In Lölling Graben, Roman remains, sacred architectural heritage and evidence of ironworking go hand in hand with practical opportunities for hiking and cycling. When planning your visit, these offer different options: you can make cultural history your starting point or choose one of the routes described. Local highlights range from a donor portrait with a specific date to the cycling route’s winding roads.

Church art and traces of ironworking

Lölling Parish Church is Late Gothic and has a Gothic polygonal choir. The term describes a choir with a multi-sided end. Inside is a mural dating from 1602, featuring a donor portrait of the Rauscher family, who were mining entrepreneurs. Two art-historical aspects therefore stand side by side: the Gothic architectural style and a dated painting depicting a named family of donors.

Remains of Roman-era smelting pits and wind furnaces have been found in Lölling. These archaeological traces date back further than the Late Gothic church. Later evidence of ironworking includes the former steam-engine house in Lölling, which is a protected monument. St Barbara’s Chapel in Lölling is also a protected monument. The entrance to the Lölling Erbstollen mine near Lölling is protected as well; a mine entrance is the opening of a tunnel. Archaeological remains, a former industrial building and protected structures thus come together here.

Another link to the Lölling ironworks can be found in an exhibit at the Blacksmithing and Locksmithing Museum. The museum is a historic forge in the cellar of the Neugebauer country inn. Its Wackler bellows were used at the Lölling ironworks in the 19th century. The Wackler bellows thus connect the historic forge with the Lölling ironworks.

Comparing the hiking trail and cycling route

The hike around Plankogel starts in the Lölling area and passes the small Neo-Gothic St Barbara’s Chapel. The chapel is a clearly identified cultural landmark along this hike. For a walk with an architectural focus, the small Neo-Gothic chapel is a specific point of interest along the way.

Cycling Route 4 Linden–Klippitztörl passes through Lölling Graben. Along the way, it runs past farmsteads and woodland; its defining features also include winding roads and steep climbs. This information helps distinguish the tour when planning: as well as the scenery along the route, you should take the road layout and elevation changes into account.

The hike and cycling route therefore offer different experiences. The hike passes a Neo-Gothic chapel, while winding roads and steep climbs are key features of the cycling route. You can decide in advance whether you would prefer to plan a hike with a cultural focus or choose a cycling route with the profile described here.

Trout farming on the Lölling Bach

At the Forellen-Gasthof Lauchart, the family raises trout in its own pond, which is fed by the Lölling Bach. This trout farm provides a distinct local highlight alongside the architectural and industrial heritage. Restaurant details can change, so it is best to check the latest information before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Treffling, Krobathen, Sankt Georgen Am Längsee, Weitensfeld im Gurktal, Launsdorf, Deutsch Griffen, Guttaring, Sankt Veit An Der Glan

Return to the main travel overview: Sankt Veit An Der Glan.