Discover Krakauschatten

Krakauschatten offers several specific starting points for planning your trip: a nature trail, the Krakau high-altitude hike, chapels and the nearby Schattensee lake. The activities differ in their named stops and themes. When choosing a hotel, you can therefore first consider whether hiking, cultural history or the lake will be the deciding factor for your stay.

Hiking trails and their landmarks

The Krakauschatten nature trail starts at a car park near the Oberetrach Zitz bus stop. It passes rare plants and shrubs on its way to the Alpine Garden. The Red Cross Chapel, with a rest area, is also along the trail. The nature trail therefore combines nature-related themes with two specific landmarks: the Alpine Garden and the chapel.

The Krakau high-altitude hike leads via the Holzerhütte and Woadschober to Schattensee lake. Parking is available directly in Krakauschatten for this hike. Comparing the named waypoints highlights a different focus from that of the nature trail: the description of the nature trail features plants, the Alpine Garden and the chapel, while the high-altitude hike features the Holzerhütte and Woadschober on the way to the lake. The starting-point information also differs: the nature trail’s car park is near the Oberetrach Zitz bus stop; for the high-altitude hike, parking is available directly in Krakauschatten.

Chapel, hydropower and history

The Fortner Chapel in Krakauschatten is a chapel where Mass is held.

Hydropower is also one of the local themes. The Krakauschatten hydropower plant is also a visitor power station. The privately operated small power station in Krakauschatten was completed in 2016. Together with religious and historical motifs, this offers another thematic perspective on Krakauschatten, without conflating it with the hiking trails and their waypoints.

Schattensee: landscape and tradition

Schattensee, a moor lake with a circular trail and a tree calendar, is located near Krakauschatten. Swimming and fishing are also possible activities there; check conditions and access according to the season. The Fischerhütte at Schattensee is a snack stop in Krakauschatten. This lets you factor the lake’s landscape, circular trail and place to stop for refreshments into your trip planning as separate aspects, while the time of year matters for the activities.

Target shooting at water discs is also practised at Schattensee. After the Second World War, the tradition fell into oblivion and was rediscovered in 1985 in the municipality of Krakauschatten, as it was then. In this type of shooting, a target is placed on one side of the shore, where it is reflected in the lake. From the opposite shore, shooters aim at the reflection from a distance of 107 metres. The reflected target and the distance make the distinctive setup clear; the historical rediscovery also places the tradition in its historical context.

Choosing Krakauschatten as a destination

To help make your decision, you can weigh up the interests behind each activity: the nature trail is characterised by plants, the Alpine Garden and the chapel, while the high-altitude hike leads to Schattensee via named waypoints. The chapel and target shooting at water discs add cultural touches; the lake combines moorland scenery with activities whose availability should be checked according to the season. If these themes suit your trip, you can then look for hotels in Krakauschatten.

Discover more destinations: Oberwölz area, Einach, Murau, Peterdorf, Schönberg-Lachtal, Winklern bei Oberwölz, Mühlen, Falkendorf.

Go to the parent travel overview: Murau.