Ore Mine - Lower Gailtal

SHORT  ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

Stop Thermalbad-Kurzentrum-north of Theresienhof/13-north of Terra Mystica-Fuggertal-Miggitsch-Maurer Schneidergraben/11-west of Erlachgraben-Bauernschaft-northwest quarry-„Pepe Bankl“-Oberhecher/Dobratsch Circular Trail 2nd Stage/288-Julius-Kugy-Three Countries Trail-Wertschach-north of St. Georgen/Gt-Bleiberger LStr. L 35-east of Labientschach-Power Plant-Nötsch/16/6-Stop (train, bus)

DETAILED ROUTE DESCRIPTION:

1.  We hike gently ascending from the Thermalbad stop (916 m) heading N and past the west side of the spa center, to take the fork after about 300 m slightly left, NW towards Farchach along the Dobratsch Circular Trail, the Tunnel Trail, and route number 13. At a right curve, we leave the asphalt road and turn left, W – a path takes us under the Traninger wall to the Traningsleiten path and further to a farmstead.

ALTERNATIVE 1: This easy hike can also be started from the Bleiberg-Kreuth stop. Here you can enter the variant of the JKDW and route number 11 between Fuggertal and Parzach (saves approx. 4 km and about 1.5 hours).

2.  We continue westward and leave the Traninger path after about 130 m, turning left on a hiking path, SW – after about 140 m we reach a hiking junction and take a path, now route number 11, slightly right and north past a property. After about 300 m, we reach a nice viewpoint and then a short, cable-secured, and easy path.

3.  We cross routes 289 and D and proceed south of the Legaten wall and north of Theresienhof or Terra Mystica to the "Sunny Side" – the Tunnel Trail leads us south of Feldkofel to the Fuggertal district. At the junction "Kirchweg" and the Kladnigkeusche, we take the 1st break, 3.1 km, 937 m.

4.  We leave the Bleiberg Kreuth and Parzach districts heading NW with the Dobratsch Circular Trail and route number 11 and reach the Sattlergraben after about 1.8 km. We now hike south of Migitschriegel to the Mauer farmstead – here route 11 branches left and we continue to the Erlachgraben and about 400 m later to the Schneidergraben – here route 288 joins from the right, accompanying us to the Gailtal High Trail.

5.  We walk shortly south and reach a main forest road (HWW), which we leave after about 100 m at a fork to the right, SW – we hike a very beautiful path into the Finstergraben and meet another HWW after about 400 m. We follow route 288 south along this road west of the village Erlachgraben and after about 1.2 km west of the village Bauernschaft with the Hubertus chapel and past the farms Ertl and Jost – ignoring a right and left branching path (2nd break, 8 km, 982 m).

6.  We continue following the HWW to the south and hike slightly uphill northwest of the quarry to the viewpoint "Dos Pepe Bankl" – after about 700 m we pass south of the Oberhecher farmstead and cross a cattle pasture (climb over crossbars on both sides). After about 500 m, we turn sharply left on another HWW and immediately right and down to the Julius-Kugy-Three Countries Trail, the Gailtal High Trail 229, and route number 16.

ALTERNATIVE 2: Follow the two long-distance trails on a main forest road (HWW) to the right, NW, slightly uphill to the Windische Höhe, and from there take a taxi or hike down to the St. Stefan im Gailtal stop.

7.  We hike left, SE, and after about 250 m reach a trail intersection with the Julius-Kugy-Three Countries Trail sign – we turn right with the Dobratsch Circular Trail and routes 16 and 6 and at the next crossing go straight ahead.

ALTERNATIVE 3: 

a) Follow the Julius-Kugy sign and Gailtal High Trail 229 slightly left and hike through Windischgraben to Nötsch (on the Bleiberger State Road L 35).

b) From Windischgraben continue left with the Julius-Kugy sign and Gailtal High Trail 229 and after about 350 m follow sharply right and hike over the Nötscher Berg to Nötsch.

8.  On the way to Wertschach, now without routes 16 and 6, we ignore 1 right and 4 left branching gravel roads – after about 1.6 km we take the 3rd break, 12.3 km, 760 m with a beautiful view of the Lower Gailtal.

9.  We go SE straight ahead north of the village St. Georgen im Gailtal and after about 1.3 km again meet routes 16 and 6 – ignoring a right branching asphalt road and a gravel path. We descend to the Bleiberger State Road, go briefly left, N, and then follow an information board right, SE slightly uphill.

ALTERNATIVE 4: Follow the Bleiberger State Road L 35 south to Nötsch.

10.  Alternating between natural paths and gravel road, we reach a small power plant on the Nötschbach after about 1.3 km – we turn right, SE, and continue about 500 m on a narrow access road and route number 6. We leave it on a narrow steep path going up – we see the first houses of Nötsch.

11.  On the asphalt road, we go down to Wiegelemühle, turn left in a bend, and then on a natural path without route numbers towards the Nötschbach. After the bridge, we turn right, S, and head towards the Museum of the Nötscher Kreis. Municipal information boards guide us after about 550 m across the main square to the train stop (17.7 km, 560 m).

[4 alternatives and 3 breaks]