Independent Walking Holiday in the Carinthian Alps, Austria

Don't Miss

There are opportunities to go horse-riding for the day and Mountian Bikes can be hired, for gentle pottering (downstream of Kötschach the Gail valley bottom is wide and almost flat) or more adventureous outings. Water-borne pursuits available nearby include kayaking, canyoning and of course white water rafting. Under an hour away is the charming old town of Lienz: its pedestrian squares have an Italian flavour and the 13th Century Schloss (Castle) Bruck houses the town museum and a wonderful 15th Century fresco cycle in its two-tier chapel. Just outside Lienz excavation is still under way at Aguntum, site of a Roman town – with extensive ruins to be explored and an excellent small museum.

Getting there

St Jakob im Lesachtal is not much more than handful of deep-eaved houses and traditional wooden barns gathered loosely around the tall spire of the gothic church – the bells ring morning and evening. A tin mug hangs from a chain at the village fountain for thirsty passers-by returning from a day’s work in the surrounding meadows. Green pastures slope gently down to the edge of the steep scarp that drops abruptly to the river. The community is a strong one. The locals cherish their village, In winter they create a rink to compete with neighbours in the local version of curling.

• By Road St Jakob is about 1.5 hour's drive from Klagenfurt, 2 hour's drive from Ljubljana and 2.5 hour's drive from Trieste or Salzburg. We can arrange for you to collect your hire car in any major town.
• By Rail This holiday can be reached by train from London in under 24 hours. Take the Eurostar to Paris where you can pause for dinner before boarding The Stendhal sleeper to Venice, arriving in time for cappuccini on teh Grand Canal. We would be delighted to sell you your train tickets if you would like, as the process of purchasing international train tickets can be a bit laborious.
• By Air The closest airports are Klagenfurt (1.5 hour's drive), Ljubljana (2 hour's drive) & Trieste or Salzburg (2.5 hour's drive). Klagenfurt is served by (www.ryanair.com) out of Stansted as is Trieste out of Stansted, Bristol & Birmingham. There are flights to Ljubljana with easyJet (www.easyjet.com) out of Stansted and with Adria (www.adria.si) out of Gatwick, Manchester & Dublin. Salzburg is served by Ryanair out of Stansted and by BA (www.ba.com) and easyJet our of Gatwick.
• By Sea

Why do we like them?

Upland Escapes are the perfect choice for walking holidays and hiking breaks around Europe. Combine interesting, often unique destinations, maximum flexibility and true expertise in all the areas they work, and you have got yourself a recipe for a memorable walking trip indeed. You couldn't expect to find a friendlier team, and we can't wait to meet them in their Cotswold farm-office!

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What do they say?

Upland Escapes offers flexible, independent walking holidays in spectacular upland scenery - the sort of pristine mountain landscapes that we (three otherwise down-to-earth, matter-of-fact sort of people) find make our souls sing! Upland Escapes are designed to be suitable for everyone, regardless of your fitness levels or walking experience. You really can walk as much of as little as you like – or not at all. We carefully identify small, simple villages, hamlets and small towns (not resorts!) in which to base ourselves, places which are relatively untouched by tourism, where traditional mountain ways of life are still in evidence and which benefit greatly from low-impact, sustainable tourism. From this base you can choose from a large array of different walks and other activities, designing your days to suit you and your travelling companions best, thus really getting to know the area as an insider, not as an onlooker or a passer-through. If you like you can join our resident Upland Manager and others on an organised walk, benefitting from their excellent local knowledge, contacts and experience, and you can also choose to receive our famous deli-style packed lunches, which we make using a wide selection of locally produced and often organic fruits and vegetables (often from neighbours’ gardens), meats and cheeses, breads and cakes, giving you the opportunity to really savour the flavours of the region. By buying locally, by staying in real villages in remote rural regions, by supporting small-scale, family-run enterprises and by exploring on foot (the most environmentally friendly form of travel) we can bring much needed business, significantly extend the “season” and all the while preserve and conserve the unique attractions of some of Europe’s most beautiful upland communities.