Discover Steinfeld: Frescoes, Local History and Trails in the Upper Drau Valley

Steinfeld offers an impressive cultural history and a wide range of opportunities for active days on holiday. Specific trail options include the one-kilometre-long Bee Trail in the Upper Drau Valley and the four-kilometre-long Rottenstein Farmers’ Trail. The municipality is located in the Upper Drau Valley “Outdoor Park” and offers a variety of leisure activities in the Hohe Tauern National Park region. Anyone looking for a combination of discovery, exercise and regional history during their stay will find several different focal points here for planning their individual trip.

Culture and Local History in Steinfeld

A special cultural landmark is the fresco cycle in the branch church of St George in Gerlamoos. Thomas of Villach created it around 1480. The depiction is divided into three strips, each approximately 1.40 metres high. This division alone makes it clear that this is a work with an unusual spatial effect. For those interested in culture, when planning their trip it is worthwhile not only to look for major sights, but also to include such art-historical details.

The Steinfeld-Radlach parish church adds another historic building to this picture. It is a Baroque-style chancel-tower church dating from the 14th century. Different periods and forms of design thus come together in one destination. The Singerhof is also one of the mining-related buildings that still characterise Steinfeld’s appearance today. Anyone interested in regional development and traces of work from the past can take these aspects into account on a tour through the local history.

The “Im Laufe der Zeit” Museum gives visitors insights into life in Steinfeld during the past century. It thus provides access to a more recent past and complements the older churches and mining-related buildings in terms of content. This allows the cultural part of the stay to be organised around different periods: from medieval church architecture and 15th-century art to the ways of life of the past century.

Short Trails and Cycling in the Upper Drau Valley

There are also specific options for days spent being active. The Rottenstein Farmers’ Trail is four kilometres long. The Bee Trail in the Upper Drau Valley covers one kilometre and has eight experience stations. The two routes therefore already differ in their length and structure. If you prefer a shorter loop with individual stations, you can include the Bee Trail in your plans. The Rottenstein Farmers’ Trail, on the other hand, offers a longer route for anyone who would like to organise their day around a more extensive trail.

Cyclists can join the Drau Cycle Path in the municipality of Steinfeld. This also makes Steinfeld appealing to travellers who do not want to focus their holiday exclusively on sightseeing. The combination of cycle paths, hiking trails and cultural points of interest leaves room for different daily rhythms: An active day can begin on a bicycle, while on another day local history, the museum and church art can take centre stage.

The Right Accommodation for Planning Your Trip

When looking for a holiday apartment in Steinfeld, you should first consider which focus is to define your stay. Those interested in culture can include the historical topics mentioned above as a selection criterion. If shorter trails and cycling are more important, orientation towards the Upper Drau Valley and access to the Drau Cycle Path may play a role. For a varied holiday, it makes sense to decide on the desired combination of art, local history and exercise before booking. This way, you compare accommodations not only by location, but also according to which experiences you expect from your stay.

You can discover other destinations for planning your trip here: Kleblach Lind, Maltaberg, Millstatt, Berg Im Drautal, Katschberghöhe, Asten, Tschierweg and Görtschach.

To the higher-level travel overview: Spittal An Der Drau.