Modern apartments and chalets on the Turracher Höhe in Styria

Burg Landskron, with its Eagle Arena and Ape Mountain, is a marvelous excursion destination for the whole family. The toll road up to the ruins is an easy drive (Ossiacher Süduferstraße, Schlossbergweg In the Eagle Arena, I am always impressed by the acrobatics of the “kings of the air”. This 40-minute show with eagles and falcons is absolutely memorable. No less fascinating is Ape Mountain, home to approximately 160 Japanese macaques. If you would like to take a closer look “behind the scenes”, we suggest booking a private tour with an experienced animal keeper or primatologist.

Burg Landskron is also the starting point for the popular, kid-friendly “Lord of the Castle Tour”. Taking approximately one and a half hours, it leads from the castle pond to the “Jungfernstieg” and the “White Wall”. Also be sure to set aside some time for a refreshment break and to enjoy the views!

If all the rest and relaxation should ever become “too much” for you, I recommend making a trip into the city. Klagenfurt and Villach are both only a 60-minute drive from here. Klagenfurt isn’t only the biggest city in Carinthia, it is also the provincial capital. No wonder, then, that the shopping opportunities are many and varied, while the downtown area represents a marvelous opportunity for a leisurely stroll. Furthermore, the west of Klagenfurt stands on famous Lake Wörthersee, where you will discover a beautiful 40,000 m² swimming area with 3 swim docks and a 300 m-long sandy beach.

Villach exudes Mediterranean flair. Hardly surprising, since this city lies close to the Italian border. This city of 60,000 residents can easily be explored on foot and, if you ever wish to take a break in between, you will be able to relax completely as you indulge yourself in a delicious Italian gelato somewhere along the picturesque Drau Promenade.

In Carinthia on the sunny side of the Alps, you will discover some of the most beautiful and warmest lakes in the entire Alpine region, Lake Wörthersee, with its turquoise-blue tones and almost Caribbean flair, at the head of the pack. From Alpenpark Turracher Höhe to cosmopolitan Velden on the western bay, the total distance is only 60 km. Standing above Wörthersee is yet another top Carinthian excursion destination, the Pyramidenkogel – which, at 100 m, boasts the highest wooden lookout tower in the world. The panoramas from up there are absolutely sensational.

The second-biggest lake and also one of the warmest lakes in Carinthia, Millstätter See, is roughly 40 minutes away by car. While Ossiacher See and Faaker See are likewise less than an hour from here.

If you leave the Turracher Höhe heading south, in roughly 20 minutes you will find yourself in Bad Kleinkirchheim. There, in the heart of the Carinthian Nockberge, two spa resorts invite you to escape the outside world completely. At Thermal Römerbad, you are greeted by an incomparable array of wellness opportunities including a sauna center on 3 floors and spanning 12,000 m². Therme St. Kathrein, on the other hand, boasts the biggest water area of all Carinthian spa resorts as well as an 86 m-long slide guaranteed to appeal to families especially. Because it is so close, a trip to Bad Kleinkirchheim is also convenient even after a day full of mountain adventures.

But you don’t only find spectacular excursion destinations south of the Turracher Höhe. Upper Styria also has a lot to offer, too. With its medieval charm, the historic downtown area of Murau invites you to take an extended walk, to imposing Schloss Murau, for example, enthroned majestically above the town with a history that goes back to the year 1250. In 2010, Murau was also honored as a “beer town”. You simply have to taste the delicious Murauer Bier, while a guided brewery tour will reveal all the secrets behind this delectable beverage.

There is yet another attraction you simply have to see during your excursion to Murtal in Styria: the Wood Museum in St. Ruprecht ob Murau, a fascinating world of wood spanning 10,000 m². It is amazing to see all the things that can be made out of wood.