Karawanken

The Karawanken (Karavanke) are an east-west mountain chain on the border between Austria and Slovenia, forming part of the Southern Limestone Alps. The range is prominent locally for its ridges, limestone peaks and long north-south escarpments.

Hiking, alpine walking and seasonal mountaineering are the main attractions, with accessible trails and several peaks that offer long views across Carinthia and the Slovenian lowlands. The range has numerous marked routes of varying difficulty rather than a single concentrated visitor site.

Geologically the Karawanken are primarily limestone and feature karst terrain, with cliffs, ridgelines and upland meadows. Over centuries the range has served as a cultural and linguistic frontier between German-speaking and Slovene-speaking communities.

The chain runs along the southern edge of Austria’s Carinthia and the northern part of Slovenia, stretching for many tens of kilometres and forming a clear natural border between the two countries.

• Border range: The range forms a continuous mountainous border between southern Austria (Carinthia) and northern Slovenia and is part of the Southern Limestone Alps.
• Recreation: Numerous marked hiking trails and alpine routes traverse the range, with several mountain passes and accessible summits used by walkers from both countries.

What to See #

• Stol / Hochstuhl: The range's highest summit at about 2,236 metres; a popular target for hikers and one of the best vantage points over the Karawanks.