The Laßnitz is certainly not the first choice SUP destination for river paddlers, but despite the low water level it turns out to be an entertaining ride between forests, fields and floodplains.

General information

• GuestCard South Styria
• Styria Wikipedia
• South Styria tourist information
• Tour Video
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Despite its regulated course, the Laßnitz River and its surrounding area are a real natural jewel. Along the river course there are several nature conservation and landscape protection areas. This is why stand-up paddlers should always consider themselves tolerated visitors. Please don't make noise or take any rubbish with you! The state of Styria offers an online overview of all nature conservation and landscape protection areas.

From time to time you can also meet fishermen, it's best to get off your SUP board early and avoid their lines. The water is usually no more than knee to waist deep anyway.

Dangers and risks

Occasional fishermen standing in the river or on the bank could pose a danger if you can't immediately see their lines with at the same time little room to get out of the way. It's best to dismount and wade past on foot if conditions allow.

The river is full of shallow sections that most likely exist at any time of the year. If you are careless, you can quickly get your fins caught on stones or small boulders in many places and be thrown off your SUP. Paddlers have to react quickly and shift their position towards the bow in order to raise the rear fins as high as possible. Due to these conditions, you should only paddle on iSUPs.

You should also consider paddling only with small fins, but this entails significant compromises in terms of tracking. In return, you glide more evenly and with fewer interruptions over the dozens of shallows. If the water level at the measuring station Frauental (Laßnitz) is 152 cm and the flow rate is 0.64 m³/s, you can definitely still paddle well and even quickly in some sections.

There is an abundance of dead wood in the form of dead trees, especially along the first half of the route. The tree corpses are mostly still standing, but they rise wiry from the bank over the water. Blockages force paddlers to paddle with foresight and quickly find the optimal alternative route. With a bit of luck, you'll never have to dismount, as there are always gaps leading through or around the piles of wood.

The entire route is full of groundsills and moles. Thanks to the low water depth and flow speed, these do not pose a major danger, but they do require complete concentration and attention. Advanced paddling technique is a prerequisite for getting by such obstcles in a fluent way. Most of the groundsills can be overcome at least kneeling or sitting, but there are three particularly critical spots that are most likely not passable at any time of the year:

At the bridge near Schönberg carry your SUP around on the left bank.

At the fish ladder near Tillmitsch carry your SUP around on the left bank.

At the mouth of the river Sulm carry your SUP around on the left bank.

It makes sense to inspect the bottom sills as best you can before conquering them by SUP. Even if you decide to wade across the thresholds on foot, you should not underestimate the great power of the low water flow. Because of the smooth and slippery stones and boulders, be sure to wear decent bathing shoes or neoprene shoes with good tread!

Directions

Anyone driving from Graz takes the exit 204 Hengsberg on the A9 motorway and follows the road southwest to Preding. At the roundabout in Preding, take the third exit and drive straight on for about a kilometer to the zoo or the river.

If you come from Maribor by car, take the motorway exit 208 Lebring on the A9 motorway and follow northwest to Preding. At the roundabout in Preding, take the third exit and drive straight on for about a kilometer to the zoo or the river.

Traveling by public transport is more time consuming as it takes between 45 – 90 minutes from Graz. But from Maribor It even takes several hours because cross-border transport is first routed to Graz, which is an enormous detour. However, after arriving in Preding, in both cases you have to walk the last kilometer to the river.

When traveling to the region you can compare fares and connections with Flixbus, Omio and RailEurope online.

If you rely on public transport after completing the tour in Leibnitz, you can walk to the train station in 20 minutes and from there you will find well-timed bus and train connections in all directions.

Parking

At the start of the tour you could park your car at the parking lot of the Preding Animal and Wildlife Park. Since it is primarily reserved for visitors to the zoo, it is therefore unclear what happens if you are not a zoo visitor, or whether the parked car will even be noticed when the parking lot is full.

Alternatively, you can park on the other side of the Laßnitz, over the bridge on the right. There are sometimes cars parked there and it seems to be okay.

The tour ends right at the parking lot next to the Central Park of Leibnitz. There you will find plenty of free parking spaces under the trees.

Swimming

The Laßnitz River can be surprisingly warm in spring and people also like to swim in some spots. There are popular bathing spots directly below the zoo, but also at the mouth of the river Sulm. The water is quite clean, although leaves and blooms float on the water in many places.

Just under 400 m from the mouth of the Sulm there is the ever-popular Sulmbad river bath, a natural swimming spot along the left bank of the Sulm River. It was built in 1929 and is the oldest river bath in Styria.

