For mountaineers Austria is among the most beautiful countries in the world. It offers endless possibilities for mountaineering and other outdoor activities. It's clean, safe, with accessible nature… all the reasons Slovenian mountain lovers like to visit it over and over again.
Karavanke
They are the longest Slovenian mountain range, with the length of 120km. The ridge of it is also the national border between Slovenian and Austria, thus the tallest peak Stol (2236m) belongs to both countries. There are two important mountain passes crossing this part of the Alps – Jezersko and Ljublelj. These two passes were considered important trade routes in ancient times already. Ljubelj is also one of the first road passes in Europe and there’s a known motorway tunnel under the Alpine massive, connecting two countries and shortening the travel. The lookout peaks are “equipped” with mountain lodges and feature many well marked paths. They are offering great opportunities for hikers, who are attracted mostly by the excellent view on landscapes on both sides of the border. There are some peaks that are in Slovenia only and some that are only in Austria, yet most Slovenian mountaineers don’t know about Austrian peaks, although they have native names in both languages.
Freiberg / Setiče
It’s a lone peak and one of the most beautiful mountains on the Austrian side of Karavanke. It’s a mountain with a great view with just under 2000m above sea level. It is, however, a bit more difficult for hiking to the top. The shortest path takes two and a half hours and you’ll cover the altitude difference of over 900 meters. Austrians have many forest roads which are closed for traffic. They are for farmers and forest workers only. That’s the case here too. The forest road does lead to a hunting cabin, which is only about an hour under the top, but you are not allowed to drive there. Those who made it to the top, say it is like out of a fairy tale. The soft grass, centuries old pines and above all larch trees, with the view opening to all sides… and the especially a beautiful view of Košuta which seems to be on the palm of your hand, make all the effort needed to come to the top well worth it, even if the way there is steap.
Obir and its attractions
The massif of Obir is one of the most famous in Austrian part of Karavanke. The most popular and visited by Slovenian is the peak Ojsterc, with 2139m of altitude. Under the top there is the famous mountain lodge Eisenkappler hütte, which you can reach by car if you pay the extra toll. The lodge is also the starting point to reach all of the peaks of Obir. The paths are not difficult and everybody can venture on them. A well-known and well-marked path is also the nature learning path. In the past the mountains featured lead mines, which are now abandoned and are only used as shelters in case of bad weather. From the top you get a great view even of the Visoke Ture, if the weather is clear enough. And the mountain range doesn’t only offer great tops, but also interesting underground world. There you’ll find the tourist cave Obirska jama and also the waterfalls Obirski slap and Podkanjski slap. Also very attractive and popular is the accumulation lake Borovniško jezero. And plant lovers will get to see the speciality in its own right, the obirski grobeljnik.
Other peaks
Mountaineers, climbers, skiers, nature lovers… have also many other peaks to visit. There are so many, you will probably not be able to visit them all. In between them there are also many lakes, where you can relax and in most of them you are allowed to swim too. Austria is famous for its great tourism offer, which you can witness throughout the Karavanke, which belong to the territory of Koroška.
Karavanke stretch all the way to the city of Beljak on the Austrian side. As the city itself is also very interesting (as it offers historical and other attractions), I suggest you book into the
hostlu Villach. From there you can go on many daily trips to the mountains with excellent views and other great offer, which changes with the seasons.
