatives are exempt from the quantity limit and the picking hours.
Tyrol's mushroom protection ordinance allows wild edible mushrooms to be picked from 7 am to 7 pm, up to 2 kg per person per day. Rakes, hooks and similar mechanical aids are prohibited when picking. Organised mushroom picking events are also prohibited.
In Tyrol it is prohibited to wilfully remove, damage or destroy wild mushrooms or their parts, meaning the mycelium and the fruiting bodies.
In Vorarlberg, wild mushrooms may only be picked from 8 am to 5 pm, up to 2 kg fresh weight per person per day. You may only pick mushrooms there that you recognise beforehand as an edible species.
In Lower Austria, picking mushrooms needs no permit under the nature conservation act. Wild mushrooms there must not be wilfully damaged or destroyed, though.
In Upper Austria, the species protection ordinance fully protects the wild mushrooms of the species listed in its annex 1.
The current wording of every rule mentioned here is in Austria's federal legal information system (RIS); the links are in the sources below.
Never eat a mushroom you have not identified beyond doubt, and if in doubt have your finds checked by a mushroom expert.
If you suspect poisoning, Austria's Poison Information Centre (VIZ) gives advice around the clock on 01 406 43 43. You can reach the ambulance service on 144 and the European emergency number on 112.
Which mushroom grows when is in the mushroom season guide, and how long it takes after rain is in the guide on mushrooms after rain. The Season Finder shows what is in season in your area. All are linked below.
Only pick mushrooms you can identify with certainty, and if in doubt have your finds checked by a mushroom expert. This guide summarises Austrian federal and state law as of 28 October 2026 and is not legal advice.
Under the Forest Act, taking more than two kilograms of mushrooms a day in a forest without authorisation is an administrative offence.
In Carinthia from 7 am to 6 pm. In Tyrol from 7 am to 7 pm. In Vorarlberg from 8 am to 5 pm. In Salzburg from 7 am to 7 pm, and from 1 October only until 5 pm.
In Carinthia, porcini of the species Boletus edulis, Boletus pinophilus and Boletus aestivalis and the golden chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) may only be picked from 15 June to 30 September.
The Forest Act makes even taking part in mushroom or berry picking events an offence, with a fine of up to 730 euros or up to one week's detention.
In Salzburg, picking mushrooms for sale is not allowed in October and November and otherwise needs a permit from the nature conservation authority; exceptions include mushrooms that a local restaurant or inn buys and uses there.
Austria's Poison Information Centre gives advice around the clock on 01 406 43 43. You can reach the ambulance service on 144.
Forage shows you the species in your region and pings you when the season starts.
All information without guarantee. This text is orientation on season and habitat, not an identification guide, and it makes no claim about whether any specific plant or mushroom is edible. Many species have toxic, some deadly, lookalikes. Never eat or use anything that has not been identified with certainty by an expert, such as a qualified mushroom inspector. We accept no liability for any harm arising from the use of this information. If you suspect poisoning, call your local poison control center or emergency services right away. Mind conservation law and property rights.
