Winklern: Toll Tower, Churches and Hiking Trails
Accommodation in Winklern
If you’re looking for a hotel in Winklern, choosing a specific focus can help with your travel planning: architectural and art history, trails along the Möll River or a hike in the national park. The sights and trails differ in their subject, location and time estimates. In winter, a seasonal ski bus connection is also available.
Toll Tower and Crystal Exhibition
The Toll Tower stands in the centre of Winklern. It is a late Romanesque or early Gothic tower. Throughout its history, it served mainly as a granary and residential tower; it was first mentioned in a document in the 14th century. A granary and a residential tower refer to two different functions of the building: storing provisions and providing accommodation. As part of the Carinthian regional exhibition “Water-Gold,” the tower was fitted with the “Tauernwurm,” a timber-and-steel structure, in 2004. This made it possible to explore the tower both outside and inside.
The Toll Tower Crystal Exhibition complements the architectural history with crystals from the southern Hohe Tauern. The names of their find locations connect the specimens with local valleys and peaks. The exhibits include the largest calcite crystal in the Eastern Alps: a pearly white specimen found in the ReiĂźeck Group, weighing more than 45 kg. Individual exhibits may change; if seeing this particular crystal is important to you, check before your visit whether it is currently on display. The exhibition is not wheelchair accessible, as there are numerous steps leading up through the tower. Check these visitor conditions in advance as well.
Churches and Architectural History
Winklern Parish Church is late Gothic and dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. It was redesigned and extended around 1800, and it also features a 1470 fresco of Saint Christopher. The fresco provides an early art-historical reference point, while the redesign points to a later phase of construction.
Penzelberg Branch Church is located above the village of Winklern at an elevation of 1,375 m. According to the inscriptions on the chancel arch and above the gallery, the present building was constructed in 1765. At the parish church, the fresco and later alterations are the main points of interest, while in Penzelberg, according to the inscriptions, the date 1765 refers to the present church building. The two churches thus offer different perspectives on the architectural history of the area.
Trails Along the Möll River and in the Hohe Tauern
The Cultural Landscape Trail follows easy paths through the landscape along the Möll River. The Winklerner Alm Family Hiking Trail, by contrast, is a high-altitude trail in the heart of Hohe Tauern National Park, with an elevation gain of about 2,000 metres; the round trip takes around four hours. The trails have different focuses: the Cultural Landscape Trail follows paths by the river, while the Alm trail is a high-altitude hike with an approximate time commitment. The estimated four-hour round trip makes it easier to plan the Alm trail into your day.
Winter Connection and Hotel Search
In winter, a free ski bus runs from Winklern to Heiligenblut or to Zettersfeld in East Tyrol. Check the current winter timetable before travelling to make sure the seasonal service fits your travel dates.
Then compare the details of each hotel offer with your requirements.
Discover more destinations: MĂĽhldorf, Sankt Oswald, Pattendorf, Eisentratten, Mallnitz, GmĂĽnd in Carinthia, Bad Kleinkirchheim, Spittal an der Drau.
Back to the main travel overview: Spittal an der Drau.
