Leisurely walks in the Villgraten Valley lead you to the highest mountain huts of Austria. The “Pustertaler Höhenstraße” offers magnificent views and idyllic destinations. The Tyrolean Gailtal (Gail Valley) with the “Karnische Höhenweg” (= a path running along the mountain range) was once a smugglers' route between Austria and Italy. In WW1 it was a heavily defended front, and later was used as a walking path to Carinthia and Italy. Using the Drau Bicycle Path to find some East Tyrolean hospitality will help to make your holiday stay seem too short.
In this natural beauty spot we also find culture: in the “Hochpustertal” the Schloß Anras (Anras Castle) offers a museum for the penal system and has a resident exhibition of “Paul-Flora” and other contemporary artists. During the Gustav-Mahler-Festival the “Burg Heinfels” offers a romantic setting for the concerts.
BICYCLING IN THE “HOCHPUSTERTAL”
Hobby cyclists find that the Drau Cycle Path is one of Austria’s prettiest. You can start at the source of the river Drau and make a day-trip to Lienz, or if you prefer, start at Sillian and cycle to Maribor. For mountain bikers there are any number of well-signed cross country bike trails of varying levels.
