The pilgrimage tradition in Maria Luggau dates back to 1513; thousands of pilgrims visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows there every year. The Lesachtal combines this cultural focal point with trails through forests, meadows and alpine pastures. This means a stay brings together a range of themes: sacred history and traditional crafts, as well as hikes with specific timings and distances.
Pilgrimage, Mills and Crafts
The Maria Luggau Mill Trail is a short circular walk from the Bäckwirt to five historic watermills and a mill museum. The sequence of mills and museum gives the walk a clear thematic focus: rather than visiting just one building, it leads to several stops related to the history of milling.
The Violin Making and Shoemaking Museum displays the collections of violin maker Johann Lexer and shoemaker Andreas Niggler in an authentic setting. The violin-making museum is located in the attic of the Lesachtal Folk Music Academy, while the shoemaking museum is in the neighboring Shoemaker’s House. These two different crafts offer further cultural themes alongside pilgrimage. The Maria Luggau Monastery Garden is also a historic garden.
Choose Hikes by Duration and Landscape
Around 300 kilometers of signposted hiking trails in the Lesachtal wind through forested valleys, lush meadows and alpine pastures, reaching rocky peaks. The landscape changes along the trails, from wooded to open stretches and on into rocky terrain. Hikes also connect with the Carnic High Trail.
The therapeutic climate trail from Niedergail towards the Niedergailer Alm is about 7.5 kilometers long, takes around 3.5 hours and involves an elevation gain of about 300 meters. The Bread and Morenden Trail takes a similar amount of time: it is an approximately three-and-a-half-hour circular walk through forests, along streams and across alpine pastures. When choosing between them, you can therefore compare two hikes of roughly the same duration; the trail from Niedergail also gives its distance and elevation gain, while the Bread and Morenden Trail focuses on its circular route and sequence of landscapes.
More Tours and Regional Themes
Certified mountain and hiking guides offer a range of guided tours exploring the Lesachtal’s flora, fauna and geology. These add a thematic focus alongside choosing your own route. The Höfe Trail is another way to explore the valley: it ends in Liesing in the Lesachtal.
For cycling, the bike tour guide brings together different options, from easy family tours and relaxed leisure rides to challenging mountain-bike routes. Climbing routes range from easy to difficult; when planning a specific outing, check the individual route and conditions before your trip. Ski touring is also possible for experienced tourers, those with less experience and beginners. Because avalanche conditions and route safety can vary, choosing a current tour is part of the planning process.
Food culture offers another regional perspective: together with the Gail and Gitschtal valleys and Lake Weissensee, the Lesachtal is part of the world’s first Slow Food Travel destination in Carinthia. Food artisans and producers there live by the Slow Food philosophy. This adds food and its production to hiking and architectural heritage as themes to explore.
Getting Around During Your Stay
In the Lesachtal, visitors can travel from their accommodation to places of interest and get from A to B in general without their own car. If you are looking for a holiday apartment as a base, you can factor your planned day trips and this transport option into your stay.
Discover more destinations: Liesing, Radnig, Birnbaum, Liesch, Schlanitzen, Gundersheim, Hermagor-Pressegger See, Tröpolach
Go to the main travel overview: Hermagor.
