The most beautiful lakes around the Explorer Hotel Bad Kleinkirchheim in Carinthia

Kleinkirchheim: High-altitude hike in the Nockberge Mountains in Carinthia. Tour report with information about the mountain tour and impressions. We first stroll a bit through Bad Kleinkirchheim. We pass quaint wooden houses with flowers on the windowsills. It looks truly quaint and idyllic. The Nockberge Mountains rise all around. They appear somewhat hilly. But that's mainly because Bad Kleinkirchheim itself is already over 1,000 meters above sea level. If you want to relax, you can do so in one of the two thermal baths. Next, we take the Brunnach Biosphere Park cable car up. The clouds are still low. Hopefully, they'll clear over the course of the day and reveal a view of the surrounding mountains. From the mountain station, turn right. In winter, you can ski on the slopes. In summer, the area offers not only hiking trails but also numerous mountain bike trails. We hike deeper into the Carinthian Nockberge Biosphere Reserve and follow the Salzsteigweg. This is a long-distance hiking trail that runs from Upper Austria, through Styria, to Carinthia. In total, you can hike a distance of 430 km. Unfortunately, at the summit of Folkert (2,308 m), our view is blocked. Thick fog surrounds us. Normally, from above, you could see large parts of the Nockberge, look towards Slovenia, and enjoy the view of the Hohe Tauern. By the way, there's also a via ferrata leading up to Folkert. Then you don't have to walk the entire high-altitude hike, but can start at Falkertsee. We'll also descend to that lake. And there, the sky is finally clearing up a bit. The sun even makes an appearance. From below, the Nockberge don't look so hilly at all. The Falkert actually looks quite rugged. It's great to hike with a bit of a view, so we're delighted to see the picturesque Falkertsee next. Right on the shore, I dip my hand into the cool water. It's not that cool, though. Carinthia is known for its warm swimming lakes. If the weather were a bit warmer, I could certainly imagine jumping right in. Lake Afritz and Lake Millstatt are also great for swimming.

Bike guide Miro will show you Europe's longest flow trail on his mountain bike, at around 15 kilometers: the Flow Country Trail in the nock/bike region of Bad Kleinkirchheim in Carinthia, Austria. Miro's MTB tour starts, complete with bike equipment, at the Explorer Hotel in Bad Kleinkirchheim. After about a 6-minute bike ride, he arrives at the valley station of the Kaiserburgbahn cable car. Here, you can also train for the descent on a mountain bike practice course with a pump track. The cable car takes you up to the Kaiserburg mountain station. Here, at an altitude of 2,000 meters, is the starting point of the Flow Country Trail. The Flow Country Trail is 15 km long and descends 1,000 meters with a maximum gradient of 8%. There are branches to the Nock Lake Trails. The Kaiserburgbahn cable car is the starting and ending point. Miro will show you the best sections of the Flow Country Trail. The bike guide descends the first bends through the alpine world of the Nockberge mountains and reaches the junctions with the Nock Lake Trails. These consist of four natural bike trails with varying levels of difficulty for beginners and advanced riders. Each natural trail leads towards Feld am See to the picturesque Brennsee lake. Miro then takes you on the Flow Country Trail to the Kaiserburgbahn valley station. The ride continues at a rapid pace through meadows and forest terrain, over pumps, rollers, and banked turns. Halfway through the Flow Country Trail, there's a short break. Miro shows you the place to stop for a break at the Unterwirt Hut. Along the long descent, you'll have many options for refreshments at several mountain huts, such as the Maibrunn Hut. After a refreshment, you'll ride the Flow Trail down through the forest to Bad Kleinkirchheim. After steep bends and hills, Miro returns to the valley below. If you're experienced mountain biking or familiar with the basic techniques, you can definitely ride the Flow Country Trail in the Nockberge Mountains. If you don't want to bring a bike with you on vacation, there's a bike rental at the Kaiserburg valley station. We hope you enjoy riding Europe's longest flow trail!