The artificially created Lake Sulmsee is both a fishing and swimming pond. It is also a popular bathing destination in the region. From the parking lot at the end of this SUP tour it's only a 5 min drive there.

Tour

From the animal and wildlife park in Preding to the central park in Leibnitz.

Length

20,6 km

Time

5 - 7 hours

Start and landing

Start at the bridge near the animal and wildlife park in Preding.

Land in Leibnitz at the bridge near the central park.

SUP rental

Stand Up Paddling am Sulmsee
Seggauberg 184, 8430 Seggauberg
Phone +43 (0)664 944 14 72

Gentle water with pitfalls

About a year ago I was struck by the idea of paddling the Laßnitz River through western Southern Styria when I had to cross it again and again by car for customer appointments. However, it was never entirely clear to me whether this small river was navigable throughout and whether there wouldn't be too many bushes and branches protruding over the water. Unfortunately, there is no measuring station that can be accessed online along this route and you can only draw conclusions from the water level at Deutschlandsberg as to whether the river could be navigable down to the town of Leibnitz.

However, a look at the measurement history shows that at times water levels and flow rates are quite high, in complete contrast to the current situation. Nevertheless, we dare to take the adventure and ask ourselves whether anyone has ever paddled this tour for the reasons mentioned above. The start at the zoo in the village Preding turns out to be a real stroke of luck, because here you have the rare opportunity to park your car along the Laßnitz and go out on the water in a wonderful ambience.

When we get in, we scare a few mallards as they take their afternoon bath in the river, but we immediately navigate between gravel banks, raised earth walls and splashing children. There is direct access to the water from the zoo, so we are already guaranteed to see the first onlookers. From the start, this SUP tour seems to be varied and entertaining.

Above all, fortunately the water flows faster than expected, and over the entire distance you can expect an average flow speed of around one to two km/h. We immediately immerse ourselves in a lonely water landscape that repeatedly commands us back and forth between small obstacles, which at a moderate pace still leads to a high level of entertainment.

The first few kilometers partly remind me of the river Raab in the Austro-Hungarian border area, although there seems to be more dead wood protruding from the bank into the river. Smaller blockages are also to be expected from time to time. However, these are all easy to avoid today because we always find gaps between the nested wood.

Today, with its slow water and measly depth (maximum waist-high, mostly knee-deep), the Laßnitz is like a tame stallion in self-discovery mode. Again and again our fins rattle over the smoothly polished stones at the bottom of suddenly appearing riffles (shallow rapids), then we speed up again in the halfway knee-deep water. Shortly afterwards the river throws some bottom sills at us again, which sometimes look impassable, but can mostly be easily conquered while kneeling on the bow.

There is a constant change of little pitfalls and challenges. This is why we recommend this tour to paddlers with flowing water experience not only because of its length, but also because of the technical finesse. Many sections of the river are absolutely suitable for families, but these are then abruptly interrupted by obstacles, constantly forcing you to look down and forward at the same time.

In between we paddle through almost still water and I sometimes have a lot of trouble keeping my SUP on track. With wise foresight, I attached two small fins on the sides instead of my large central fin. Advantage: I glide over most riffles and thresholds with almost no friction. Disadvantage: the board is constantly drifting from side to side, so I am forced to constantly change the paddling side. That wouldn't be much better if I had just attached a single small fin in the middle.

My comrade doesn't have this problem, but he has to constantly lift his US box fin out of the shallow water. I sometimes see him standing more at the nose than in the middle of his SUP. Sometimes the fins crash quite loudly and we are amazed at what they can withstand without breaking when scraping along the rocks like that. Personally, I always have a spare fin with me on tours like this – better safe than sorry.

We reach the first critical swell after about 5.5 km, more precisely at the fourth bridge over the Laßnitz. Today's water level doesn't allow us to glide over the stones, which is why we have to portage for the first time. Despite the countless sills and rock formations along the way, this fate only befalls us later on with advanced mileage in the area of the village Tillmitsch and the mouth of the river Sulm. Therefore: At the fish ladder near Tillmitsch and at the mouth of the river Sulm carry your SUP over the groundsill on the left bank.

The river has a bed gradient of 22 ‰ along its 64 km long course, but this is not noticeable on our journey through the Laßnitztal Valley, and so we have to apply noticable paddling force between the faster sections in order to make progress. Even though small tributaries repeatedly transport their water into the Laßnitz, this hardly changes the slow flow rate. To compensate, we are pampered by the spring-fresh scent of bird cherries, cherry and apple blossoms while the sun shines through between the treetops and slowly begins to turn orange.

