01 - Overview
The Glan-Gurk Cycle Route (R5) links two Carinthian rivers across some 55 kilometres: from Feldkirchen it follows the Glan downhill through the Glan valley to St. Veit an der Glan, then crosses into the Krappfeld to the Gurk, which it accompanies to the Völkermarkt reservoir, where the river meets the Drau. Past the car-free Glan stretch near Mautbrücken, the former Carinthian capital of St. Veit and the castle of Hochosterwitz, the almost entirely flat route rolls down to its junction with the Drau Cycle Path (R1). A gentle connecting route with a long history - with a few stretches alongside busy roads at either end.
The Glan-Gurk Cycle Route is the missing link between two valley rivers of central Carinthia. In Feldkirchen, where the Ossiacher See Route (R2) and the Gurktal Route (R5B) also begin, it picks up the Glan and follows it downstream. After the first kilometres along the B 94 the path reaches its finest stretch at Mautbrücken: some twenty largely car-free kilometres close to the river through Glanegg - with its castle ruin high above the valley - to St. Veit an der Glan. The former capital of the Duchy of Carinthia rewards a long stop: the arcaded main square, the town hall and nearby Taggenbrunn castle define the scene. East of St. Veit the Krappfeld plain opens up; the many-towered castle of Hochosterwitz rises over the meadows, and a little aside lie the Längsee and the Benedictine convent of St. Georgen. Now the Gurk takes over: via Brückl the route follows Carinthia second-largest river down to the Völkermarkt reservoir, where the Gurk joins the Drau and the R5 merges into the Drau Cycle Path (R1). Mostly paved and without any appreciable climb, the route is easy to ride; honestly, though, it is not family-friendly end to end - the start out of Feldkirchen and a section before Brückl run alongside busier regional roads. Riders who take the middle Glan section experience one of the quietest and most history-laden river routes in Carinthia.
- Regions
- Carinthia
- Start
- Feldkirchen
- Finish
- Völkermarkt (reservoir)
- Surface
- Paved · Gravel
- Network
- Regional
- Best season
- April - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Road-bike friendly
- Partly · Mixed surfacepartly estimated
84 % comfortably ridable, but a 3.6 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.
02 - Stages
3 stages · 55 km
01Feldkirchen - St. Veit an der GlanFeldkirchen · Mautbrücken · Glanegg · St. Veit an der Glan28 km
Setting off in Feldkirchen at the junction of the Ossiacher See and Gurktal routes. After a few kilometres on the B 94, the finest, largely car-free Glan section begins at Mautbrücken: close to the river through Glanegg, overlooked by its castle ruin, into the old ducal town of St. Veit an der Glan with its arcaded main square.
- Ascent
- 120 m
- Descent
- 180 m
- Duration
- approx. 2-2.5 h
- Surface
- Paved, some service tracks
Surface (measured): paved 68 % · gravel 32 %
02St. Veit an der Glan - BrücklSt. Veit an der Glan · Launsdorf · Brückl14 km
East of St. Veit the Krappfeld plain opens up. Via Launsdorf the stage passes the many-towered castle of Hochosterwitz - a short climb up is well worth it - within reach of the Längsee and St. Georgen convent, crossing to the Gurk and following the river to Brückl.
- Ascent
- 75 m
- Descent
- 110 m
- Duration
- approx. 1-1.5 h
- Surface
- Paved, some service tracks
Surface (measured): paved
03Brückl - Völkermarkt (reservoir)Brückl · St. Margarethen · Völkermarkt14 km
The final stage follows the Gurk downstream through the Jauntal foreland to Völkermarkt. At the Völkermarkt reservoir the Gurk joins the Drau and the R5 meets the Drau Cycle Path (R1) - from here you can easily ride on toward Klagenfurt or continue along the Drau.
- Ascent
- 66 m
- Descent
- 81 m
- Duration
- approx. 1-1.5 h
- Surface
- Paved, some service tracks
Surface (measured): paved 91 % · fine gravel 9 %
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 55 km. Ascent 261 m, descent 371 m. Lowest point 410 m, highest point 535 m.
Elevation from OSM geometry + Digital Terrain Model (DGM) Austria (10 m).
Hover the profile to see the point on the map - and vice versa.
04 - POIs & Services
- Junction R2 Ossiacher See & R5B Gurktal routes
- Car-free Glan section
- Glanegg castle ruin
- Ducal town with arcaded main square
- Taggenbrunn castle
- Hochosterwitz castle
- Längsee lake & Benedictine convent of St. Georgen
- Völkermarkt reservoir (Gurk mouth, Drau Cycle Path R1 junction)
Services along the route
- Bike serviceCycle workshops in Feldkirchen, St. Veit an der Glan and Völkermarkt; St. Veit also has e-bike rental via the Mittelkärnten tourism office.
- E-bikeCharging and rental stations in Feldkirchen, St. Veit and Völkermarkt, and in several towns in the Glan and Gurk valleys.
- Drinking waterFountains and inns in the market towns; well supplied along the flat river course.
- Food & drinkInns and cafés in Feldkirchen, Glanegg, St. Veit, Brückl and Völkermarkt - slightly larger gaps along the middle Glan section.
Service points along the route
- Drinking water12
- Repair station4
- Charging station11
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
Glanegg castle ruin above the vineyards, landmark of the car-free Glan section near Mautbrücken.Photo: Burgruine Glanegg über den Weingärten im Glantal · Niki.L · CC BY-SA 4.0 Old stone arch bridge over the Glan at Unterglandorf, before St. Veit an der Glan.Photo: Steinerne Nepomuk-Brücke über die Glan bei Unterglandorf · Johann Jaritz · CC BY-SA 3.0 AT The many-towered castle of Hochosterwitz rises over the Krappfeld on the stage toward Brückl.Photo: Burg Hochosterwitz über dem Krappfeld · C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0
06 - Public transit
- S-Bahn Carinthia S2 / ÖBB line 650 (Villach - Feldkirchen - St. Veit an der Glan - Klagenfurt)Feldkirchen in Kärnten and St. Veit an der Glan sit directly on this roughly hourly line - ideal for arrival, departure and an easy return along the main section. Bikes carried on local trains without reservation.
- Koralmbahn / Völkermarkt-Jauntal areaAt the eastern end rail service is in transition: the former Völkermarkt-Kühnsdorf station closed in 2023; its successor is Kühnsdorf-Klopeinersee on the Koralmbahn. Check the current timetable before travelling.
Feldkirchen and St. Veit an der Glan sit directly on the S2 suburban line, so the Glan-Gurk route is easy to ride without a car and can be started or ended at either station. At the finish it joins the Drau Cycle Path R1 at the Völkermarkt reservoir (connections toward Klagenfurt or along the Drau).
07 - GPX & TCX download
Download for GPS devices & apps
Clean track with elevation - imports as a single tour, compatible with Komoot, Garmin, Wahoo, Strava, RideWithGPS, OsmAnd.
Download stages individually (3)
Route derived from OpenStreetMap geometry - may differ slightly from on-the-ground signage. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0) · Elevation © DGM Austria (CC BY 3.0 AT). Redistribute with attribution.