Nockberge Biosphere Reserve Ranger Jonathan takes you on an easy hike up the Arkerkopf in Bad Kleinkirchheim in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Jonathan grabs his hiking backpack and hiking boots and starts the tour from the Brunnach Biosphere Reserve cable car. From the Explorer Hotel Bad Kleinkirchheim, it's a 10-minute drive or you can take the public Nockmobile. Jonathan first takes the cable car to an altitude of over 1,900 meters. Once you reach the Brunnach Höhe, the easy hike begins. The hiking route runs along a forest road to the St. Oswalder Bockhütte. This is followed by a short climb up the Arkerkopf. The trail runs through the nature zone of the UNESCO Nockberge Biosphere Reserve. Here you can enjoy the view of a stunning mountain panorama and green cow pastures. This enchanting area is easy to hike and ideal for families. Our ranger Jonathan arrives at the Oswalder Bockhütte after about 45 minutes of walking. From there, you can already see the hike's destination: the Arkerkopf. In the nature zone of the biosphere reserve, you can experience the diversity and high biodiversity of the flowers, flora, and fauna. Jonathan points out the connection between humans and nature that exists in the nature reserve. People protect the landscape, but also use it. Beautiful hiking trails through the Austrian Nockberge continue to the Arkersattel. From here, you can enjoy further easy to challenging mountain and hiking tours. Jonathan climbs the last few meters to the summit. After 1.5 hours of hiking, he has now reached the summit cross. The mountain panorama clearly shows the typical, rounded shape of the Nockberge. After a short break and refreshments, you descend the mountain into the valley. Arriving at the family-friendly Explorer Hotel Bad Kleinkirchheim in Carinthia, Jonathan summarizes the hike. The Brunnach cable car allows you to start your hike directly in the Nockberge Biosphere Reserve. The gentle climbs ensure hiking fun for all ages. In addition to hiking, the Nockberge mountains also offer fantastic mountain biking and skiing in winter.

Professional cyclist Günther will take you on a fantastic road bike tour along the Nockalm Road to the Schiestlscharte Pass in the Nockberge Mountains near Bad Kleinkirchheim in Carinthia, Austria. The professional road biker welcomes you from the Explorer Hotel Bad Kleinkirchheim. From there, he starts his tour into the Nockberge Mountains. After a short descent, he rides his road bike into a valley towards Turracher Höhe. After 10 kilometers, he turns left to the Nockalm. The road bike tour is 55 kilometers long and takes 2 to 4 hours. It climbs 1,000 meters in elevation. The route leads through the beautiful nature and mountains of the Nockberge Mountains. The Nockalm Road is a pass and perfect for road cycling. The first stage of the road bike tour has been reached: Günther is now standing at the start of the Nockalm Road in Carinthia. This road has a maximum gradient of 12% and climbs for 9 kilometers with numerous curves. The professional road cyclist explains that they won't be riding the entire Nockalm Road, but rather the destination is the highest point: the Schiestlscharte with its beautiful view of the Nockberge Mountains. Günther has completed the first section on his racing bike and is now standing in front of the Nockalm Road toll booth. In 1981, after 11 years of planning, the road was opened by then-Federal President Kirchschläger. The Nockalm Road offers stunning natural scenery. It leads past flowing streams and green meadows lined with cows. The professional cyclist and his racing bike have completed two-thirds of the route. The road now leads out of the forest. At an elevation of 2,000 meters, you'll see a small lake, as Carinthia is known as a lake region. Günther cycles the last few kilometers and meters of elevation gain on his racing bike. The racing cyclist has reached his destination. After 25 kilometers and 1,000 meters of elevation gain, there's a short break. Here you have the opportunity to stop at the Glockenhütte. From the top, you have a beautiful panoramic view of the Nockalm Road and the Carinthian Nockberge Mountains. If you want, you can continue your road bike ride along the Nockalm Road into the Grundtal Valley, or you can take a long detour around the pass road. Carinthia offers you many options for road bikers. For this tour, you need some basic road cycling skills and a good level of fitness to climb the Nockalm Road. You can visit this viewpoint at the Schiestlscharte not only by road bike, but also by e-bike, motorcycle, or car. There are also beautiful hiking tours through the Nockberge Mountains. Günther is now looking forward to the descent. There is little traffic on the road, which makes the descent on a road bike twice as much fun. After arriving safely at the Explorer Hotel Bad Kleinkirchheim in Carinthia over a coffee, Günther sums up. For the professional cyclist, the route was a casual and short road bike tour with a beautiful panorama of the Nockberge Mountains, which can be completed on short notice. Around Bad Kleinkirchheim, you can choose any destination and pass for your next road bike tour. Why not cycle to a beautiful lake in Carinthia, such as Lake Millstatt, Lake Wörthersee, or Lake Ossiachersee? The Explorer Hotel offers you the perfect base camp with a bike area including a workbench, as well as a good starting point for beautiful routes through Carinthia by road bike or mountain bike. Thanks to the pleasant early temperatures in southern Austria, you can experience a wide variety of activities in the Nockberge Mountains around Bad Kleinkirchheim.

Jörg takes you on a fantastic gravel bike tour in Carinthia. From Bad Kleinkirchheim, you'll cycle around the picturesque Lake Millstatt in Austria. Bike guide and cycling instructor Jörg welcomes you from the Explorer Hotel Bad Kleinkirchheim. A quick check of your gravel bike at the workbench, and then the bike tour can begin. From Bad Kleinkirchheim, you'll head to Radenthein and then on to Lake Millstatt. The bike tour is approximately 60 kilometers long and you'll climb 700 meters. The gravel route takes three to four hours. Lake Millstatt is an absolute highlight in Carinthia. There are a variety of activities around the lake, such as lidos, a climbing garden, mini golf, and boat rentals.