Rundwanderweg Keutschach

Directions

All information about this circular hiking trail was provided by the Austrian Alpine Club Section Weitwanderer.

From the tourist information office/Keutschach Castle (bus stop) we turn right - following the first signpost opposite the castle entrance - into the village through road to the Keutschach bypass, the crossing of which requires our increased attention. Continue straight ahead on the access road to Dobeinitz (also cycle path R4A) until you reach the settlement of Dobeinitz. Here we find the third signpost, where we keep to the left. Now go slightly uphill along the edge of the forest to the next group of houses, which we pass on the right. At the next fork we continue to follow the path on the right, coming close to the Bassgeigensee, and soon we reach the restaurant "Zauberwald" at the Rauschelesee.

We go right along the enclosure to the magic forest (suitable for children, for its visit we have to pay a separate entrance fee), then past the actual entrance to the magic forest on the left, follow the southern shore of the Rauschelesee, choosing the left path at a fork in the road, and thus arrive at the inn at the Rauschelesee. Now half-right down the access road at the row of bushes, at the following crossroad to the left and soon right again up to the Keutschacher Landesstraße. This is translated to the right and the bike and foot path is followed to the "Polzerkreuz" (wayside shrine, bus stop). Here we turn left onto the little road towards Leisbach and keep half-left at the next wayside shrine, always uphill into the forest.

At a left turn of the sand road we follow straight ahead a signpost (without number) towards Schrottkogel and arrive at a saddle between Friedlhöhe and Schrottkogel. Here we choose the path to the summit. Hikers who need refreshment will descend a short distance to the Gasthof Schrottbauer and then not go over the summit again, but follow trail 35 straight to the saddle.

Those who do not want to visit the inn will go from the top of Schrottkogel on the ascent path back to the saddle, where on the left hand side they will follow path 35 and walk down to a farmstead (Jansche). Hikers who want to bypass Schrottkogel and Friedlhöhe will choose the sand road (path 18) at the left turn mentioned at the beginning (numberless path sign), use path 17B at the next homestead (Jansche) (later 18 and 20) and head directly for the Spintik pond.

The main trail, however, leads from the Jansche homestead up a bumpy, steep cart path to Friedlhöhe, where beautiful views of Lake Wörthersee open up. Beyond the hill, our path descends just as steeply, where the trail then takes us to the "Spintikteiche" nature reserve. Here along the pond shore to the outflow, where we follow the signpost (Keutschach, Reifnitz) up to the right.

Passing some vacation houses we reach a wooden cross where we turn right. At a fork in the road, we keep straight ahead on trail 21 (the Marienpilgerweg and the Wörthersee-Rundweg lead to Reifnitz on the right). Walking mostly through woods, we reach the first houses of Rauth and get - a bit steeper down - to Raunacher Straße, where we turn right at a sharp angle (on the left we could reach the center of Keutschach in a few minutes).

However, we hike down to the edge of the forest, where a mighty wayside shrine (Kaschnikkreuz) stands, and opposite it our hiking trail leads up into the forest. On a beautiful forest path, finally steeply downhill and keeping to the left (a path leads to Reifnitz on the right), we reach the so-called "Seenstraße" (leads to Reifnitz), which we cross as well as the Reifnitzbach. We pass Gasthof Brückler (bus stop) until we reach the sign "Pension Vogtland", at this turn right uphill and immediately left through the settlement. At the end of the settlement there is a signpost, which we follow in the direction of Sankt Margarethen/Pyramidenkogel. Even before the first houses, a path (9A) leads down to the "Opferstein" (sacrificial stone), after which we have to return to our path. However, we walk past the houses and visit the little church of Sankt Margarethen (usually closed).

From the little church we have to return to our path, where we turn to the right and - first slightly downhill and then ascending - we reach the village of Linden. An asphalt road is reached, which is crossed below a wayside shrine, and it continues along the edge of the forest and meadows. Still in the meadow, our path turns up to the right, where in a left turn we go around the house above. Here we turn left briefly and immediately right again - past the Buchsbaum wine tavern - then keep left and continue uphill to the Pyramidenkogelstraße. Follow this road briefly to the right to turn left at the next forest road. The coming signpost leads us to the right up to the Pyramidenkogel lookout tower (very worthwhile ascent).

For our further way we have to go back to the last signpost, here we choose the way to the right and finally - after a bend - we come down to a cross road, which is followed to the right (signpost: Schiefling - Trattnigteich), and where it goes steeply down to another road (access to the Pyramidenkogelstraße, bus stop turn-off Höhenwirt - only on school days). Here we turn right again in the direction of Schiefling.

At another wayside sign we turn left downhill to the last houses, where our path (Lessiakhof) turns right towards Roda. First on a meadow path, then steeply down through the forest, finally keeping to the right over a stream to an asphalt road, on which it briefly goes downhill. We cross the following "Panoramaweg" (road) half-left to a little brook. Along a row of bushes we go to its end and turn left again onto a path to Keutschacher Straße (wayside shrine, bus stop). Turn left briefly and then immediately right again into Penkenweg. We follow this straight ahead to the Techelbach, which we cross. Continue straight on through the Moorau (Ramsar area) to the edge of the forest. At the following trail split we choose the left trail (trail 28 leads to the Penkensee), which is followed south of the Hafnersee.

At a signpost at the end of the Hafnersee, the trail leads to the road that leads to the right to the nudist area, which we turn right into. We walk through the area half-left to finally reach the "Strand-Camping-Süd" along the Keutschacher See.

Walk down the road until you reach a crossroad, turn right into it (on the left you will reach Gasthof Brückler) and walk uphill on our path for a short while and then turn left (on the right the path leads to Wurdach). At the second farmstead on the left of the path, continue to the right (wooden cross). Now south of the moor meadows (Ramsar area) through the forest, finally on the meadow and past a fish pond to Dobeinitz.

Here we can already see Keutschach on the left hand side, where we - after crossing the bypass road - arrive back at our starting point in about ¼ hour, thus closing the circle of the "Keutschacher Rundwanderweg W11" and a "pleasure hike" has found its end.

Schloss/Keutschach (535 m) - Dobeinitz (535 m,1 km/¼ hr.) - Zauberwald (515 m, 1.2 km/¼ hr.) - Reauz (505 m, 2 km/½ hr.) - Leisbach (540 m, 2 km/½ hr.) - Schrottkogel (759 m, 1.6 km/½ hr.) - Jansche estate (640 m, 2 km/½ hr.) - Friedlhöhe (739 m, 1 km/½ hr.) - Spintikteich (575 m, 1.3 km/ ½ hr.) - Sekirn (600 m, 1 km/¼ hr.) - Rauth (600 m, 1.2 km/¼ hr.) - Kaschnikkreuz (550 m, 1 km/ ¼ hr.) - Schelesnitz (600 m, 0.4 km/¼ hr.) - Keutschacher See/Plaschischen (507 m, 1.2 km/¼ hr.) - St. Margarethen (606 m, 1.8 km/¾ hr.) - Linden (680 m, 2 km/½ hr.) - Pyramidenkogel (850 m, 1.8 km/ 1hr.) - Höhe (666 m, 1.4 km/½ hr.) - Roda (516 m, 1.3 km/½ hr.) - Hafnersee (508 m, 2.2 km/½ hr.) - Dobein (523 m, 1.6 km/½ hr.) - Keutschacher See/Ostufer (507 m, 2 km/½ hr.) - Dobeinitz (535 m, 1.8 km/½ hr.) - Schloss/Keutschach (535 m, 1 km/¼ hr.).

Höhenprofil