Space and time have lost their relevance a long time ago; we don't know where we are or how long we have been traveling. Somewhere in no man's land between fields and dirt roads - isn't that freedom in its purest form? Only the water determines where we go next, and we surrender to its wise guidance. At some point we meet walkers who tell us that the town of Leibnitz is about 5 km ahead of us. Thanks to the endless windings, obstacles and shallows, it still feels like an eternity to get to the town's central park.

On the way, a little boy is lucky because he loses his soccer ball on the bank just as we paddle past. We quickly fish the ball out of the water and give it back to the relieved child. When the population density finally increases, the mouth of the Sulm, which flows in from the left, is behind us and more and more walkers stroll along the banks, the end of the tour is in sight. The last 700 m you paddle on the Sulm anyway, and you could continue paddling until it flows into the Mur River. about six kilometers further.

The evening has now fallen and we climb out of the water on a footpath on the left at the bridge near the central park of Leibnitz. There are two metal staircases on the right that could also be accessed. However, we still want to see the Thomas Muster Monument in the park, and to do this we have to turn left and stroll briefly across the parking lot. It was nice - nice and long, and the adventure of this afternoon will certainly be remembered for a long time.

Alternatives: This tour can be shortened by around 11 km if you start at the small bridge in the municipality of Lang. Free parking is available either at the municipal office or at the cemetery..

If the water level is sufficient, the Laßnitz can be navigated from the village of Frauental. By SUP it's about 15 kilometers along the river to the zoo in Preding.

The Laßnitz flows into the Sulm, which you can paddle about 5.5 kilometers further to the Mur River. The Mur can further be navigated for hundreds of kilometers through Slovenia and Croatia until it flows into the Drava River near Legrad.

The post Laßnitz River from Preding to Leibnitz first appeared on SUP Atlas - Paddle More.

One of the fastest ways across Vienna - SUPing over the Danube Canal. This varied tour shows many facets of the Austrian capital in a very short time. At a pleasant flow speed we paddle through the suburbs, the city center and local recreation areas.

General information

• Vienna Wikipedia
• Vienna City Cards
• Vienna tourist information
• Tour Video
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

The Danube Canal is generally navigable all year round, but you should be careful about shipping. To be on the safe side, you should plan your tour between the Twin City Liner's intervals. It is easy to avoid all other passenger ships on the water, but the Twin City Liner can become a major danger due to its speed.

In general, paddlers behave in a way that does not hinder commercial shipping.

Avoid fishermen and occasional swimmers along the route early.

Dangers and risks

The flow speed of the canal is usually around 5 km/h and offers paddlers a pleasant propulsion. Even beginners can easily manage this leisurely pace, but should avoid boat traffic early on so as not to make hasty and wrong decisions due to a lack of experience.

The catamaran Twin City Liner runs year-round between Vienna and Bratislava and can pose an enormous danger to paddlers due to its speed and waves. Therefore, always check its timetable in advance and plan the tour accordingly between trips so that you don't encounter the speedboat. Luckily, you have several hours between arrivals and departures at the Vienna/Schwedenplatz terminal to paddle the Danube Canal undisturbed. The months of January to March are the best for this reason, as the City Liner only runs once a day on Saturdays and Sundays.

Also the liners of the DDSG Blue Danube operate regularly in the canal and can throw off inexperienced paddlers with their comparatively gentle waves. The frequency is quite high, so you have to expect several trips per day all year round.

Fishing takes place everywhere along the route, including fishing lines hanging from the quays in the center of Vienna. The last third of the tour, when heading out of town to the mouth of the Danube, is peppered with fishermen's houses and free water accesses. Always keep an eye out for fishermen and paddle in the middle if you get the chance.

The brick banks in the center (starting from the Augarten Bridge) throw back strong boat and ship waves into the canal and sometimes create unpredictable water conditions. On the one hand, you should of course avoid them as much as possible, but on the other hand, you should not paddle too close to the quay walls. You don't want to smash against the walls or get caught by the diffuse broken and receding waves.

Due to its lowland location, Vienna is often hit by strong winds, which can sometimes make paddling impossible or suddenly difficult. Therefore, always check the wind's strength and direction in advance!

At the mouth of the Danube Canal into the Danube (Praterspitz) and one kilometer further at the harbor entrance, eddies are to be expected. The wind can also increase there. Less experienced paddlers should best paddle along the right bank and, if necessary, kneel around the bend on the right to enter the harbor.

