Köttmannsdorf: Hiking, Cross-Country Skiing and Culture

If you choose Köttmannsdorf for your stay, you can structure your days around hiking routes of varying lengths, a weather-dependent cross-country skiing option and sites of cultural and historical interest. When planning for different interests, the stated route lengths and walking times are particularly helpful: from a 1.5-kilometre chapel trail to the 6.5-kilometre high-altitude hike, there are several formats to choose from.

Key facts on the subject

• The Kö2 hiking tour “Plöschenberg High-Altitude Hike – Circular Trail” is 6.5 km long and takes less than 2 hours.
• The Kö3 tour “Maria Waldesruh Circular Trail” covers 4.3 km and takes about 1 hour.
• The Kö5 hike “Hollenburg – Göriach Circular Trail” is approximately 5 km long and takes about 1.5 hours.
• A 250-metre detour on the Kö5 tour leads to Hollenburg.
• The Kö7 tour “Chapel Circular Trail” is 1.5 km long and leads to the Hubertus Chapel.
• Depending on snow and weather conditions, the Karawankenblick cross-country ski trail offers prepared circuits of approximately 2, 3, 6 or 8 km, as well as longer routes.
• Cultural attractions include Hollenburg Castle, St. George's Parish Church and the Maria Waldesruh Chapel.

Hiking routes for different day plans

The four hiking tours mentioned allow you to choose according to the time available and the desired route length. At 1.5 km, the Kö7 is the shortest option and leads to the Hubertus Chapel. If you would like to plan a circular trail of about one hour, you can consider the 4.3-kilometre Kö3.

The Kö5 hike combines a route of approximately 5 km with a 250-metre detour to Hollenburg. With the Kö2, the focus is on 6.5 km and a duration of less than 2 hours.

Winter landscape and cross-country skiing

For the colder season, the Karawankenblick cross-country ski trail provides a dedicated option. The prepared cross-country skiing circuits depend on snow and weather conditions; circuits of approximately 2, 3, 6 or 8 km, as well as longer routes, are mentioned. This allows the choice of trail to be adapted to the conditions on site at the time. This does not constitute a statement about current preparation, snow reliability or open sections.

Plöschenberg also characterises a landscape with south-facing slopes, nutrient-poor meadows, extensively managed orchards and groups of trees and shrubs. These groups of trees and shrubs serve as a habitat for the Eurasian scops owl. The landscape therefore represents a separate focus alongside the route details and cultural and historical attractions.

Culture and regional cuisine

Hollenburg Castle is a medieval complex on a steeply descending rocky hill north above the Drau and the Rosental valley. The complex includes the Gothic castle chapel of St. Nicholas and a Söller balcony offering views of the Karawanks. Anyone planning the Kö5 hike can include the mentioned detour to Hollenburg as a separate part of their day plan.

St. George's Parish Church was originally a Romanesque choir-tower church. It has a Gothic choir, Late Gothic additions and a Baroque Sebastian Chapel. The cemetery beside the church also contains a stone Gothic lantern for the dead from the 13th century, considered one of the oldest in Austria. The Maria Waldesruh Chapel is located on a forest path west of Preliebl; it dates from the 19th century and features rich folk-style painting. The branch church of St. Margarethen was first mentioned in a document in 1204.

Regional additions include inns, restaurants and Buschenschenken in the municipality. Traditional Carinthian cuisine is served there. For comparing other places, you can also consider Ferlach, Feistritz Im Rosental, Lipizach, Klagenfurt Am Wörthersee, Windisch Bleiberg, Maria Rain, Moosburg in Kärnten and Reifnitz.

Finding accommodation based on your travel plans

When looking for accommodation in Köttmannsdorf, it is worth first deciding on the main focus of your stay. For short excursions, the Kö7 or the approximately one-hour Kö3 are available. You can plan a longer hike with the Kö2 or Kö5. If cross-country skiing is the main priority, you should separately take into account the weather- and snow-dependent conditions of the Karawankenblick cross-country ski trail for the relevant period. Those interested in culture, on the other hand, can plan their stay around Hollenburg Castle, the churches and the chapels.

FAQ

Which hike is the shortest?

The Kö7 “Chapel Circular Trail” is 1.5 km long and leads to the Hubertus Chapel.

Which tour takes less than two hours?

The Kö2 “Plöschenberg High-Altitude Hike – Circular Trail” is 6.5 km long and takes less than 2 hours.

Which hiking trails are given with approximate times?

For the Kö3, approximately 1 hour for 4.3 km is stated, and for the Kö5, approximately 1.5 hours for around 5 km.

Which cross-country skiing routes are available?

Depending on snow and weather conditions, the Karawankenblick cross-country ski trail offers prepared circuits of approximately 2, 3, 6 or 8 km, as well as longer routes.

What is included in the Hollenburg Castle complex?

Hollenburg Castle includes a Gothic castle chapel dedicated to St. Nicholas and a Söller balcony with views of the Karawanks.

Which historic religious buildings can you include in your plans?

Options include St. George's Parish Church with its Gothic lantern for the dead, the 19th-century Maria Waldesruh Chapel and the branch church of St. Margarethen, first mentioned in a document in 1204.

For the overarching travel overview: Klagenfurt-Land.