A wooden observation tower, a Late Gothic cathedral and trails through a glacier-shaped landscape offer very different perspectives on Klagenfurt-Land. Exploring the region means encountering striking buildings, nature trails and traces of craftsmanship alike.
Views and Heights at Pyramidenkogel
Pyramidenkogel is the world’s tallest wooden observation tower. Visitors can reach viewing platforms up to 71 metres high by panoramic lift or via 441 steps. A 120-metre-long, covered adventure slide is described as the highest in Europe. Views and activity come together in this tower experience.
Lake, Trails and Moorland
Lake Keutschach lies in the Keutschach Seental valley in the district of Klagenfurt-Land. SUP courses for beginners and advanced paddlers are offered on its calm, sheltered waters. The Natura Trail Keutschacher Seental offers a different view of the landscape: it is ten kilometres long, very flat and passes through an area influenced by the Drau Glacier. The Keutschach circular hiking trail, meanwhile, leads through the Moorau, a Ramsar site. Hikers thus encounter both a glacially shaped landscape and a specifically designated wetland area.
Churches and Roman History
Today’s Maria Saal Cathedral was built between 1430 and 1459. The parish church of Maria Saal is a Late Gothic hall church with a distinctive twin-tower façade, visible from afar. The cathedral is open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. for prayer or quiet contemplation. Another historical layer is revealed by the Roman city on Magdalensberg, one of the largest archaeological sites in the Eastern Alps.
The parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Karnburg also features several Roman spolia and an oath hand. Spolia are reused building elements or artefacts; the term makes tangible an architectural detail connected with older Roman elements.
Traditional Rural Architecture and Ferlach Craftsmanship
The Carinthian Open-Air Museum in Maria Saal is the oldest museum of its kind in Austria. It showcases rural houses and farmsteads from various parts of Carinthia and includes 38 museum exhibits spanning six centuries. The collection thus offers insight into different architectural styles and a long period of history. A country inn on the museum grounds serves refreshments.
Ferlach has been renowned for the exceptional skill of its gunsmiths since the 16th century. Ferlach Castle’s Gunsmith and Hunting Museum presents the history of Ferlach gunsmithing and displays historical weapons. It also features exhibitions on local and international wildlife, the significance of hunting and hunting trophies.
Hiking and Courses in the Tscheppaschlucht Gorge
On the hike through the Tscheppaschlucht Gorge, the Tschaukofall waterfall with its rock gate and the Devil’s Bridge are the highlights. The Tscheppaschlucht Forest Ropes Course offers eight courses of varying difficulty. These include two Flying Fox zip lines, each 300 metres long, described as Austria’s longest Flying Fox course. The hike and the forest ropes course offer different highlights: the former focuses on the named natural landmarks, while the latter features courses and Flying Fox zip lines.
Discover more destinations: Feistritz im Rosental, Grafenstein, Köttmannsdorf, Pischeldorf, Reifnitz, Windisch Bleiberg, Keutschach am See, Sankt Martin am Techelsberg, Sekull, Krumpendorf, Moosburg in Kärnten, Maria Rain, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Ludmannsdorf, Raunach, Plaschischen, Pörtschach am Wörther See, Ebenthal in Kärnten, Maria Wörth, Radsberg, Ferlach, Sankt Margareten im Rosental, Plescherken, Techelsberg am Wörther See, Töpriach, Schiefling am See, Sankt Bartlmä, Treffelsdorf, Lipizach, Lukowitz, Ottmanach, Auen, Höflein, Sekirn, Poggersdorf, Wurdach, Maria Saal.
For the overview of the wider region: Carinthia.