Directions

If you don't know Vienna well and are unfamiliar with the area, you should definitely use navigation to find your way through the labyrinth of the city. This is especially true when traveling from the south or from the city center. In these cases it is best to drive along the Danube Canal to Nußdorf.

The journey by public transport is less stressful, but sometimes longer: in Heiligenstädter Straße you'll find the Sickenberggasse bus stop (line N36) as well as the tram stops Sickenberggasse and Nußdorf (line D)

Nußdorf train station is located above the power plant and is a 300 m walk from the starting point. The S40 express train to and from Tulln passes there.

The current timetables for public transport (Wiener Linien) can be found online.

Cheap bus, train and flight connections to Vienna can be found on the comparison portals Omio and RailEurope.

Parking

In the streets around the start of the tour you can park your car free of charge on the side of the road and within a very short time you will be at the riverside under the Nußdorf power plant (e.g. Bachofengasse, Sickenberggasse, Eisenbahnstrasse). Attention: the inviting parking lot under the bridge and directly under the power plant is not public and reserved only for employees of the City of Vienna. Please do not park there!

Swimming

In principle you can also swim and bathe in the Danube Canal, this has a long tradition and is also permitted. However, due to the current and the associated dangers, it is only recommended for good and healthy swimmers. Further information can be found at the Donaukanal Swimming Club.

As a city on the water, Vienna offers countless bathing opportunities. The Gänsehäufel public bath on the Old Danube is Vienna's top address when it comes to bathing in nature. But besides the Old Danube there are numerous others possibilities to enjoy and relax in the water.

If it is too cold to swim outside, you can always take a dip in the Therme Wien Spa in Oberlaa (10th district).

Tour

From the power plant in Nußdorf to the port Alberner Hafen.

Length

17.6 km

Time

2 - 3 hours

Start and landing

Start at the Nußdorf power plant along the cycle path and under the riverside railway bridge.

Land at the harbor Alberner Hafen left before the harbor entrance.

SUP rental

SUP Center Wien – Gänsehäufelbad
Moissigasse 21, 1220 Vienna
Phone +43 (0)660 8343759

Boats2Sail
Am Kaisermühlendamm 106, 1220 Vienna
Phone +43 (0)660 6151 204

Sailing school Hofbauer Alte Donau
An der Oberen Alten Donau 186, 1220 Wien
Phone +43 (0)660 6151 204

Flotus – Stand Up Paddling
Labellweg 19, 1220 Vienna

Snowboard – Surf – Shop
Favoritenstrasse 28 1040 Vienna
Phone +43 (1) 606 79 88

Graffiti, great city & green space

When is the best time to paddle on Vienna's Danube Canal? Whenever there are no speedboats making their destructive waves. For this reason, we decided to set sail on the last possible weekend in March before the Twin City Liner starts its spring season again. Over the winter and into March, the fast passenger ship is only encountered sporadically or on weekends, which is why it is quite easy to plan a canal crossing outside of scheduled times.

During the Middle Ages the Danube Canal used to be the main branch of the Danube near Vienna. It extends over a length of about 17 km from the northwestern end of the city to its southeastern foothills. Thanks to the pleasant and constant flow speed of around 5 km/h, you can enjoy two to three hours of urban SUP fun from the Nußdorfer Weir to the harbor in Albern.

Starting the tour along the promenade called Nußdorfer Lände is ideal because, on the one hand, you can comfortably get to the water thanks to the stairs and the extensive water access and also because you can park for free in the surrounding streets.

For example, if you park your car on Eisenbahnstrasse street or Sickenberggasse street, you walk to the Danube Canal within a few minutes and there you can get your equipment ready for touring hassle-free.

But there is one thing that paddlers should get used to right from the start: the interested and sometimes enthusiastic looks from cyclists, joggers and walkers along the riverside promenades. After all, not many people paddle this downtown canal. Since we naturally want to promote standup paddling as an environmentally friendly outdoor sport, we set a good example and let the cool Danube carry us through the districts of Vienna. Unfortunately, the forecasted tailwind of up to 15 km/h (3 bf) is not noticeable.

Vienna's traffic lifelines run over the waterfront promenades and project their noise backdrop down to the river. In between – how could it be otherwise for a metropolis of millions – walls full of graffiti. Visually unnecessary tags, but also very often beautiful murals, will remain a constant companion along our path. If you want to find out more about Vienna's graffiti culture, we warmly recommend the book Graffiti Wien #1 . While passersby keep waving at us and audibly showing their sympathy, at some point we forget to count the number of bridges we have already passed. After 17 km there will have been 34 bridges and footbridges. But there is still a long way to go until then.

