Irschen lies in the Upper Drautal on the sunny southern slope of the Kreuzeck Group, a southern foothill of the Hohe Tauern. This hillside setting makes Irschen a starting point for a variety of hikes and mountain tours. The landscape is therefore a clear focus of any stay; herbal gardens and archaeological traces offer cultural themes as well. If you are choosing Irschen as a destination, you can first consider whether your main interest is mountain tours, the world of herbs or the history of the village.
Herbs as a theme: garden, interpretation and festival
The show garden next to the KräuterHaus PfarrStadel offers views of the mountain panorama. It also features colorful flower and herb beds, information boards and places to rest. The herb theme thus ranges from plants and landscape to information on site. The Kräuter-Kraft-Kreis (Herb Power Circle) presents fire, earth, air and water as symbols of the fundamental ways in which herbs work. The four elements provide a distinctive interpretive framework for this approach.
Herbal products, traditional rural crafts and agricultural goods are available for sale at the KräuterHausPfarrStadel. To help you find your way: the Kräuterstadel is about a ten-minute walk from the municipal office.
Irschen’s herb festival has been held annually in early July for decades, turning the whole village into a fragrant avenue of culinary delights. If you would like to plan your stay around the festival, check the date of that year’s event before you travel.
Burgbichl: Late Antique archaeological site on a themed trail
The Late Antique hilltop settlement on Burgbichl dates from around 400 to 600 AD. A nature-oriented themed hiking trail leads to the archaeological site and passes its key points. The trail features information boards, panoramic views and original excavation sites. Historical context and landscape impressions are therefore brought together, while the individual stops direct your attention to the archaeological site.
Burgbichl is accessible as a destination point near the R1 Drau Cycle Path and Irschen railway stop. Your visit can be enhanced with a free Irschen app for iOS and Android, as well as 3D technology and augmented reality. App availability may change, so check in advance whether it is currently offered.
Natural monument and mill history
The juniper grove is a natural monument in the nature and herb village of Irschen, accessible via a nature-oriented themed hiking trail. This provides a contrast between a nature theme and the archaeological focus at Burgbichl: here, the natural monument takes center stage; there, the Late Antique hilltop settlement. This distinction can help you choose according to your interest in nature or history.
The historic Baierle Mill is considered a living testament to the village’s centuries-old milling history. The “From Grain to Bread” adventure trail explores another theme. It leads past various stops covering the three most important elements of breadmaking: grain, water and time. Unlike the tour of the archaeological site at Burgbichl, this trail focuses on the elements of breadmaking listed above. The trails in Irschen thus offer different thematic routes—from herbs and nature to archaeological traces, milling history and the journey from grain to bread.
Discover more destinations: Emberg, Napplach, Greifenburg, Gmünd in Carinthia, Döbriach, Rangersdorf, Flattach, Pattendorf.
For the overview of the wider region: Spittal an der Drau.
