Cycling

Route: St. Primus – Miklauzhof – Vellach valley cycle path along the river – Bad Eisenkappel; back the same way

Surface: Back roads, from Miklauzhof mostly cycle path along the Vellach

Route: Seelach – Klopeiner See – Steinerberg – Kleinsee – St. Veit im Jauntal – Nageltschach – St. Primus – Lauchenholz/Turnersee – Hof – Pudach – Mökriach – Grabelsdorf – Süduferstraße – Unterburg – Seelach

Surface: Quiet back roads and cycle paths, mostly tarmac (according to the route description)

Route: St. Kanzian – Klopeiner See – Kleinsee – St. Primus – Turnersee – Sablatnigmoor – Gösselsdorfer See – Sittersdorf – Sonnegger See – Jaunstein – Globasnitz – Pirkdorfer See – Loibegg – Eberndorf – Unterburg – St. Kanzian

Surface: Back roads and cycle paths, one stretch on the cycle path alongside the main road

Route: Seelach – Klopeiner See – Kleinsee – St. Veit im Jauntal – Obernarrach – Rückersdorf – Dobrowa oak forest – Sittersdorf – Gösselsdorfer See – Eberndorf – Buchbrunn – Unterburg – Seelach

Surface: Back roads, cycle path alongside the L117, short forest and field tracks

For those who like it a little hillier – partly on gravel tracks: from Seelach you ride up the Kitzelberg, where a viewpoint rewards you with a view over the lakes and of the Karawanks. Then you roll via St. Veit im Jauntal and St. Primus – right past our house – to the Sablatnigmoor and back via Grabelsdorf and Unterburg.

The loop is not specially signposted; you will find the route on bergwelten.com, and the details on our e-bike page.

Route: Klopeiner See – Untersammelsdorf – St. Marxen – Drava bridge – Neudenstein – St. Margarethen ob Töllerberg – Mittertrixen – Haimburg – Griffen – Grafenbach – Diex – Völkermarkt – Kühnsdorf – Klopeiner See

Surface: Tarmac roads (described as a road-bike tour)

Route: Seelach – St. Kanzian – Untersammelsdorf – St. Lorenzen – Drava Cycle Path through the woods – Völkermarkt Drava bridge – Neudenstein – Tainach Drava bridge – Stein im Jauntal – Littermoos – Seelach

Surface: Cycle paths and back roads, a stretch through the woods on the Drava Cycle Path

Route: Klopeiner See – St. Kanzian – Seidendorf Drava bridge – Grafenstein (short steep climb) – R6 cycle path – Klagenfurt

Surface: Mostly tarmac and quiet roads, short stretches of natural trail – also described as a barrier-free handbike stage

Route: Klopein – south shore path – forest road to the Gracarca (on foot to the summit, 687 m) – Danielkapelle – Grabelsdorfer Kreuz – Mökriach – Oberburg – on foot to the Georgikapelle – Unterburg – north shore

Surface: One third each tarmac, gravel and natural trail; short walks up to the summits

Route: Lippitzbach bridge – Dobrowa – Jauntalbrücke – Aich/Dob – Bleiburg (main square) – Moos/Blato – Replach – Rinkenberg – Lippitzbach bridge

Surface: Mostly tarmac back roads, short gravel section

Route: Bleiburg – Loibach – Holmec border crossing – Prevalje – Meža valley – Mežica (Glančnik); back the same way

Surface: Tarmac roads, partly with traffic; gravel inside the mine tunnel

Route: Lavamünd – Drava bridge – Unterpudlach – Libeliče – Dravograd – Slovenj Gradec – Dravograd – Drava Cycle Path R1 – Lavamünd; short version only as far as Dravograd

Surface: Tarmac throughout, largely cycle paths and old railway lines

Route: Lavamünd – Neuhaus – Unterndorf – Oberndorf – Kunst-Radweg – Aich – Heiligengrab – Einersdorf – Moos – Replach – Kühnsdorf – Wasserhofen – Klopeiner See

Surface: Just over four fifths tarmac or back roads, the rest natural trails and wooden boardwalks

The Jauntalweg R1D is a signposted feeder route to the Drava Cycle Path and runs south of the Drava right across the Jauntal: it branches off the Drava Cycle Path R1 west of Goritschach and goes via Müllnern, Sittersdorf and St. Stefan to Bleiburg and on to Aich, where it meets the Drava again. The roughly 38 kilometres are flat to gently rolling and mostly asphalted. You ride on quiet back roads and farm tracks, with views of the Petzen and the Koralpe.