Although it is only mid-March, the banks are already relatively green and people everywhere are enjoying the fresh air on this sunny Sunday. Up to the Augarten Bridge it is relatively easy to land on both sides of the canal along the first 4.7 km of the tour, as the banks are sloping but flat enough. Along the entire route there are also stairs leading from the water to the land. For these reasons you can start paddling trips from almost any point along the canal.

There is a dedicated swimming club for people who swim in the canal, which is actually practiced all year round. But you should be careful when passenger ships come by, because the canal is around fifty meters wide throughout. As a swimmer or as a paddler, there is little room to avoid the waves. What is relatively comfortable around the leisurely ships of the DDSG Blue Danube can become life-threatening when the Twin City Liner passes by.

Therefore, every tour should be compared in advance with the timetables and frequencies of these ships. Fortunately, the City Liner only circulates between Vienna and Bratislava from the terminal at Schwedenplatz Square. The Blue Danube ships can be encountered on both sides of Schwedenplatz Square, but they don't pose a problem if you avoid them early enough.

As soon as you pass the Augarten Bridge, things get really urban. We let ourselves drift through the urban jungle between the brick banks and don't know where to look first. Ingenious graffiti art here, a beautiful historical building there, passers-by waving and taking photos on the bridges above us. The song Vienna Calling suddenly flashes through my head and my heart beats faster when I think that I am once again in our capital, the world capital of music and diplomacy, the world's most livable metropolis (as of 2023), but also the spy capital of Europe. I resonate with the pulse of the city and try to remember every detail.

Unfortunately, the Blue Danube Line's horn breaks my concentration and we are called to make room so the ship can dock at the ship station at Schwedenplatz Square. Shortly afterwards we turn right into the merging Wienfluss River and treat ourselves to a relaxing break in the standing water between the Urania and Strandbar Hermann. Here you can also wait comfortably until the Twin City Liner has whizzed past and avoid its brutal waves.

Caution is advised, because we both hook one after the other onto an almost invisible fishing line, which the gentleman on the bank doesn't like at all. It is therefore best to paddle in the middle of the canal when the way is clear and look for fishermen on the banks, as you can meet them anywhere along the route.

We slowly leave the inner city and paddle into increasingly quieter areas. The foothills of the districts Landstrasse and Leopoldstadt reveal sloping meadows with trees and easily accessible banks. Vienna is also a very green city of millions, especially because of the Danube Canal, and there are idyllic places everywhere to relax in urban nature.

Above us on the left, in the second and probably third row, is the well-known Wiener Prater, which skilfully combines parkland and amusement park on almost 6 km². However, you cannot see it from the water.

We approach the Südosttangente (A23 motorway) and turn our heads steeply to the right one last time. The three towers of the YOUNIQ Vienna TrIIIple house micro-apartments and are definitely an eye-catcher. They form the monumental conclusion to the urban section of our tour, because the last eight kilometers to the port Alberner Hafen run straight through suburban and natural areas.

The area is not very diverse in terms of landscape, but we enjoy the countless fishing huts on the left bank of the canal. At some point the sounds of the A4 eastern motorway will die down, making way for the spring-like chirping of birds that will accompany us to the Praterspitz and further to the harbor entrance in Albern. In the estuary area and at the harbor entrance you have to expect eddies and sometimes stronger winds. To be on the safe side, stick to the right bank and kneel if in doubt.

At the quay, turn the corner sharply to the right and you can easily go ashore via a staircase on the left along the harbor entrance. We came from the big city and ended up in rural areas, which shows very well how strong the contrasts were along this paddling route. Vienna Calling – we will definitely be back soon!

Ideally, there will be a parked car waiting here for the return journey, as there are enough parking spaces in this local recreation area. On the way back to the city you should definitely visit the small cemetery of the nameless (Friedhof der Namenlosen). This is where a number of unknown drowned bodies that were recovered from the Danube until the 1930s found their last earthly home.

Paddlers who neither shuttle nor are picked up take the bus back not far from here. About one kilometer from the landing point is the bus stop Alberner Hafen from where the buses go towards the city. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Nußdorf; for other destinations it is best to inquire about the Wiener Linien network map. If you are traveling back by public transport, be sure to take the SUP bag with you on the board so you can pack your stuff up again and transport it on public transport!

