Sankt Oswald: Hiking, Summit Tours and Culture

Sankt Oswald offers several distinct options for active days: summit trails, a loop along the stream, accessible trails with points of interest, and ski tours. There is also the village centre with its parish church and sacristan’s house, as well as the Old Forge.

Hikes with a range of destinations

The five-summit tour starts at the mountain station of the Brunnach Biosphere Reserve Cable Car, which is accessible from Sankt Oswald. From there, the route goes via Brunnachhöhe and the summits of Mallnock, Klomnock, Steinnock and Falkert. The sequence of the five named summits provides clear guidance for planning the tour. As the cable car operates seasonally, check its operating times if you plan to use the mountain station as your starting point.

Another longer hike leads from Falkertsee across the Nockberge to St. Oswald. Along the way are Falkertspitz, Steinnock, Klomnock and Mallnock; the destination is the mountain station of the Brunnach Biosphere Reserve Cable Car in Sankt Oswald. The route can also be hiked in the opposite direction, from Sankt Oswald to Falkertsee. If you choose this option, take current trail conditions into account when planning.

For a hike with your dog, the route starts in the village and follows Sankt-Oswald-Bach. The dog-walking loop is listed as 9 kilometres long, with 255 metres of elevation gain and a walking time of around three hours; seasonal conditions may affect the duration. The loop can be extended via the Hochsteig to the small “Weiße Wand” viewing platform, before returning to Sankt Oswald. This provides both a specific time estimate and a named extension option for planning.

The “Family Hike in St. Oswald” is described as an easy ridge hike for all ages. This assessment describes the character of the tour; trail conditions may affect its difficulty. Check conditions before setting out on your hike.

Trails with points of interest on Brunnach

The 2-kilometre accessible trail with points of interest on Brunnachhöhe can be reached from Sankt Oswald by the seasonally operated Brunnach Biosphere Reserve Cable Car. The Brunnach trail includes a Speick educational trail, which focuses on the aromatic medicinal plant Speick. One section of the trail therefore centres on a single plant and its significance as a medicinal herb.

Silva Magica also includes an accessible trail with points of interest and the “Trees as Survivors” exhibition. The two features have different focuses: the Speick educational trail introduces Speick, while the exhibition title highlights the subject of trees. If you would like to include these topics in your day’s plans, you can take these specific trail and exhibition features into account.

Winter ski tours

A ski tour starts in St. Oswald at an altitude of 1,319 metres. It first follows a forest road to the Falkerschutzhaus and then on to the Lärchenhütte; from there, it continues through open terrain to the 2,308-metre Falkert summit. The route described thus moves from the forest road and mountain huts to the open summit terrain.

Another ski tour, described as easy, starts to the left of the Gasthof-Hotel Hinteregger in St. Oswald at an altitude of 1,340 metres. It leads through the forest to the 1,970-metre Brunnachhöhe, with views of the UNESCO Carinthian Nockberge Biosphere Reserve. The tours differ in their described destinations and elevations: one route ends at the 2,308-metre Falkert summit, while the other ends at Brunnachhöhe at 1,970 metres. Snow conditions and route conditions vary seasonally; take them into account when planning your tour.

Village centre and craftsmanship

The St. Oswald circular trail passes through the picturesque village centre, with its church and small sacristan’s house. It also follows St. Oswalder Bach to the Old Forge, a crafts museum. The parish church in Sankt Oswald is dedicated to Saint Oswald. The village centre, stream and museum are different stops along the circular trail, complementing the summit and nature trails with a cultural focus.

Discover more destinations: Kremsbrücke, Maltaberg, Pfaffenberg, Baldramsdorf, Weinberg, Malta, Bad Kleinkirchheim, Obergottesfeld.

Go to the main travel overview: Spittal An Der Drau.