Because the route is quieter than the Drava Cycle Path, it suits couples and families with older children. Some sections run on regional roads, and short stretches are gravel. For a half-day tour ride as far as Bleiburg; for a whole day make a loop via the Drava Cycle Path. Take water with you – there is little shade between the villages.

The Wildensteiner Wasserfalltour is a waymarked bike loop by the Klopeiner See tourist board. It starts on the west shore of the Klopeiner See and runs via St. Primus and through the fields around Sittersdorf and Gallizien to the Wildensteiner Wasserfall at the foot of the Hochobir. There you leave your bike at the inn and walk up in about 15 to 20 minutes to the viewing platform below the 54-metre waterfall.

The loop is around 25 kilometres long and almost entirely on asphalt, partly on quiet back roads, partly on regional roads with car traffic. The only bigger climbs are on the last stretch to the waterfall. With the waterfall visit and a stop for food it makes a relaxed half-day outing, easily manageable by e-bike or with older children. Bring sturdy shoes for the rooty path up to the waterfall.

The Klopeinerseeweg R1F links the Drava Cycle Path with the lake area. It starts in Seidendorf at Tainach-Stein station, runs via St. Kanzian to the Klopeiner See and on to Eberndorf. From there it continues via Gösselsdorf to Jaunstein, where it joins the Jauntalweg R1D. The roughly 15 kilometres are almost entirely asphalted and hardly steep; there is only a short climb between the Drava and the lake plateau.

The route works well as a link: you cycle down to the Drava Cycle Path, into Eberndorf with its abbey or to the Gösselsdorfer See. It does not pass St. Primus or the Turnersee – you get there on the back roads towards St. Kanzian. Some sections run along regional roads with car traffic, so the route is only of limited suitability for small children. Allow one to two hours for the whole route with breaks.

The Drau-Tour is a leisurely bike circuit from the Klopeiner See to the Drava and back. From the information centre in Seelach you roll past the Walderlebniswelt down to St. Kanzian, behind the church on to Untersammelsdorf and along the cycle path across the fields to Peratschitzen and St. Lorenzen. There you join the Drava Cycle Path, which leads through shady forest to the Drava bridge at Völkermarkt.

After the bridge you ride along the north shore of the Völkermarkter Stausee, past Schloss Neudenstein and a bird sanctuary, to the Drava bridge at Tainach. Via Seidendorf, a few short climbs to Stein im Jauntal and through Littermoos, quiet paths take you back to Seelach. The circuit is around 25.6 kilometres long with a good 200 metres of ascent; allow a good two hours of riding plus breaks. A trekking bike or e-bike is ideal. There are places to stop for a bite on the way, such as the Waldwirt or by the reservoir.

The gravel loop “Alles fließt” links the lakes of the Jauntal over 54.7 kilometres: from the Klopeiner See you ride via Eberndorf past the Sonnegger See and the Gösselsdorfer See, through the Sablatnigmoor nature reserve and to the Turnersee; on the way back you ride a stretch of the Drava Cycle Path (Drauradweg). There are around 540 metres of climbing, with a riding time of about three and a half hours. Just under 60 per cent of the route is tarmac; the rest runs on gravel and forest tracks.

Detours along the way are worthwhile: in Eberndorf stands the former Augustinian canons’ monastery, and near Globasnitz the Hemmaberg with early Christian church remains, a pilgrimage church and the Rosalia grotto (Rosaliengrotte), which you can only reach on foot. The tour is suitable for experienced cyclists with a gravel bike or a sturdy trekking bike. Take plenty of water, a repair kit and the GPX file; there are places to stop for refreshments at the lakes.

