Discover Sankt Paul im Lavanttal

Sankt Paul im Lavanttal combines impressive culture with nature experiences and a wide range of opportunities for active days on holiday. The Benedictine Abbey characterizes the town with its significant art treasures, while the Lavantradweg R10 and the cultural circular hiking trail offer different ways to experience the surrounding area. Families will also find suitable options: the adventure swimming pool has a separate children's pool, and the mostly level R10 is particularly suitable for families.

Culture surrounding the Benedictine Abbey

St. Paul Benedictine Abbey houses one of Austria's most valuable art collections. Its holdings include significant art treasures from the Middle Ages. After the National Library, the monastery library is one of Austria's most important collections of books and contains around 70,000 volumes. Anyone interested in historical art and books can make this a cultural focus of their stay.

A particularly notable art-historical detail is the Adelheid Cross from the 11th century. It consists of a wooden core covered with gold and silver sheet metal and is decorated with 24 ancient gems, 3 scarabs, and 147 precious and semi-precious stones. The museum of St. Paul Abbey is open from May 1 to October 31, 2026, from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It remains closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. These fixed opening hours help you plan a dedicated day of culture in Sankt Paul im Lavanttal.

Cycling, hiking and water experiences

Sankt Paul im Lavanttal is located directly on the Lavantradweg R10 cycle path. The cycle path is predominantly level and is particularly suitable for families. However, when planning your route, you should take into account a 10-kilometre interruption between Wiesenau and Frantschach-St. Gertraud.

Those who prefer to travel on foot can choose the Kulturrundwanderweg 1 cultural circular hiking trail. It leads via Deutsch-Grutschen up to the Ebenwald and then downhill into the Granitztal valley. The sequence of an ascent followed by a descent particularly appeals to travellers looking for a hike with changing landscape impressions. A different highlight is the Rabenstein via ferrata in the vicinity of the Flaumeiche natural monument. Here, a via ferrata is combined with a natural monument that provides a habitat for numerous plants and animals.

For a day involving water, the St. Paul adventure swimming pool is an excellent choice. The pool area covers 666 m²; facilities include a sports pool, a 42-metre water slide, two waterfalls and a separate children's pool. This allows you to choose between different focuses when planning your trip, such as culture, exercise or a day at the pool.

Mostbarkeiten and cultural events

The Mostbarkeiten Gallery has been based at the Zogglhof since 1997 and serves as an interface between farm products and visitors from the Alpine-Adriatic region. On request, it organizes guided tastings of its Mostbarkeiten products. The Alpine-Adriatic tasting with the Carinthian state awards also takes place annually.

The St. Paul Cultural Summer is also part of the town's cultural identity. Since 1979, it has brought music, culture and people together. Depending on your personal interests, you can therefore focus your stay more strongly on art and events or on cycling, hiking and water activities.

The right accommodation for your holiday

A holiday apartment or holiday house in Sankt Paul im Lavanttal can serve as a starting point for very different days on holiday. If you prefer culture, the abbey, its art collection, the library and the museum take centre stage. For families interested in cycling and water activities, the Lavantradweg R10 and the adventure swimming pool offer two further possible ideas for a day out. Anyone planning a hike can consider the route of the Kulturrundwanderweg 1 or the surroundings of the Rabenstein via ferrata. The key consideration is therefore which experiences you want to shape your stay.

Buses run regularly from St. Paul im Lavanttal railway station to the centre of St. Paul and to the Hofrichtertor gate of St. Paul Abbey. These buses also run on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. This provides practical guidance for guests who, when planning their trip, want to consider public transport in addition to travelling by car.

More destinations for planning your trip

If you would like to visit other places besides Sankt Paul im Lavanttal, here is a compact selection: Kalchberg, Obergösel, Bad Sankt Leonhard im Lavanttal, Gemmersdorf, Sankt Gertraud, Sankt Martin, Reichenfels and Sankt Andrä.

For the higher-level travel overview: Wolfsberg.