The Carinthian Alps While most of our Escapes include a hire car to allow you to explore the region fully, you may prefer a holiday without the need to drive. On a 7-night
Original Car-Free scheduled departure in the Carinthian Alps, we replace your hire car with designated airport transfers and some local group transfers too, so there is no need to drive yourself. We stay in the sleepy rural village of St Jakob im Lesachtal in a typical family-run Gasthof, with its own bar and restaurant, close to the village church.
Many of our favourite walks can be enjoyed on a Car-Free holiday in the Carinthian Alps, although the range of walks and activities available is inevitably not as broad as if you had your own hire-car to explore independently, so if you are keen to experience a particular walk or visit, please check whether this will be possible at time of booking.
Day 1 – Sunday Transfer from Ljubljana airport.
Day 2 – Monday Join an organised walk through the stunning meadows of Der Mussen, known locally as the “Blooming Paradise” (6.3 miles) (↑↓ 790m). Or head out on a self-guided walk around the village and through the woods above.
Day 3 – Tuesday Today, take a self-guided walk along the river Gail to the pilgrimage town of Maria Luggau (5.8 miles, ↑↓ 345m). Or take it easy and simply explore Maria Luggau itself, with its cloistered church and working water-mills.
Day 4 – Wednesday Join an organised walk on the Italian frontier, past epic cliffs to the WW1 front line. (6.3 miles, ↑↓ 700m). Or choose between self-guided walks venturing into Mauthen’s dramatic gorge or exploring streams and woods above Kötschach.
Day 5 – Thursday Today’s 2 self-guided walks take you through the traditional hamlets of the Lower Lescahtal (4.5 miles, ↑↓ 400m) and the hinterland of Birnbaum (2.4 miles, ↑↓ 210m). Or you might choose to visit the WW1 museum and swimming pools in Kötschach.
Day 6 – Friday Your last organised walk takes you to the head of the valley along a high, open, grassy ridge-top with stunning views (7.3 miles, ↑↓ 470m). Or choose a self-guided walk below St Jakob, exploring the river bank and a hamlet beyond.
Day 7 – Saturday Today’s 2 self-guided walks take you right to the lofty summit of Gamskofel (7.8 miles, ↑↓ 970m) and/or to a high natural bowl and stunning lake (5.3 miles, ↑↓ 540m). Or rent a bike and enjoy a pleasant day exploring on two wheels.
Day 8 – Sunday Transfer to Ljubljana airport.
We stay for 7 nights in comfortable B&B accommodation at the Gasthof zum Löwen, in St Jakob. Monica and Dietmar (senior) have been running the inn for the last 20 years or so with the help of their son Dietmar (junior), who speaks good English. The spacious and comfortable en-suite rooms open off the large upper hall-way and downstairs the Gasthof’s bar is often busy of an evening, with both locals and visitors – the former helping themselves to beer if Monica is in the kitchen – and the tables outside offer shaded summer seating.).
On Original Car-Free Escapes, we will provide airport transfers to coincide with a designated flight arrival and departure. Those wishing to travel on different flights should meet at the airport at the ETA of the designated flight to join the transfer or alternatively a private transfer can be arranged at additional cost. On the last day of the tour, the transfer will arrive at the airport some 2 hours before the departure of the designated flight.
The designated flight details for Original Car-Free Escapes to the Carinthian Alps are:
| Outbound: | easyJet EZ3245 | London Stansted | Ljubljana | 13.30 – 16.35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return: | easyJet EZ3246 | Ljubljana | London Stansted | 17.05 – 18.20 |
NB - Please note that flight times are subject to change, so please check with us that this information is still accurate prior to making your travel arrangements.
For those wishing to make their own way to the Ljubljana airport pick-up point or directly to St Jakob, please contact Upland Escapes if you would like travel suggestions.