The fifth stage of the Drava Cycle Path R1 (Drauradweg) runs from Ferlach via Völkermarkt to Lavamünd, right through the middle of southern Carinthia. Over around 67 kilometres you follow the Drava through the Jauntal, past conglomerate cliffs, riverside forests and the river’s reservoirs. The nearest access point is on the Drava at Saager (Stein im Jauntal): from there you cycle upstream towards Ferlach or downstream towards Völkermarkt and Lavamünd.

With about 570 metres of ascent and around four and a half hours of actual riding, the whole stage is a full day out for experienced cyclists; shorter sections there and back are also suitable for families. Along the way, the old town of Völkermarkt and the view of the 96-metre-high Jauntal bridge, the highest railway bridge in Central Europe, are well worth it. A detour to one of the swimming lakes brings a welcome cool-down in summer. Take enough water and provisions with you.

This bike tour first takes you from Bad Eisenkappel along the Ebriach stream towards the Schaidasattel pass as far as Ebriach/Obirsko. At the Gasthof Srienc you turn left into the Trögerner Klamm: a narrow road with hardly any traffic winds through the tight limestone gorge, with the Trögerner Bach rushing along on the left and the rock faces towering up on the right. At the end of the gorge there is a rest stop with a water playground for children, and you return the same way.

The one-way route is just under 12 kilometres with around 270 metres of ascent, spread evenly – so the ride back almost rolls downhill by itself. Allow half a day with breaks. The tour suits families with some cycling experience and e-bikes; as cars use the road too, take care on the blind bends. You can stop for food in Ebriach at the Gasthof Kovac and Gasthof Srienc and at the Jausenstation Rodica in Trögern.

The Lavantradweg R10 (cycle path) branches off the Drava Cycle Path in Lavamünd and follows the Lavant through the entire Lavanttal to Reichenfels – just under 58 kilometres in all. For a day trip, the southern section from Lavamünd to Wolfsberg is a good choice: around 29 kilometres, mostly tarmacked and with only gentle climbs, about three hours’ riding time at a relaxed pace. Along the way lie the Benedictine abbey of St. Paul with its art collections, the Mühldorfer Au, a former backwater of the Lavant, and the leisure area at the St. Andräer See.

The destination is Wolfsberg’s old town with cafés and places to eat. The route is family-friendly; just bear in mind that the last few kilometres before Lavamünd have some short climbs and descents. If you carry on beyond Wolfsberg, you have to ride around 10 kilometres on the main road between Wiesenau and Frantschach-St. Gertraud – with children, it’s better to stop there.

Around our house, cycling is pure pleasure: gentle hills, quiet back roads, meadows, woods and a swimming lake every few kilometres. The popular 3-Lakes Loop (approx. 18 km) runs from the Turnersee via the Kleinsee to the Klopeiner See and starts right outside our front door. If you want more, add the Gösselsdorfer See (4-Lakes Loop, hardly any climbing, ideal for families) or make a whole day of it with the 6-Lakes Loop via the Sonnegger See and Pirkdorfer See. All in all, the region offers around 1,500 kilometres of cycle routes.

North of us, the Drava Cycle Path R1 (Drauradweg) follows the Drava – one of the most beautiful river cycle paths in Europe. Didn’t bring your own bike? E-bikes and bikes can be hired in many places, for example through “Kärnten rent e-Bike”. With the Aktiv Card you can join guided leisurely bike tours and mountain bike tours free of charge – and mountain bikers will find the MTB Zone on the Petzen.

For very fit mountain bikers with confident riding technique: with guide Charly you set off from the Bikepoint at the tourist information office in St. Kanzian along selected natural trails and varied paths through southern Carinthia, with sporty climbs, flowing descents and wide views. Over around 40–50 km you clock up 700–1,000 metres of climbing, and the tour takes about six hours. Bring a helmet, enough to drink, a packed snack and rain gear. With the Aktiv Card you take part free of charge.

On this leisurely guided bike tour you ride with guide Charly along well-made cycle paths through the lakes and rolling hills of southern Carinthia, with a refreshment stop on the way. The start is at the Bikepoint of the tourist information in Seelach; you can join about 20 minutes later at Camping Breznik on the Turnersee. Suitable for adults and children from 12 with some cycling experience – please bring a helmet, water bottle and sun protection.

