Karawanken

Karawanken Mountain Range: Long mountain range which has formed the frontier between Austria (Carinthia) and Slovenia since 1919/20, the Karawanken range extends over 120 km from east to west forming the geological borderline between the eastern and the southern Alps; its width varies from 20 to 40 km. It continues the Carnic Alps eastward. The western part forms a chain, the middle and the eastern parts are divided into the main chain in the south and the northern chain cut by cross valleys. The highest elevations of the main chains are: Hochstuhl Mountain (2237 m) and Koschuta Mountain Range wall; the highest peaks of the northern chain are: Hochobir Mountain (2,139 m) and the Feistritzer Spitz (Hochpetzen) (2,113 m). In the west is the Mittagskogel Mountain (2,145 m). The Karawanken range, with its rugged walls and huge screes is noted for its view to the north of the middle Carinthian basin with Lake Wörth, Lake Faaker See and the towns Klagenfurt and Villach. Passes: Seebergsattel Pass (1,215 m), Wurzen Pass (1,071 m), Loibl Pass (1,367 m) and Loibl tunnel (in Carinthia: 1,068 m). The Karawanken railway line runs through the 8km long Karawanken tunnel and the road tunnel runs parallel to it (total tunnel length: 7,865 m, 4,414 m in Austria). In the fractured rift valleys of the Karawanken mineral springs can be found (Vellach, Ebriach, Eisenkappel). Near the entrance to the Loibl tunnel is the Tscheppaschlucht, a wild and romantic gorge, from which it is not far to the Tschauko waterfall and to the Bodental valley with its famous "Märchenwiese" ("enchanted meadow"). Mountain refuges: Bertahütte (1,527 m), Klagenfurter Hütte (1,664 m), Eisenkappler Hütte (1,553 m).