Sankt Margarethen im Lungau: Winter between Katschberg and Aineck

Sankt Margarethen im Lungau combines a clear focus on winter sports with trails, natural monuments and historically notable places. The town is therefore an interesting choice of accommodation if you do not want to view winter activities in isolation, but combine them with culture and excursions. The Katschberg ski area, Aineck and the activities directly in the town should be considered separately.

Winter sports between Katschberg and Aineck

Sankt Margarethen im Lungau is the valley town of the Katschberg ski area. The term valley town refers to Sankt Margarethen’s location in the valley; this does not imply any particular distance between accommodation and a lift facility or slope. The town lies at the foot of the Aineck at an altitude of 1,065 metres. Winter activities include snowshoe hikes and moonlight tours to the Aineck. Thus, the winter offering includes not only the ski-area connection but also activities away from skiing. Another option is a ski tour on the Aineck: after an ascent of around two hours, you can relax in mountain huts. The time stated refers to the ascent and is expressly only an approximate figure. This results in a diverse but clearly differentiated picture for different groups of travellers. Katschberg represents the connection to the ski area, while snowshoe hikes, moonlight tours and the ski tour to the Aineck represent other forms of winter experience. Which activity suits your expectations depends on your preferred sport and how you want your day to unfold.

Trails and experiences away from the slopes

The child-friendly Leisnitz Water Trail leads in Sankt Margarethen im Lungau to the Schlögelberger Wildlife Park. The description “child-friendly” applies to the Water Trail described; it does not imply any additional statements about supervision, facilities or accessibility of other activities. In the region around the Katschberg Pass, Rennweg in Carinthia and Sankt Margarethen in the Salzburg Lungau, there are more than 50 well-marked hiking routes. The number refers to the region as a whole and not exclusively to the municipal area of Sankt Margarethen. The Kugellärche on plot 1336 in Sankt Margarethen im Lungau and the lime trees near St. Augustin are also designated natural monuments. The status as a natural monument alone says nothing about a specific visiting opportunity, circular trail or tourist infrastructure.

Churches, history and local tradition

The present-day parish church of St. Margaret dates from 1231 and was expanded in 1586. Its furnishings include an organ built by Jacob Angermayer in 1825. The church thus combines several clearly dated stages of development, without this allowing any particular conclusion about its current use or regular visiting hours. St. Augustine Church has been documented since 1400. Inside are figurative paintings by Gregor Lederwasch IV, who came from a well-known Lungau dynasty of artists. The historic townscape is complemented by the route of a Roman road that led over the Lausnitzhöhe to Teurnia, now St. Peter im Holz in Carinthia. This route is still partly visible in the area of Sankt Margarethen. The Samson procession is also firmly part of the annual cycle in Sankt Margarethen im Lungau and is therefore an established annual tradition. The town’s history thus encompasses not only the churches and the partly visible route of the Roman road, but also this regularly recurring tradition.

Choosing accommodation in Sankt Margarethen im Lungau

If you are looking for accommodation for a skiing holiday, you can initially classify Sankt Margarethen im Lungau as the valley town of Katschberg and as a starting point for activities on the Aineck. It is then worth considering whether you want to focus your stay more on the ski area, snowshoe hikes, a ski tour, the Leisnitz Water Trail or cultural and historical sites. Slope or lift distances, childcare, facilities, prices and availability do not follow from this. For further comparisons between towns, you can also visit [Tamsweg](Tamsweg), [Thomatal](Thomatal), [Zederhaus](Zederhaus), [Sankt Michael im Lungau](Sankt Michael im Lungau), [St. Martin](St. Martin), [Göriach](Göriach), [Begöriach](Begöriach) and [Mauterndorf](Mauterndorf).

For the broader travel overview: Tamsweg District.