Just a few minutes’ walk from Klagenfurt’s old town – virtually in the middle of the city – soars the Kreuzbergl: a local recreation area and a real idyll of nature. Klagenfurt’s “local mountain” attracts its visitors with several small ponds, its large wooded area and all sorts of options for doing body and soul good.
But if you choose the Kreuzbergl so as to spend time in nature, you will get a lot more than just countless walking routes and fresh air. This oasis of relaxation in Klagenfurt also includes a number of attractions to be proud of – and they are all accessible on foot.
Look to the stars
In 1965 an observatory was built on the old stone viewing tower located amid the extensive woodland of Klagenfurt’s Kreuzbergl. Its viewing platform offers an unforgettable all-round view of the whole of Klagenfurt and the surrounding mountains.
(c) Gabriele Mitschke 
(c) Gabriele Mitschke 
(c) Gabriele Mitschke
And things get particularly exciting as the sun slowly disappears, because then something sensational is offered to all night owls: an impressive telescope with ultramodern controls enables them to experience the moon, planets, double stars and countless heavenly treats with their own eyes – live. The Klagenfurt observatory also includes a lecture theatre equipped with state-of-the-art technology, and a small planetarium where the course of the planets and eclipses of the sun and moon are simulated. And if you get tired of being amazed, you can make your way back to the earthly world along the illuminated footpath. Kreuzbergl church
Kreuzbergl church
If you turn your back on Klagenfurt city centre and follow Radetzkystraße right to the end, even from far away you will see the baroque church with its two onion-shaped towers reigning on the small plateau of the Kreuzbergl.
Then once you are actually standing at the foot of the stations of the cross – which leads up from the road to the church – it is only a few more steps until you can contemplate the church from close range.
The stations of the cross were renovated in 1975. They lead upwards from one level to the next by means of stone steps and display artistic mosaic depictions by Karl Bauer. Well worth seeing!
The green heart of Klagenfurt
At the foot of the Kreuzbergl lies a little world all of its own, which is home to the fascinating plant world of Carinthia and a number of specialities from all over the world: the Botanical Garden.
It is a remarkable place – not just for plant lovers, but also for anyone seeking peace and quiet. As well as enjoyment of all these beauties of nature, the Botanical Garden also offers a transfer of knowledge on a large scale for everyone wanting to find out interesting facts about the world of plants.
Fine food on Klagenfurt’s Kreuzbergl
All this admiration and wellbeing in the fresh air can make you hungry, so sooner or later visitors to the Kreuzbergl look for a nice place for refreshments.
And they can do so successfully either in the middle of nature on a picnic rug with delicious things they have brought with them, or at one of the popular restaurants on Klagenfurt’s local mountain: from the Waldwirt to the Schweizerhaus – you will be pampered with fine food everywhere.
And if you simply cannot tear yourself away from this city oasis, you are welcome to stay overnight, as the Schweizerhaus also has enchanting rooms. A little further away, on the Falkenberg, you will find Falkenberg Castle with its traditional treats for the palate such as Carinthian curd cheese ravioli, different types of sandwiches or Wiener Schnitzel.
