Ossiach: Abbey, summer music and trails

Ossiach lies on the southern shore of Lake Ossiach; the municipality is surrounded by the hiking and skiing mountain Gerlitzen and the Ossiach Tauern range. When looking for a hotel, your reason for travelling is a good place to start: the abbey connects local history with music, while hiking and cycling trails offer additional planning options. You can shape your stay around culture, an event, or outdoor activities and decide which themes will be the focus of your trip.

Cultural history and music at the abbey

Ossiach Abbey was founded around 1024 as a Benedictine monastery. The Baroque abbey church building is 31 metres long. The approximate founding date is part of the monastery’s history, while the length refers to the church building; both offer different perspectives on Ossiach for a culturally focused stay.

Since 1969, musical events of the “Carinthian Summer” have been held at the abbey during the summer months. The summer months provide a recurring seasonal setting for its musical connection. If you are travelling for a particular event, plan your trip around its specific date.

From October 2006 to June 2009, the abbey was revitalised and expanded with an adjoining new building to become the music and events centre of the Carinthian Music Academy, Ossiach Abbey. This development adds the institutional music and events connection to the perspectives offered by the monastery’s founding and the church’s architecture.

Hiking and cycling in Ossiach

Stages 19 and 20 of the Alpe-Adria Trail pass through Ossiach. The Ossiach Gorge Trail offers a different setting: it starts in the town centre, leads to Tauern Pond, and you can return to the starting point via Tauernstraße or a footpath. The routes have different landmarks: the trail has two named stages, while the gorge trail has a starting point, a destination, and two return options.

The Ossiach Lake Cycle Route R2/R2A also passes through Ossiach. For mountain bike routes in Ossiach, the schedule published in 2026 lists opening hours of 9 am to 7 pm from 1 May to 15 September, and 9 am to 5 pm from 16 September to 31 October. If you are planning a visit for a later season, check the times again.

Lake experiences and outdoor activities in nature

On Lake Ossiach, the Ossiach Lake Shipping Company offers trips on the MS Ossiach and MS Gerlitze. This lets you experience the lake from a special perspective. If a boat trip is part of your plans, check the current timetable.

The Ossiach Lake Climbing Forest is a five-minute walk from the centre of Ossiach. This time estimate can help you fit the attraction into a day’s plans around the town centre.

Familywald Ossiacher See is an outdoor nature park in a beech primeval forest. Attractions include the “Fly-Line” forest roller coaster, a TREENETS adventure, a treetop path, a forest playground, tree houses, and an adventure trail with various play stations. Seasonal opening times may change; check the current hours before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Hochrindl, Liebetig, Oberboden, Vorwald, Gnesau, Alt-Ossiach, Hochrindl-Kegel, Hinterkoflach

For the main travel overview: Feldkirchen.