01 - Overview
The Görtschitztal cycle route (R7A) runs some 64 kilometres from Klagenfurt up the Görtschitz valley to Hüttenberg - from the Klagenfurt basin via Brückl, Eberstein and Wieting into the old mining and iron-working valley of Upper Carinthia. A steady but gentle valley climb on quiet side roads and a former railway-trackbed section, taking in Eberstein castle, the priory church of Wieting and the Heinrich Harrer Museum with its show mine in Hüttenberg.
The Görtschitz valley runs north from Klagenfurt deep into the mountains of the Saualpe and the Hüttenberg ore-mountain region - a valley that lived for centuries on iron ore. The R7A Görtschitztal route branches off the R7 Friesacher Radweg at St. Jakob an der Straße on the edge of Klagenfurt and follows the Görtschitz upstream. Via Pischeldorf and across gently rolling country it reaches Brückl, where the Görtschitz joins the Gurk and the valley proper begins. From here it climbs noticeably but evenly: past the Renaissance castle of Eberstein, through Klein St. Paul with its Wietersdorf cement works, to Wieting with the Gothic priory church of a former Benedictine priory. The head of the valley is Hüttenberg, where iron has been won since Celtic and Roman times: the show mine and its exhibition tell of mining, while the Heinrich Harrer Museum recalls the town's most famous son and his journeys to Tibet. In places the route uses the trackbed of the disused Görtschitztal railway. Mostly paved and with only about 480 metres of net climbing over 64 kilometres, the tour is technically easy - a quiet, culture-rich valley ascent that rolls back down comfortably on the return.
- Regions
- Carinthia
- Start
- Klagenfurt
- Finish
- Hüttenberg
- Surface
- Paved
- Network
- Regional
- Best season
- April - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Road-bike friendly
- Yes · Fully pavedwell documented
98 % paved, effectively paved throughout.
02 - Stages
2 stages · 64 km
01Klagenfurt - BrücklKlagenfurt · St. Jakob a. d. Straße · Pischeldorf · Brückl30 km
The opening stage leaves Klagenfurt on the eastern edge of town at St. Jakob an der Straße, where the R7A branches off the R7 Friesacher Radweg. Via Pischeldorf the route rolls through gently undulating country at the foot of the Magdalensberg - whose archaeological park with its Roman excavations is worth a detour - to Brückl. There the Görtschitz joins the Gurk and the Görtschitz valley proper begins. A mostly flat, easy warm-up stage on quiet side roads.
- Ascent
- 148 m
- Descent
- 139 m
- Duration
- approx. 2-2.5 h
- Surface
- Paved
Surface (measured): paved
02Brückl - HüttenbergBrückl · Eberstein · Klein St. Paul · Wieting · Hüttenberg34 km
From Brückl the route climbs noticeably but evenly up the Görtschitz valley. The first landmark is Eberstein with its Renaissance castle perched on a crag. The way continues through Klein St. Paul - marked by the Wietersdorf cement works - to Wieting, whose mighty Gothic church recalls a former Benedictine priory. The head of the valley is Hüttenberg, the old iron-mining centre: the show mine and its exhibition tell of centuries of ore extraction, while the Heinrich Harrer Museum recalls the mountaineer and Tibet traveller born here. In places it follows the trackbed of the old Görtschitztal railway - the more demanding stage, but the most scenic.
- Ascent
- 536 m
- Descent
- 61 m
- Duration
- approx. 2.5-3.5 h
- Surface
- Paved, partly railway trackbed
Surface (measured): paved
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 64 km. Ascent 684 m, descent 200 m. Lowest point 439 m, highest point 930 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
- Görtschitz / Gurk confluence
- Eberstein castle
- Wietersdorf cement works
- Gothic priory church of Wieting
- Hüttenberg show mine
- Heinrich Harrer Museum
- Heft - historic iron-smelting works
- Magdalensberg archaeological park (detour)
Services along the route
- Bike serviceCycle workshops and repair stations in Klagenfurt and the larger valley towns; e-bike service in the Görtschitz valley.
- E-bikeCharging and rental stations in Klagenfurt and along the valley - handy for the steady valley climb.
- Drinking waterPublic fountains and inns in Brückl, Eberstein, Klein St. Paul, Wieting and Hüttenberg.
- Food & drinkInns and cafés in the valley towns; in Hüttenberg, refreshments at the show mine and in the village centre.
Service points along the route
- Drinking water18
- Repair station5
- Bike shop7
- Bike rental20
- Charging station49
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
Eberstein Castle above the town of Eberstein, a landmark beside the cycle route through the Görtschitz valley.Photo: Burg Eberstein im Görtschitztal · Niki.L · CC BY-SA 4.0 View north up the Görtschitz valley near Eberstein, along the course the cycle route follows.Photo: Blick ins Görtschitztal bei Eberstein · Niki.L · CC BY-SA 4.0 Baroque stone arch bridge in Wieting, a valley village on the Görtschitz valley route.Photo: Barocke Steingewölbebrücke in Wieting · Johann Jaritz · CC BY-SA 4.0
06 - Public transit
- ÖBB / Carinthia S-Bahn (Klagenfurt Hbf)The starting point Klagenfurt sits on the ÖBB hub with S-Bahn and long-distance trains; from the main station it is a few kilometres to the R7A junction at St. Jakob. Bikes carried on local services.
- Kärntner Linien regional buses (Görtschitz valley)Regional buses serve the valley via Brückl, Eberstein, Klein St. Paul and Hüttenberg - handy for an uphill approach or the return. There is no longer a passenger railway in the valley; the old Görtschitztal line has partly become the cycle trail.
Klagenfurt is the natural, rail-served starting point, so the route is easy to reach without a car. To ride downhill only, take the regional bus up to Hüttenberg and roll the R7A back down to Klagenfurt.
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 (2)
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.