Re: Old & New Carantania (journey story)

Posted by: veloträumer

Re: Old & New Carantania (journey story) - 12/19/15 11:06 PM

CHAPTER II
Idyllic Places, but not for everybody:
The Carinthian lakes and its welfare smash


Do 18.6. Malta – Eisentratten – Nöringsattel (1665 m) – Radenthein – Döbriach – via Radweg Millstätter See Südufer – Schlossvilla – Egelsee – Molzbichl – Mauthen – Zlan – Hochegg
Ü: privat (GH Sonnenhof) 0 €
AE (dito): Hasenfilet, Kroketten, Rotkohl, Bohnen, Schokopfannkuchen, Cafe 30,80 € (***)
69 km | 10,0 km/h | 6:53 h | 1880 Hm

There are two important places or routes today. The Nöringsattel is not very well known. The pass is in the higher ranges an offroad forestry road. If looking for great landscapes, you don’t need to ride it. But it’s a good possibility to shorten the way between Liesertal and Radenthein. Of course, even some asphalt parts are not of best quality, there is no problem to ride it with a randonneur. Next you can discover the south bank of Milltätter See, which is not suitable for bathing. You’ll find a good offroad way through wood, sometimes meadows with view on the lake. For some parts you have to leave the bank route because of private property. At Schlossvilla you may cross the lake with a ship or go hard climbing bank way, or leave the lake southward for an interesting place. The Egelsee is a small lake within swamp area. It’s an inspirational place including frog concert, just a few local people bathing there. You should be accurate to find the way; from the other side it’s easier, but steep too. Some parts you need to push the bike, maybe. Finally I climbed first part of the next mountain road. I stopped at a restaurant as the only guest and the owner allowed me to sleep inside a separate part of the restaurant (for free, instead hotel rooms available).

Fr 19.6. Hochegg – Goldeck-Seetal (1895 m) – Goldeck-Gipfel/-Panorama-Alm (2140 m) – Zlan – Stockenboi – Weißensee (Ost) – Farchtensee – Boden (1044 m) – Kreuzen – Windische Höhe (1110 m) – Kerschdorf – Wertschach
Ü: C Alpenfreude 12,30 €
AE (Gailtaler Hof): Wienerschnitzel, Pommes, Rotwein, Eis m. Himbeeren, Cafe 22,40 € (*)
78 km | 11,3 km/h | 6:53 h | 1795 Hm

If you like great scenery with golden-green larches and meadows, some peaky green mountains, you should ride the Goldeck road. On top for bicycles, you can choose some “forbidden” Alps roads. Not really forbidden, bur unsure the status, is the way to Goldeck top with a nice cottage with delicious products of cacao. From Seetal parking place it’s an unpaved way, but less steep than the road before. The valley to Weißensee is easy to ride and you’ll find little infrastructure. There is a wonderful waterfall close to the lake. The lake itself is less touristy than on the west side, as well there is just small place aside camping and hotel to go to the lake. Another idyllic place is the Farchtensee – I had another special time with rain and the rainbow after. Next go down and upwards again for Windische Höhe, someway lonesome area, even living bears there. From Windische Höhe and later you have a good panorama to the Karnitischer Kamm, borderline mountains to Italy.

Sa 20.6. Wertschach – Bad Bleiberg – via Forststraße – Villacher Alpenstraße/Dobratsch – Roßtratte (1742 m) – Villach – Puch – Krastalsattel (654 m) – Köttwein – Arriach
Ü: GH Alte Point 37 € mFr
AE (dito): Selleriecrèmesuppe m. Birne, gebackene Reinanke m. Nüssen, Bratkart., Rotwein, Panacotta m. Erdbeeren ca. 34 € (****)
70 km | 10,9 km/h | 6:59 h | 1725 Hm

Bad Bleiberg is an old town for mining, today just for tourists. An accident in the mine has brought new richness for today – a thermal fountain. Next route is someway unofficial and difficult. You can cross an unpaved forestry road to the toll road Villacher Alpe to Roßtratte, with Dobratsch mountain on top, but just possible to conquer by foot. Of course again a good unpaved Alp road, forbidden for cyclists from Roßtrappe to Dobratsch. Because of cold and thunderstorm-like weather I didn’t take the risk for riding the forbidden part. Instead, even the unpaved road to toll road is very heavy, even more with thunderstorm without any protection. Nice flowers all over at the plateau Villacher Alpe. On the road down to Villach there is a big out-look to the Red Wall, the hill had broken down in the 14th century. Out-look much more to Drau valley, Karawanken and Julish Alps, later to Villach and greater lakes of Carinthia south. There is an unknown crossing from Drau valley to Afritzerbach, just an easy climb via Krastalsattel. You can sea some sculptures from international artists on the whole route. From the shadowed parts in the Afritzerbach you climb strong to Arriach, the geographical centre of Carinthia. Very good location there with Alte Point (dinner and room).

