Sankt Gertraud: Trails, the Lavant and Architectural Heritage

You’ll encounter Late Gothic architecture, historical ore processing, water knowledge and recreation along the Lavant. Late Gothic is a late phase of Gothic architecture.

Architectural heritage and ore history

The parish church of St. Gertraud is a Late Gothic building from the first half of the 16th century. By contrast, the Ore Trail’s historical connection lies in a tradition of use: from the 16th century until the late 19th century, miners followed a path to transport raw ore mined in the tunnels on the Wölch to the “Hammer” blast furnace. Both dates reach back to the 16th century, but describe different things: a period of construction and centuries of use. Thus, a building and a historically used transport route stand side by side.

Route 1 of the Ore Trail is around 12.3 km long and can be explored together with the Stollentroll. The trail’s length gives you a clear indication of its scale, while exploring it with the Stollentroll offers an additional way to experience the route. For planning, the distance is a tangible guide, while the history explains the theme that defines the route.

The former Sankt Gertraud ironworks in Vorderwölch is protected as a historic monument under a decision pursuant to Section 3. The Carinthian list of monuments published by the Federal Monuments Office on 19 June 2026 states this status; the list is for information purposes and is not legally binding.

The Lavant, trails and water knowledge

The Lavant Mile is a traffic-calmed recreational area along the Lavant. It includes access to the river, bathing platforms, and walking and cycling paths. As a recreational area, it brings together access to the water and routes for getting around on foot and by bike.

The Lavant Experience Trail is a traffic-calmed zone around 1 km long, with barrier-free access. Route 1 of the Ore Trail, at around 12.3 km, is considerably longer. The figures show that the two trails cover very different distances; the Experience Trail’s barrier-free, traffic-calmed design is also part of its concept.

The Water Education Trail starts at the bus turnaround on Weinebene Landesstraße, at the edge of Frantschach-St. Gertraud. Along the trail, visitors learn about water extraction in the municipality. The start point and theme help orient you: the trailhead is clearly identified, and the educational content focuses on the municipality’s water supply. This gives the trail a different focus from the Ore Trail, whose historical context relates to transporting raw ore.

Natural monument on the Lavant

The Entenschnabel (“Duck’s Beak”) is a distinctive boulder in the Lavant, shaped like a duck’s beak. As a protected natural monument, it adds a scenic attraction to the cultural and trail-related themes. The rock can be visited from a small parking area in the municipality of Frantschach-St. Gertraud.

Discover more destinations: Klippitztörl, Framrach, Magdalensberg, St. Ulrich, Gemmersdorf, Lamprechtsberg, Kamp, Sankt Martin

For the main travel overview: Wolfsberg.