With bike guide Charly you cycle along the extensive cycle path network of southern Carinthia to scenic and cultural sights in the region – churches, viewpoints, lakes and villages in the Jauntal. Halfway through, a stop at a Buschenschank (farm tavern) or an inn is part of the tour. It takes half a day and suits anyone who cycles regularly and doesn’t mind a few climbs.

This guided mountain bike tour with guide Charly is meant for experienced riders with a good basic level of fitness. Over 30–40 km and 500–700 metres of climbing, you ride selected natural trails and forest tracks in the hill country of southern Carinthia, with views across the region again and again along the way. Allow around four hours. The meeting point is the Bikepoint at the St. Kanzian tourist information office.

On this guided tour for beginners you gain your first off-road experience with guide Charly. The route follows varied forest tracks and selected easy natural trails around the Klopeiner See, with tips on riding technique and safe biking along the way. At 20–25 km and 250–400 metres of climbing, the loop takes a good two hours; an e-bike makes the climbs easier. The meeting point is the Bikepoint at the St. Kanzian tourist information office.

On the Steinerberg near St. Kanzian, the tourist board has built a short flow trail for families and beginners. The descent, around 1.4 km long with about 67 metres of drop, runs through the forest on a firm surface over rollers, berms and short uphill sections. The small tables can be ridden around, and faster riders can jump them. Use of the trail is free and at your own risk.

The start is opposite the Zum Grinzing wine tavern (Heuriger). You ride back up under your own steam, and many people ride the trail several times in a row. For children who can already ride confidently, the trail is ideal for practising before you go on longer rides together. The Kitzelberg trail is nearby and combines well with it. The surface dries quickly after rain.

In Unterburg on the east shore of the Klopeiner See there is a small pump track, a loop of rollers and banked corners built in 2016. Children on BMXs, balance bikes or kids’ bikes practise building speed here without pedalling, and the track is good for half an hour in between. It is freely accessible near the Café Zum Poldi and the Strandbad Krainz. A helmet is a must, and the track is slippery after rain. We have not been able to check how well kept it is in 2026.

The public skate park of the town of Völkermarkt is next to the sports stadium on Jahnweg. There’s a halfpipe, quarterpipe, wheel base, rail slide and fun box – elements for skateboards, scooters and BMX. The park is open to everyone and free to use. For teenagers it’s a good change from a day at the lake. Bring a helmet and pads.

The Flow Country Trail in the MTB Zone Bikepark Petzen is 11.5 km long and one of the longest flow trails in Europe. You ride the gondola up to the top station at about 1,700 m and then roll some 1,000 vertical metres back down into the valley near Feistritz ob Bleiburg over berms, rollers and tables. The middle section has lots of tables; lower down the trail runs more gently across meadows. Every jump can be rolled, and there are rest and pull-out spots along the way.

The trail is easy to intermediate, so it also suits confident hobby riders and teenagers trying a bike park for the first time. One descent takes half an hour to an hour, depending on your pace. You can hire bikes, protective gear and helmets at the bike shop at the valley station, which also handles small repairs. A full-face helmet and protective gear are recommended.

On the Petzen near Feistritz ob Bleiburg lies one of the best-known bike parks in Austria. Its centrepiece is the Flow Country Trail: 11.5 kilometres of tables, berms and steep banked turns, with every jump rollable, graded easy to intermediate. Very experienced riders take the Thriller or the EWS Trail, where World Cup races have already been held. Since 2025 there have also been a Jump Trail, Freeride and Shakedown Trail at the Quellenlift. You get up the mountain by cable car or the Quellenlift.

For children and beginners there is a practice course in the valley and the short, 350-metre Kids Naturtrail through the woods. At the bike station by the valley station you can hire enduro and junior bikes including helmet and protectors, and riding technique courses are offered for children, teenagers and adults. A full-face helmet and protectors are recommended on all trails. Allow half a day to a full day.

Right by the valley station of the Petzen cable car in Feistritz ob Bleiburg lies the Quellenhang slope. Since 2025 the Quellenlift, a T-bar lift about 530 metres long, takes you and your bike back up again – the so-called Easyloop system. From the top, three short trails lead back down: a Jump Trail built for jumps, a Freeride line and the Shakedown Trail. Because the laps are short, you can ride the same line several times in a row and practise specific skills without taking the gondola up to 1,700 metres every time.

