Hundsmarhof

Not far from Villach lies at the foot of the Dobratsch plateau an extensive forest pasture area that, despite being close to the city, promises a quiet hiking experience away from the crowds.

The hike starts in the park of the Carinthian Volunteer Marksmen in Villach-Warmbad and provides an insight into the course of the Gailtal high trail and the Dobratsch circular hiking trail. The path leads past the Maibachl, a famous thermal spring that was declared a natural monument in 2005, further to the Warmbad plateau with its natural pond. Karst caves like the Eggerloch and culturally-historically exciting remains of a late antique settlement on the Tscheltschnigkogel add variety to the somewhat steeper ascent on the old mule track (path no. 229) up to the toll road. After crossing the Villach Alpine road, we follow the forest road with less incline to the Völkendorfer Alm, where only a forest pasture remains from the once lively alpine farming.

The open pasture areas have been reforested, and so only a few cattle graze on the vast forest areas. As is unfortunately typical for mountain farming today, areas that promise good yields are intensified here as well, losing their original character. Whereas if the yield is modest, hardly anyone tries to use it further, and the forest reclaims the pasture areas once wrested from it.

Two paths branching off to the right on the former alpine pastures are ignored. The path to the Hundsmarhof turns left at the wayside shrine heading east. Passing the Bavarian fountain and a hunting lodge, we finally reach the romantically located Hundsmarhof.

After a refreshment, we return on the already familiar path to our starting point.