Hochrindl region
Holidays on the Hochrindl
An Alm village at 1,600 metres in the middle of the Nockberge: gentle summits, stone pine air and Alms to the horizon – here every hike begins right outside the hut door.
Briefly explained
What can you do on the Hochrindl?
The Hochrindl is an Alm village at 1,600 metres in the municipality of Albeck near Sirnitz – in the middle of the UNESCO biosphere park Nockberge. The mountains here are gentle and rounded, the Alms reach up to the summits, and the village smells of stone pine.
You can set off hiking right from the hut, wind along the Nockalmstraße, swim in the Turracher See or drive to the Heidi-Alm with the children. Each destination below has a link to the official provider and a route planner – also practical if you are already there.
Nature & hiking
Outside there is enough for many days
Four routes we like to walk ourselves – with an honest note on who they suit.
Alm hiking right from the hut
The circular hikes start in the middle of the Alm village: across Speik meadows and through stone pine forests, from hut to hut – without any climbing, with wide views.
Nockalmstraße and the biosphere park
34 kilometres of panoramic road through the UNESCO biosphere park Nockberge – with adventure stations, Alms for stopping in and starting points for high-altitude hikes.
Sirnitz and the Albeck castle ruin
Down in the valley lies the Slow Food village of Sirnitz with the Albeck castle ruin – a leisurely half-day with history and good food.
Stone pines, Speik and quiet Nocken
The Nockberge are known for stone pine forests and fragrant Speik – if you walk slowly, you can smell the difference. Ideal for days at your own pace.
Family & experience
Some destinations deserve a holiday day of their own
The detailed information stays with the official sources – we tell you honestly what is worthwhile for whom.
Heidi-Alm am Falkert
The children’s adventure park at 1,875 metres: Heidi figures along the way, play stations and real Alm animals – the day the children will talk about for a long time.
Burg Hochosterwitz
Carinthia’s most famous castle winds around the rock with 14 gates – an excursion like into the Middle Ages, a good hour from the Hochrindl.
Disc golf and Alm experience
On the Hochrindl itself await disc golf courses, playgrounds and short adventure loops – a programme without any driving, right outside the hut.
Day trip to the Wörthersee
Klagenfurt, Minimundus and the turquoise water of the Wörthersee – Carinthia’s famous lake lies just under an hour from the Alm.
Summits
If today calls for a summit
Across the Nocken around the Hochrindl
The summits here are rounded and grassy – you reach them on foot without any climbing and still stand at the top with views over half of Carinthia.
Eisenhut and the high Nocken
If you like more altitude metres, climb from the Turracher Höhe to the Eisenhut, the highest Nock – a long tour, great views, take the weather forecast seriously.
Bike
Off by bike – and back with a good feeling
Alm loops by e-bike
Alm roads and forest tracks connect the huts of the plateau – uphill with views, stopping in at the Alm, rolling back down to your own hut.
The Nockalmstraße by road bike
Hairpin after hairpin through the biosphere park – the Nockalmstraße is a classic for road bike and e-bike, with Alms as the reward.
MTB around the Turracher Höhe
Trails and Alm paths around the lake and the Nocken – and, to finish, a jump into the clear water at 1,750 metres.
Water
An afternoon by the water is almost always possible
Turracher See
The dark mountain lake at 1,750 metres: a shore path, bathing spots and stone pines right down to the water – refreshing in the best sense.
Day trip to the Carinthian lakes
The Wörthersee, Ossiacher See and Millstätter See all lie within excursion range – warm water and long summer evenings included.
Winter
When winter begins right outside the hut
Family ski area Hochrindl
The lifts start in the middle of the Alm village – manageable, sunny and without waiting times. Ideal for families and children’s first turns.
Skiing at the Turracher Höhe
The most snow-sure ski area in the region at 1,800 metres – wide slopes between stone pines and the lake, half an hour from the Hochrindl.
Cross-country skiing, tobogganing and snowshoeing
Cross-country trails across the Alm plateau, natural toboggan runs and snowshoe loops through the stone pines – winter works here even without skis.
Food & regional shopping
Shopping regionally on the Hochrindl
Alm cheese, Speck, bread and Kasnudeln – around the Hochrindl, Slow Food is the programme. We show you what you can get where, and from which accommodation the way there works especially well.
Huts and Alm cuisine
Eight huts and inns on and around the Hochrindl cook with regional ingredients – and over the hut counter there are cheese and Speck for home.
Slow Food Village Sirnitz
Sirnitz is an award-winning Slow Food village: bakers, innkeepers and producers who focus on regional products – the shopping for your hut weekend.
Shopping in the Gurktal
For the big shop you drive to Sirnitz or Feldkirchen – on the Alm itself, the huts supply you with the essentials.
Our tip: We sort by your accommodation.
From our Pietschacher Almhütte on the Hochrindl you can reach the huts of the plateau on foot – and for the weekly shop, Sirnitz lies on the way down in the valley. For every accommodation we show you the nearest addresses.
Please always check current opening hours with the business
Stopping in: our inn tips
If nobody feels like cooking today – four addresses where we ourselves like to sit.
Almengasthof StoichartAlm inn on the Hochrindl – Carinthian cuisine after the circular hike, summer and winter alike.To the website ↗
Herzl-HütteSlow Food hut on the Alm – Kasnudeln and Brettljause the way they should be.To the website ↗
Gasthaus Bauernstub'nA cosy parlour on the Hochrindl – Schmankerl (delicacies) from farmers in the surrounding area.To the website ↗
All huts of the HochrindlEight establishments between Alm and valley – the complete stopping-in overview.To the overview ↗
Farming on the Hochrindl
The land around the huts is pasture, not lawn. What that means for animal and meadow:
- GrazingThe most demanding way of keeping animals – and the only one in which the land gets something back.
- Alpine pasture farming7,971 managed Alms – who does what up there and why.
In between
Today we simply stay at the hut.
That, too, is a good day at 1,600 metres: stove on, book open, Jause on the table, and outside the window the Nockberge drift by. If you are still looking for a place like this – here are our accommodations on the Hochrindl.
Staying on the Hochrindl
Here you can stay on the Hochrindl
The region is the inspiration – the accommodation turns it into your holiday. From the Pietschacher Almhütte in the middle of the Alm, we know every detail personally.
Getting here
How to get to the Hochrindl
By trainYou travel to St. Veit an der Glan or Feldkirchen in Kärnten; from there you continue by bus or taxi into the Gurktal and up to the Hochrindl. Whether the last stretch to your specific hut makes sense without a car is stated honestly right at the accommodation.
On siteUp at 1,600 metres everything is close: Alms, lifts and huts lie door to door. For excursions to the Nockalmstraße, the lakes or the Gurktal a car is practical.
By carFrom the south via Feldkirchen or St. Veit, from the north via Friesach – finally up the mountain road via Sirnitz to 1,600 metres. In winter, please remember winter equipment.
All information at the Hochrindl tourist office ↗
For dreaming on
Two more regions for a next holiday
Together for the region
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