The trails are aimed at teenagers and adults with some bike park experience; complete beginners start on the practice course in the valley, and for children there is the Kids Natur Trail. At the bike shop by the valley station you can hire bikes, helmets and protectors and have small repairs done, and there is a bike wash next to it. If you want more afterwards, take the gondola up to the long Flow Country Trail.

Besides the well-known Flow Country Trail, the MTB Zone Bikepark Petzen has two trails for experienced enduro riders: the Petzen Thriller is a natural trail with roots, rocks and steep sections that drops almost 1,000 metres over about 5 kilometres from the top station down to the valley. The EWS Trail was built in 2018 specially for a round of the Enduro World Series and joins the Thriller – technically demanding and at race level.

You take the cable car up with your bike and ride back down to the valley; depending on your fitness you can manage several descents in a morning. The trails are expressly meant only for experienced riders, with a full-face helmet and protectors. If you don’t bring your own enduro or downhill bike, you can hire a bike, helmet and protective gear at the bike shop by the valley station; there is also a bike wash there.

Down in the valley of the MTB Zone Bikepark Petzen, beginners and children can practise in peace before tackling the long descents: the practice course with small rollers, bends and obstacles is right by the valley station, and the Kids Natur Trail takes children playfully over forest floor and roots.

Since 2025 there have been three more trails at the Quellenlift in the valley – Jump Trail, Freeride and Shakedown – which you reach comfortably by lift instead of the cable car. For one to three hours this makes a good outing for families and for more advanced riders who want to practise jumps. Bikes, helmets and protectors in children’s sizes are available at the bike shop by the valley station; there is a bike wash right next to it.

On the west shore of the Klopeiner See in Seelach, lake’n’ride hires out e-bikes, gravel bikes, mountain bikes, full-suspension e-MTBs, trekking bikes and children’s bikes – by the hour, day or week. You can hire a helmet and child seat as extras, and a lock comes with every rental bike. Bikes can be reserved online or by phone, which is advisable in high season. Repairs and servicing are handled by partner workshops.

The region’s guided bike tours start from the Bikepoint in front of the tourist office in Seelach: from the leisurely guided bike tour with a stop for food to MTB riding-technique training and sporty trail tours with guide Charly. With the Aktiv Card you take part free of charge. Sign up by 16:00 the day before, or at short notice on the spot. There is a limited number of rental bikes for adults. At the tourist office you can also pick up cycling maps and tour tips.

This e-bike shop on Klopeiner Straße in St. Kanzian rents out e-city, e-trekking, e-mountain and full-suspension bikes, plus ordinary bikes, children’s bikes and accessories such as helmets, child seats, trailers and spare batteries – by the hour, for half or full days and for up to a week. Bikes are handed out from 8:30 and must be returned by 18:00. There is also a workshop offering quick repairs, including for other brands.

Since the Koralmbahn opened, Kühnsdorf-Klopeiner See station has been a good starting point for bike tours with a little help from the train: you take the S-Bahn with your bike to Klagenfurt or the Lavanttal, for example, and cycle back. As long as there are spaces free, you don’t need a reservation on the S-Bahn. With the Aktiv-Ticket Kärnten, you and your bike can travel on local trains for a whole day.

With the Drauradweg-Bus from Kärnten Radreisen you ride the Drava Cycle Path downstream instead of uphill: an air-conditioned minibus with a bike trailer takes you on Fridays and Saturdays from the Klopeiner See to Lienz or Sillian in East Tyrol. From there you cycle back along the Drava in several daily stages. The bus only runs if there are bookings, so reserve in good time by e-mail or phone. For four people or more, your own dates with pick-up at your accommodation are also possible.

The Postbus Shuttle is an on-demand bus for St. Kanzian, Eberndorf, Bleiburg and Feistritz ob Bleiburg: you book your ride in the app and are picked up at any stop in the area. Since July 2026 it also takes bikes Fri–Sun from 8:00 to 18:00, for example to the Eckwirt in St. Primus, to the Hafenrast on the Drava Cycle Path in Völkermarkt or to the Mostschenke at the Linsendorfer See – handy for one-way bike tours.