Sommer Magazin 2012 uk

Summer swimming fun is only one piece
of the Carinthian lakes jigsaw, and the
surroundings are appealing all year round –
which is why you should try hiking around
some of the lakes to complete the picture.
Hiking with a 360° view
over Lake Millstätter See.
Views of Lake
Klopeiner See, the
warmest swimming
lake in Europe at 28°C.
Carinthia Magazine 22
The totally restful side
of Lake Wörthersee.
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Lake Wörthersee –
for more than just strolling.
For hikers Lake Wörthersee presents a
handicap you can decide on yourself.
There is no circular path around the
shore, but there are promenades for
mild summer nights (amongst others in
Pörtschach) and a circular hiking trail
whose total length (65 km) demands a
certain degree of fitness. On the other
hand, hikers are richly rewarded: Just a
glance across the lake towards the
Karawanken Mountains will expand
anyone’s horizon. If you prefer downhill
routes, we can recommend the path
from Lake Forstsee to the landing
stage in Velden am Wörthersee. In
between there is plenty of time to
dawdle and enjoy a hearty Carinthian
“Jause” meal.
www.woerthersee.com
Lake Millstätter See –
on top of the world.
Lake Millstätter See will make any
hiker’s heart beat faster: Trails and
mountain paths take you up to 2,600
metres. At 900 metres above sea level
you reach the high plateau that extends
from the eastern to the western
shore. Climb even higher and you are
already in touch with the mountains.
Hikers can walk in the footprints of
shepherds and dairy farmers along the
200 km long “Millstättersee Höhensteig”
summit path. This hiking world
joins the mountains around the lake
together in eight stages, with the path
sometimes leading at an unhurried
pace, and sometimes through challenging,
rocky terrain. Up there on high
hikers find themselves in the company
of the history of the mountains and the
region. And if you have eagle eyes you
may well spot ruby-red precious stones
hidden beneath the mica schist.
www.millstaettersee.com
Lake Ossiacher See –
a dynamic landscape.
The Gerlitzen soars 1,911 metres up into
the sky on the northern shore, while
the Ossiacher Tauern extend along the
southern shore. The most attractive
hiking route starts in St. Andrä and
follows the Slatinweg, to the lido and
through an idyllic forest towards
Ossiach. Head back to St. Andrä along
the promenade.
www.ossiachersee.net
Lake Faaker See –
the twilight of the Alps.
Lake Faaker See offers the perfect
starting point for hiking and mountain
tours in the region. The themed hiking
trails are an enticing opportunity of
getting to know and smell the herbs
and meadow flowers. The path up to the
Taborhöhe starting from Drobollach
promises a view over the whole of the
Gail Valley. And culturally? Take a
detour to the ruined Finkenstein Castle
for twilight concerts.
www.region-villach.at
In the valley of the lakes.
Gentle hills and marked paths in the
four-lake valley around Keutschach. As
well as Lake Keutschacher See, Lake
Rauschelesee, Lake Bassgeigensee and
Lake Hafnersee all shape the landscape.
All four are situated in a protected
area of undeveloped shore
scenery, some of it with unspoilt marsh
landscapes.
www.keutschach.at
Get away from it all on
the turquoise blue Lake Faaker See.
There’s not a motorboat in sight
on the idyllic Lake Weissensee.
Lake Klopeiner See –
of ghosts and wishing bells.
A good place to start is the promenade
path, a circular tour of the lake which
is just under five kilometres. You can
extend your route by taking the hiking
trail around the nearby Lake Kleinsee,
which as the name implies (the German
meaning “small lake”) is somewhat
smaller, more enigmatic and beautifully
lonely. The moderately high mountains
round about offer a simple way for
hikers to enjoy summit adventures. The
676 metre high Gracarca snuggles
against the southern shore; here there
is a site where fossils have been found
and where some people believe the
legendary pre-Roman capital Noreia
existed on the so-called “Gespensterwegsattel”
(“ghost path saddle”). Here
the Gracarca merges into the Georgibergl,
where since the 11 th century there
has been a church with a wishing bell,
which is rung by women seeking
a partner. The Kitzelberg hiking trail
offers a bird’s eye view of the lakes.
www.klopeinersee.at
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Encounters by the dreamy,
perfectly located
Lake Ossiacher See.
High times by Lake Weissensee.
The best place to firm up your calves in
the sunniest part of Austria is around
Lake Weissensee. At 930 metres above
sea level it is the pinnacle of all the
alpine swimming lakes. Thanks to its
largely undeveloped shore landscape,
hikers along the narrow and sometimes
steep paths will find idyllic little spots
to stop. To the north and south the
mountain lake reveals its Scandinavian
character, reminiscent of the remote
fjord landscapes of Norway. To the east
the mountains rise directly out of the
water. The hiking trails, of varying
degrees of difficulty, make their way
upwards for several hundred kilometres,
across lush alpine pastures
towards the peaks of the Latschur,
Golz and Reisskofel. The best guides
are not maps or a GPS, but the locals –
because the people who live around
Lake Weissensee never skimp on
friendliness to visitors.
www.weissensee.com
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