WEISSENSEE NATUREPARK
The Weissensee - playground of nature
Weissensee lies in the eastern Gailtal Alps in the southwest of Carinthia and is one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe. In 2006 the areas of Weissensee and Stockenboi were declared as a national park. The Weissensee Lake is an especially unspoilt area lying 930m above sea-level with two thirds of it's shores being undeveloped and surrounded by thick forest. There is no through road around the lake. In addition, this region has achieved the high status of the European Award for Tourism and Environment and the area is recognised as a climatic health resort.The region is popular for people who wish to enjoy activity holidays in beautiful natural surroundings. Weissensee has over the last few years become a centre for visitors to rest and recover and spend their free time, as well as being a location for the more active sports person.
It is a paradise for walking, running, Nordic walking and mountain biking. There are 12 marked running routes as well as 9 Nordic walking trails varying from easy to difficult.
Over 200km of marked footpaths from 930m up to 2300m allow the visitor to exercise in the clear, healthy mountain air. The Weissensee Cruise Line and the chair lift, connect ideally with the network of footpaths.
For the mountain bike enthusiast, there are graded routes over different terrains with varying gradients. There are a number of downhill routes which are demanding and a MTB course is also available forming 150km of tracks which could be linked together with a further 650km MTB stretches in the region of the Drautal, Gitschtal and Gailtal leading to Italy.
In the spring and autumn the Weissensee is an El Dorado for fishing. In summer, the clear, turquoise lake water can be up to 24 degrees making it perfect for swimmers, surfers, divers and canoists. Every hotel and provider of accommodation has it's own bathing area which is an exclusive feature of this region.
The close relationship between high quality sustainable tourism and the conservation of the natural environment is well recognised by the resident population. An emphasis has also been placed on sustaining the cultural heritage of the region. The local community understands that the natural resources to be found in the Nature Park need to be preserved and sustained to ensure their availability for future generations. The whole of the Weissensee region is a conservation area.