So 21.6. Arriach – Wöllaner-Nock-Straße – Waldener Hütte (1960 m) – Arriach – Innerteuschen (1051 m) – Himmelberg – Flatschacher See – Feldkirchen
Ü: privat (Alien- & Radlerfreund) 0 €
AE (privat): Gemüsesuppe, Pizza, Kirschkuchen, Rotwein 0 € (*)
57 km | 10,5 km/h | 5:22 h | 1575 Hm

Another toll road is climbing up to Wöllaner Nock, better close under the top (Walder Hütte). Most of the road is unpaved, but easy to ride – well, not in respect to the steepness. Last part no cars allowed (from Geigerhütte to Walderhütte, last one was closed). You have big carpets of alpine roses on top. The weather again was hard, starting with ice rain. I escaped on the way back down. Next way over the saddle of Innerteuschen is not so important, but with little traffic. After castle in Himmelberg you can find a sideway road to the Flatschach Lake, just small for bathing, not very important for the landscape, but woods around full of blueberries. In Feldkirchen I met two cycling guys from the town, inviting me to stay there overnight. So the day turned out short. The cycling guys are interested in special technical design of good racing bikes, one worked as a watch-maker.

Mo 22.6. Feldkirchen – Glanhofen – Tauernteich/Tauerneck (910 m) – Ossiach – St. Andrä – Wemberg – Stallhofen – Köstenberg – Ebenfeld – Forstsee – Pörtschach – Krumpendorf – Klagenfurt – Viktring – Keutschacher See/Camping Sabotnik
Ü: C Sabotnik 14,10 €
AE (dito): Grillteller, Pommes, Gemüse, Most 16,50 € (-)
91 km | 12,4 km/h | 7:21 h | 1225 Hm

Di 23.6. Keutschacher See/Camping Sabotnik
Ü: C Sabotnik 14,10 €
AE (dito): Kässpätzle, Salat, Rotwein 14,80 € (*)
ME (dito): Bohnensuppe, Spaghetti Frutti di Mare, Salat, Rotwein, Cafe (-)
0 km | – km/h | – h | 0 Hm

Instead the first day started sunny, a storm in the afternoon looks like weather change again. So the day at Lake Keutschacher was disastrous – just raining, short brake in late afternoon. I had to wait the whole day in the camping restaurant. The most exciting place on the way to Keutschach is the Tauernteich, a small road, partially unpaved in the back of the bigger Ossiacher See downward. The Ossiacher See is mainly private property, well known in Ossiach with classical music festival in summer. Even worse is private property at the Wörthersee, north bank. The cycling way looks sometimes like a cage between road, railway and luxury buildings. In the east you don’t need to cross Klagenfurt for surrounding the lake. Somewhere in a lake village I found streets forbidden for cyclists, but allowed for cars. If you look for a better bathing lake with free places, you should choose for the Forstsee, a storage lake, but with a lot of niches. You can reach by low traffic routes through wooded areas with blueberries.

Mi 24.6. Camping Sabotnik – Plaschischen – Pyramidenkogel (Visit, ca. 0,5 h) – Plaschischen – Reifnitz (Wörthersee) – Maiernigg – Gustav-Mahler-Komponierhäuschen (Visit, ca. 0,5 h) – Maiernigg – Viktring – Lambichl – Gaisach – Wegscheide – Burg Hollenburg – Kirschentheuer – Ferlach – via cycling way – Tscheppaschlucht (Walk, ca. 1,5 h) – via Loiblpass road – Kirschentheuer – Freistritz im Rosental
Ü: C Juritz 13,10 €
AE (dito): Kohlrabicrèmesuppe, Kalbsrahmgeschnetzeltes, Rösti, überbackene Erdbeeren m. Vanilleeis, Rotwein 51 € (*****)
B: Pyramidenkogel-Turm 11 €
B: Gustav-Mahler-Komponierhäuschen 2 €
B: Tscheppaschlucht 7,50 €
68 km | 13,7 km/h | 4:53 h | 910 Hm

