Gailtalradweg R3

Kötschach-Mauthen - Dellach - Gundersheim - Goderschach - Stranig - Oberdöbernitzen - Rattendorf - Tröpolach - Watschig - Möderndorf - Vorderberg - Emmersdorf - Nötsch - Oberschütt - Unterfederaun - Villach

Start/End point:

Your tour starts at the Gailbrücke in Kötschach-Mauthen and leads you along the north side of the river course, on the paved cycling path eastward, slightly downhill. You ride past below St. Daniel, cross at Dellach via the Gailbrücke, the L21, and then reach the Gail bridge at Gundersheim. Here, you cross the Gail again and after the bridge turn left - eastward - following the route along the L24 through the settlements of Goderschach, Stranig, and Oberdöbernitzen. At this point (Gailbrücke between Kirchbach and Oberdöbernitzen), you cross the Gail again and immediately after the bridge turn right. The route runs again in close proximity to the northern riverbank in this section - you ride past below Waidegg - here the route makes a brief left-right kink (you do not cross the Gail here).

Then you reach the Gailbrücke between Jenig and Rattendorf - here you cross the Gail along the L22 and follow the road into the town center of Tröpolach. At the L22/B90 intersection - near the fire station - you turn left and follow the path until you reach the Gail dam and then turn right. The route leads under the B90 and runs along the southern bank of the Gail - eastward, further downstream. You reach Watschig - here you do not cross the river at the Gailbrücke - and then the Gailbrücke below Postran - here too you do not cross the Gail but stay on the southern bank of the river.

Subsequently, you arrive at the Gailbrücke Möderndorf - and thus to the junction with the R3a - here you turn right and follow the L23 southwards. At the first opportunity, you turn left off the L23, cross a stream and turn left again at the next crossroads. Then you reach the Gail dam again - turn right and continue along the southern bank of the Gail - below Potschach and Mellach. You pass straight by the following Gail bridges below Dellach, Latschach, and Görtschach (here the R3a rejoins the R3).

Just before Vorderberg, the route makes a right turn - you ride into the town center and then turn left over the bridge - and further left, along the L27 and over the Gail bridge. After crossing the Gail, you immediately turn right and follow the northern bank, below Karnitzen - here the route makes a brief kink - continuing. Now follows a section where you do not ride directly along the Gail - the route turns left near Emmersdorf and runs for a while to the right of the railway line and the B111. Shortly thereafter, you turn left, cross the railway as well as the B111 northwards, and ride through the settlement area. At the first opportunity, you turn right again, shortly thereafter turn right again, and then cross the B111 and the railway tracks again.

The route now runs along the railway line again, then passes under the B111 until you reach Nötsch, where you cross the railway line once more. In Nötsch, you ride straight through the town until you turn right at the intersection before the church. You follow the path, passing straight at the following junctions, and ride below the Dobratsch, north of the Gail, eastwards. Subsequently, near Arnoldstein, the route approaches the Gail again and runs in close proximity to it. At the second bridge, above Arnoldstein and Pöckau, near the Steinernes Meer, you cross the Gail. The route passes under the A2 and immediately afterwards turns left - you ride parallel to the A2 until the junction with the L30. Here, you turn left, pass under the A2 again, and follow the road along the L30. The road makes a wide, sweeping right turn at Oberschütt - crossing the Gail - and passes under the A2 again. Shortly thereafter, near Unterschütt, you turn right off the L30 and follow the path, which now runs directly along the Gail dam on the northern bank of the Gail. Near Unterfederaun, you reach a large road intersection - you continue directly along the Gail eastwards. The route continues to follow the Gail - which then runs in an S-curve, and ends at the fork with the B84 at Maria Gail.