Rail & Trail "Lavant Valley – valley hike through Carinthia’s paradise"

Starting point is St. Andrä, once the residence town of the bishops of Lavant and the ecclesiastical heart of the valley. From the St. Andrä i.L. train station in the middle of the valley floor, we walk through loose settlements with a view of the cathedral: first to the Lavant River, then up to the town’s river terrace to the impressive St. Andreas Cathedral and the former bishop’s residence. Through the historic town center, we reach the magnificent Basilica Maria Loretto – one of Carinthia’s most important Marian churches. What a start!

Now begins a countryside tour: Back on the valley floor, quiet farm roads lead through orchards and fields out to the Lavant, whose shady gallery forests we briefly follow. Through a mosaic of fields, the path gently ascends – often with a magnificent view of the Koralpe. The ancient mixed forest of the Husarenkogel, in contrast, offers peaceful moments. Finally, through a residential area, we reach the village of Eitweg, our highest point. Congratulations! On the way over to St. Ulrich, lofty views open up over the vastness of the Lavant Valley, with the Saualpe rising opposite. Impressive!

The "descent" is a real treat: quiet gravel roads, silent groves, hidden farmer hamlets, quaint orchards, historic wayside shrines... change frequently. And always again wonderful views into the Karawanks. A journey on foot through a landscape full of harmony. After Maria Rojach, fields lead down into the Hahntrattenbach valley. Then the route winds through the rural valley floor to the recreational area St. Andräer See. To finish, we leisurely accompany the quaint riverside grove of the Lavant. The gaze drifts over the expanse of the valley to the summit region of the Koralpe – a final landscape cinema. At the Lavant bridge in St. Andrä, it goes back to the starting station.