The Pyramidenkogel is the highest view tower made by wood at all. Located on a hill, you have great panorama to all sides, most impressing on the Wörthersee. You can choose walking the steps upwards or take an elevator – it’s the same price. The south part (even I know from an earlier visit) is quieter than the north bank; as well you’ll find more free parts at the lake. At southeast, first houses of Maiernigg, you look at a private property with a yellow villa. This had been the house Gustav Mahler formerly, living there partially with his family. Gustav Mahler composed some important works in Maiernigg, beside that he was of very sportive character. For composing he used a special chalet in wood above the lake, you can reach by a short unpaved steep road, alternative a more idyllic walking trail. In the composing chalet you find different samples of his work and life and you can get more information from the guide, who his a musician, too (you should ask him, there is no special guidance, it’s to small for that).

Next scenery place is the monastery of Viktring, today a school, in summer for short a festival place with different kind of crossover music, originally organized by Friedrich Gulda, and located at Ossiacher See formerly. Next strange place is a memorial for Jörg Haider in Lambichl, where the former political chief of Carinthia had an accident coming to death. Haider was a populist representative of the Right in Austria, who played a crucial role in discriminating the Slavic minority people (in earlier times they had been the majority) and another crucial role in the bankruptcy of the bank Alpe Adria Hypo, which brought a big depth to Carinthian budget (instead of many millionaires Carinthia is the poorest federal state of Austria at all).

If you go for a sideway road to the Drau, you have chance to visit the castle Hollenburg, which is private property, but you can take a look the open parts. There are some old carriages and a nice inner court. In Kirschentheuer there is museum for bees, the traditional painted bee houses you can even visit from outside. Carnica is a well known honey of the Rosental. For the Tscheppa canyon you can use two ways. The Loibl road is better to ride downward, because of traffic. There is a cycling way from Ferlach to the lower entry, but some short parts of this way are not the best. Anyway, on the walk to the canyon you’ll find an increasing amount of waterfalls, the most important at the end. With the ticket you can ride back partially with a bus, but walking back is maybe faster. The camping in Freitritz is strictly recommended, if you like a gourmet like dinner.

Do 25.6. Freistritz/Rosental – Maria Elend – Mallenitzen – Oberferlach – Egg/Faaker See – Drobolach – via cycling way Faaker See – Faak am See – Finkenstein – Susalitsch – Korpitsch – Radendorf – Wurzenpass (1071 m) – Podkoren – via D2 cycling way/Adria Bike – Ratece – via D2 – Valico di Fusine Ratece (1073 m) – via D2/FVG1a – Fusine (Locanda Mondi)
Ü: H Locanda Mondi 40 € mFr/mAE (ohne Rw)
AE (dito): Polenta m. Hackfleisch, Pasta m. Wildragout, Gebäck, Früchte-Fondue m. Schokosauce, Rotwein (**)
74 km | 11,2 km/h | 6:29 h | 1260 Hm

There is a calm atmosphere at the Drau, but the cycling way is ignoring the variety of the landscape. So maybe it’s better to ride on the road. It depends, what you like more. The Faaker See is an extreme sample of private property lakes in Austria. There just a few free places you can take a look to the lake. Camping and other official places are much commercialized. The cycling way in the west is something like an awful trail through the wood. You better should use the road – but both without views to the lake. It’s worth to continue sideway roads in the valley, because small charming villages of the Slavic minority. For the Wurzenpass you need a lot of power, be short, but very steep. The landscape is not important, but you’ll find some relicts from the last war (i.e. a tank close to the top). The Slovenian side of Canal valley is easy to ride by a new cycling way, formerly railway route. It’s also known as part of Adria Bike, which is an alternative in Slovenia to Ciclovia Alpe Adria Radweg in Italy, which you cross in Tarvisio. For overnight I stayed in a new hostel for cyclists on the way to the Laghi di Fusine.

Music: Gustav Mahler composed the Rückert songs, an admired poet of Mahler, who had lyrical talent, too. As well, poetic music from a poetic place, lost in thoughts.
Gustav Mahler/Friedrich Rückert „Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen“ (6:35 min.), Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Bruno Walter/Wiener Philharmoniker


Photo gallery chapter II (167 photos):



to be continued