Koralps - Austria

Koralps are a beloved skiing resort, both for downhill skiers and boarders, as for cross country and tour skiers. Many people visit them in the summer as well, for the unspoiled nature, where they either cycle of hike. One of the main reasons for a visit is the great view from the top, which covers a huge part of Austria, with many Slovenian mountains as well. The tourist infrastructure is well developed, with restaurants, guesthouses and lodgings of different categories. Visitors in Klagenfurt (Celovec) can enjoy the Alps as a day trip. They can stay at the hostel Klagenfurt, in the regional centre and biggest town. The Koralps are in Southern Austria and divide two regions. They are mostly made of metamorphic rocks, some of which are of great interest to geological research. There are also some places where they dig for half-precious stones. In the past they used to dig for raw materials to produce glass and porcelain as well, as there is a lot of flint stone and clay o hand. Most of the waters are collected behind a dam, which is used to produce hydroelectricity. 

You’ll find here around 28 kilometres of ski slopes, from which 13km range in the mid difficult and 12km in the easy category. There are also 60 kilometres of cross country tracks and a sledding range. This means every visitor can something to do. There is almost no waiting in lines, as there are many cable carts, with the joint capacity of 10.000 an hour. Many tour skiers also come, as the top is the best place to start a wild descend in any direction. Generally it is not wanted for them, to mix with other skiers, as they represent an obstacle on the arranged slopes, if they walk up them. But as the alpine range is big enough, there’s enough place for everybody to enjoy their winter activities. 

The tourist operators who work in this alpine region are proud and like to point out, they have the unspoiled nature. They also make sure they keep good care of it and make sure it’s sustainable. True, there is an asphalt road leading all the way to the top, but you can only reach it by bicycle or on foot. The road is there only for the radar stations, which is at the very top. And it’s these huge round radar dishes, that are one of the reasons why people come to visit the Koralps. They are visible from a long way away, from many valleys and other peaks. The trails are very well marked and a lucky hiker will be able to see and maybe invent take a photo of a mountain goat or a groundhog on the way to the top, as they live there in abundance. The most popular peak, for the hikers, is undoubtable the tallest one of them all. It’s the so called Speikkogel with 2140 elevation above the sea level. The steep slopes are during spring and summer months covered with soft grass, and those planes are the home to many mountain flowers. On the way you will often be able to stop at a mountain cabin, where they offer food and drink, but also bed for the night. They also have other offers, which feature a range of activities, from Nordic walk courses, skiing, boarding, wellness, and many more.