Posted by Yes, I love Carinthia, and it is one of my favorite touring regions every year. There is something new to discover every year when touring in the three-country region of Austria, Italy and Slovenia. Always in my tank bag is the free motorcycle map published by Motorradland Kärnten, which is ideal as a planning and overview tool.
Carinthia’s panoramic roads
Of course, you can also download attractive routes from the dedicated motorcycle tourism website. However, I prefer to plan my own routes, but I like to make use of another service offered by Motorradland: the panoramic road ticket.
This ticket is more than 20% cheaper than the cumulative individual toll prices and some of the Motorradland partner hotels have already included the ticket in their biker package. The asphalt roads are the Nockalmstraße, the Malta Hochalmstraße, the Goldeck Panoramastraße, the Villacher Alpenstraße and the Großglockner Hochalpenstraße.
In this and my next Kurviger blog posts, I would like to introduce you to these Carinthian highlights, including great tour suggestions, and I would be delighted if the motorcycling experience in Carinthia inspires you as much as it does me.
Rock the nock
On this tour, I would like to take you on a fantastic tour that takes you along the Nockalm road and the lush trails of the Gurktal Alps and the Metnitz mountains.
It all starts 1,795 meters above sea level, at the panoramic parking lot on the Turracher Höhe. A handful of round, clean hairpin bends lead downhill from the popular pass, just before the Reichenau plain, turn right and the motorcycling fun on one of Austria‘s most ingenious Alpine roads can begin.
35 kilometers of road fascination await, without a single human settlement, without a trace of civilization apart from the odd calorie filling station – this is truly unique in the Alps. 52 hairpin bends and countless twists and turns are the hallmark of the Nockalm Road, which was planned in 1971 and inaugurated in 1981. The name Nock has its origins in the round elevations and hilltops of the region. It is also affectionately referred to as the Nocky Mountains.
Distance: 227 kilometers
GPX data and download: kurv.gr/vqnmy
Mandatory photo at the Glockenhütte
First we cross the 2,024-metre-high Schiestlscharte and then head for the highest point of the panoramic road, the 2,042-metre-high Eisentalhöhe.
The descent leads us to the Nockalmhof National Park Center, which is both an inn and a museum. The inn has an original retro feel and impresses with its good, regional food. The museum invites you to learn more and provides interesting insights into the Nockberge biosphere reserve.
The Alpengasthof Glockenhütte, with its wooden chopper, has cult status among bikers and is an extremely popular photo motif for souvenir photos.
Glide along, relax and enjoy
The Nockalmstraße is followed by the Katschberg. The classic link between Carinthia and Salzburger Land, as well as the Hohe Tauern and the Gurktal Alps. In the 1930s, the 30 percent steep route caused drivers to break out in a sweat. That is history, today the road up to the 1,641 meter high saddle runs smoothly. The beautiful twists and turns and the low traffic volume delight us two-wheelers, as the traffic is mainly on the nearby highway.
We roll along the Mur at a leisurely pace and reach the pleasantly decelerated town of Murau. A sloping detour into the Metnitz mountains takes the route further east to the Metznitz valley and Friesach.
Attractive stops
The Middle Ages come back to life in Friesach. Carinthia’s oldest town boasts a wealth of ancient buildings, such as the town wall and the moat, which still carries water. Friesach is also known as the town of castles because of its many towers and battlements.
The next small town, Althofen, then throws burgher houses with Lüftlmalereien, the New Castle and a beautiful medieval parish church into the ring.
St. Veit an der Glan is then pleasantly lively. A stroll across the main square is a delight with eye-catchers such as the Walther-von-der-Vogelweide fountain and invites you to visit a coffee house.
No fuss
In St. Veit, you should replenish your energy reserves, as the following stage through the Gurktal Alps demands concentration and attention. At altitudes between 1,500 and 1,700 meters, the mountain road whirls towards the Flattnitz ski resort before dropping down into the Mur valley.
One thing is certain – there is no “gurgling around” in the Gurktal Alps. For those with a thirst for knowledge: the river Gurk, Krka in Slovenian, is the namesake.
Now a relaxed stretch of main road, a nice swing up to the Turracher Höhe, and the wonderful day’s ride is over.
And so it goes on
In my next Carinthia blog post, I will introduce you to the Malta Hochalmstraße, which is part of a crisp tour around well-known Carinthian lakes.
Photos: Peter Wahl Motorcyclepics and moppetfoto.de
