Feldkirchen: Discover lakes, hiking trails and culture

Feldkirchen is a versatile starting point for holidays spent among lakes, hiking trails, nature observation and Carinthian culture. Depending on your travel plans, you can choose a holiday apartment that places the focus on hiking, family experiences, water or regional history.

Nature trails and distinctive landscapes

The Nockalm Road can be travelled by car, motorcycle or bus. Numerous free exhibitions and themed trails along the route invite you to make your own discoveries. The Nockalm Road is also home to the largest contiguous Swiss stone pine forest in the eastern Alps. Those who enjoy exploring on foot will find well-marked and numbered hiking trails starting from Steuerberg and Wachsenberg. In Steuerberg, the Bösenstein Waterfall is also one of the natural attractions; it is regarded as a special natural gem.

Another highlight is the 3 Lakes Trail on the Turracher Höhe. It leads past Lake Turracher See, Lake Grünsee and Lake Schwarzsee and is designed as a family hiking experience. Information boards focus on alpine nature as well as flora and fauna. Glanegg also combines activity and landscape: there is a dedicated network of bridleways as well as well-maintained, wooded hiking and cycling trails. For nature observation, the Bleistätter Moor nature reserve is ideal; it is home to more than 100 different bird species as well as butterflies, bats and beavers.

Lakes, circular trails and family experiences

At Lake Goggausee, you can swim, fish and go boating in summer; in winter, ice skating is possible there. A circular hiking trail leads from Steuerberg to St. Johann Church, onwards to the Bösenstein Waterfall and back around Lake Goggausee. Lake Falkertsee is the starting point for many short and full-day hikes. Different options are available for planning your day: the walk around Lake Falkertsee takes about 30 minutes, while the Falkertsee–Moschelitzen–Falkertsee circular route takes three to four hours.

The Heidi-Alm children's adventure park is located on Falkert. The themed park features more than 100 figures along a circular trail. This makes it possible to combine an active day of hiking with a themed discovery experience. A section of the Slow Trail runs through the vineyards of the Trippelgut estate at Lake Maltschacher See. Benches, a viewing platform and information boards are part of this trail. Motorboats are not permitted on Lake Maltschacher See; its undeveloped shores provide a habitat for protected bird and fish species.

Lake Ossiach also provides a clear point of reference for travel planning: it is 11 kilometres long, has a shoreline measuring 25 kilometres and can be circumnavigated by bicycle on a circular route. Those who want to combine different activities can also take a look at the Feldkirchen/Ossiacher See flight sports club. Scenic flights over Feldkirchen and the surrounding area are offered there in motor gliders, powered aircraft and modern gliders.

Culture, history and regional traditions

Feldkirchen and the surrounding area also offer destinations for days focused on culture. The Bamberger Amthof now serves as a cultural and event centre. The Amthof Museum Feldkirchen presents collections on prehistoric periods, the Roman era and Gothic objects. Other topics include mills, flax and linen, customs and traditional dress.

Ossiach Abbey was founded in 1024 and is associated with a Romanesque abbey church and Baroque works of art. The Carinthian Summer music festival was founded in 1969 at Ossiach Abbey on Lake Ossiach. Glanegg Castle Ruins have a history spanning more than 900 years and were an important fortress as well as an aristocratic residence. St. Lorenzen is a pilgrimage site. On 15 August, a pilgrimage leads from Ebene Reichenau to St. Anna Church in St. Lorenzen; afterwards, a large traditional outdoor festival without amplification takes place there, featuring the old tradition of wrestling.

On the Turracher Höhe, innkeepers along and around the 3 Lakes Trail serve Carinthian and Styrian specialities, Brettljause, regional delicacies and Swiss stone pine schnapps. This allows you to combine nature experiences with regional cuisine without limiting your holiday to just one type of excursion.

Guidance for choosing your accommodation

For the Nockberge Biosphere Reserve, Feldkirchen in Kärnten is named as the nearest railway station and Ebene Reichenau Ort/Friedhof as the bus stop. The Nockmobil can be booked between 08:00 and 20:00. The biosphere reserve administration provides hiking maps, information about nature, the current events programme, as well as information about accommodation providers, restaurants and excursion destinations in the region surrounding the biosphere reserve. When searching for a holiday apartment, consider whether your planned days will be shaped more by lakeside trails, mountain landscapes, culture or family experiences.

For further orientation, you can also view Gnesau, Briefelsdorf, Falkertsee, Hochrindl, Himmelberg, Bodensdorf, Liebetig, Alt-Ossiach, Turracherhöhe, Feldkirchen In Kärnten, Ossiach, Steindorf Am Ossiacher See, Sankt Urban, Sankt Leonhard, Glanegg, Steuerberg, Simonhöhe, Vorwald, Retschitz, Stiegl, Hochrindl-Alpl, Albeck, Wiedweg, Poitschach, Hochrindl-Kegel, Rennweg, Agsdorf, Oberboden, Reichenau and Hinterkoflach.

For the higher-level travel overview: Carinthia.