Winklern: Mushroom & Puppet Museum and Running Routes

Two very specific attractions take centre stage on a trip to Winklern: the Mushroom & Puppet Museum and three routes designated for running and Nordic walking. All three start and finish at the Mushroom Museum. You can therefore plan your stay around an interest in exhibitions, exercise, or a combination of both. The distinctions below will help you put the described attractions into the context of your travel plans and then look for a hotel in Winklern.

Mushrooms, Crystals and a Forest at Night

Over many years of work, Karl-Heinz Zindler created around 1,500 handmade mushroom models from cement. He used dental instruments and French watercolours to create them; the models represent around 250 mushroom species. The exhibition places the exhibits within the corresponding animal and plant life and displays mushrooms from all four seasons. The museum thus features both highly detailed models and a presentation of mushrooms in seasonal and natural contexts.

The world of crystals is also part of the exhibition, presented through light and sound. Nearby, a forest at night features phosphorescent lichens and mushrooms. The two themes have different emphases: the crystal display uses light and sound, while the night forest scene centres on glowing lichens and mushrooms. Visitors interested in depictions of nature will therefore find a variety of subjects in the museum, from handmade mushroom models to a staged forest scene.

Running and Nordic Walking Routes

Route 1 starts at the Mushroom Museum and runs along Buchholzer Straße, Drassmannweg, De La Tour Straße, Schauerbodenweg and Pöllingerstraße. Along the way, it crosses the B98 and runs, among other places, alongside the Afritzer Bach and over a wooden bridge before returning to the starting point. The estimated running time for this route is around 60 minutes, and the estimated walking time is around 90 minutes. Check current route conditions locally before basing your schedule on these times.

Routes 2 and 3 also start at the Mushroom Museum and return to the starting point. Route 2 runs along Buchholzer Straße, Drassmannweg, De La Tour Straße, Rainweg and Winklerner Straße; the estimated running time is around 35 minutes and the walking time around 45 minutes. Route 3 follows Winklerner Straße, Bethausweg and Kraser Dorfstraße to Volksschule Einöde, then returns via the steep Lanaweg. The estimated running time for this route is around 25 minutes, and the walking time around 45 minutes. The approximate walking times for routes 2 and 3 are the same; the estimated running time for route 3 is around ten minutes shorter.

A Snack Opposite the Museum

The Steinhauser snack station is directly opposite the entrance to the Mushroom Museum in Winklern. It serves Carinthian specialities such as Brettljause, hard sausages, open sandwiches with ham and cheese sandwiches. The menu may change, so check which of the dishes mentioned are currently served before your visit. The museum, routes and snack station offer different starting points for planning your trip: you can focus on the exhibition, choose one of the routes, or include both in your stay.

Discover more destinations: Kreuzen, Latschach, Gummern, Ragain, Finkenstein Am Faaker See, Frießnitz, Winkl, Fresach.

Go to the higher-level travel overview: Villach.