Alternatives: From here you can paddle the main stream of the Danube another 35 km to Hainburg, the last town before the Slovakian border. If you want to go further afield, you can paddle from there to Bratislava within a day (15 more kilometers). Tours lasting several days could even take you to Györ or Budapest if you are in for a real adventure.

The post Danube Canal Crossing first appeared on SUP Atlas - Paddle More.

Carinthia's longest reservoir is primarily a fishing paradise, but stand-up paddlers are also quickly enchanted by the relaxing ambience. Small islands and dense forests allow paddlers to enjoy forest bathing on the water, so to speak.

General information

• KärntenCard
• Southern Carinthia tourist information
• Völkermarkt Reservoir Wikipedia
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Along the tour you paddle entirely without any significant infrastructure. Treat the habitat of animals and plants with respect and take any rubbish with you! Don't get in the way of the fishermen and get out of the way of their lines early enough! Give priority to boats!

Dangers and risks

There are slipways at both harbors which are ideal for landing or boarding. However, caution is advised due to the risk of slipping.

Fishing lines and fishing boats are part of everyday life on the reservoir. Always keep an eye out for both!

Occasional driftwood could get stuck on the fins and act as a brake, but it is very unlikely.

Directions

To the rest area at the reservoir bridge: Coming from the east or west, take the A2 southern motorway exit at Völkermarkt West and take the Packerstraße/B70 road 3.4 km east towards the small town of Völkermarkt. At the junction to Völkermarkt, however, you drive straight ahead through the tunnel and are now on the B82. Follow it through the tunnel and along a sharp right-hand bend to the rest area by the reservoir bridge. The rest area branches off to the right shortly before the reservoir bridge and offers some public parking spaces.

To the Dullach/Edling boat harbor: Coming from the east or west, take the A2 southern motorway exit at Völkermarkt West and take the Packerstraße/B70 road 3.4 km east towards the small town of Völkermarkt. At the junction to Völkermarkt, turn left and continue straight through the small town. After 5 km, turn right twice in a row at Dürrenmoos (towards Bleiburg, Lavamünd) and follow the road for 5.8 km to the south. 280 m after the campsite by the reservoir, a small and inconspicuous path leads down to the right and to the boat harbor.

Getting to both spots via public transport is impractical as both fishing ports are not served and long walks are therefore to be expected.

Parking

At the small harbor by the Völkermarkt Reservoir bridge (Völkermartker Stauseebrücke) there are only a few public parking spaces, behind which lies the area of the fishing port. If everything is parked up front, please ask the fishermen if you can park your car in their area as an exception. In our experience, there shouldn't be any difficulties getting a nod.

The harbor in Dullach has more free parking spaces, but it can be easy to miss. The narrow road to the harbor is signposted, but it's easy to drive past if you don't know the area.

Swimming

The reservoir is not a typical bathing lake, but the water on the river in the area of the reservoir is relatively warm and measures up to 25° C in summer. You can still find reasonably pleasant water temperatures even in October, when late summer was warm. If you really want to get into the water from your SUP or from the shore, you should still be careful and swim away from possible boats and fishing lines.

If that's not convincing, then you can switch to a lot of great swimming lakes south of the reservoir. Lake Klopeinesee, for example, is one of the warmest swimming lakes in the country and is a true holiday paradise in summer. Around it there are also the lakes Turnersee, Sonnegger See and Gösselsdorfer See.

Tour

From the harbor at the Völkermarkter reservoir bridge to the Dullach boat harbor near Edling close to the Edling power plant.

Length

7.8 km

Time

2 – 2.5 hours

Start and landing

Start: At the harbor at the Völkermark reservoir bridge.

Landing: At the harbor in Dullach near the power plant.

SUP rental

Draupaddelweg
Dahlienweg 14, 9161 Maria Rain
Phone +43 (0)463 2032 30100

Forest bathing on the water

The Völkermarkt Reservoir is a popular destination in Lower Carinthia, especially for fishermen, but it also is an excellent paddling area even in autumn. The history of the reservoir began at the beginning of the 1960s, when the Drava River was dammed to build a power plant. Since then, the over 20 km long artificial lake has been one of the three largest lakes in the state and is not only considered an extensive local recreation area. In addition to fishermen - due to its biodiversity - ornithologists have also discovered the region for themselves. The local rowing sports center also made the lake known as a water sports area because their athletes find optimal training conditions here on the calm water.

The conditions - more precisely the weather conditions - are also the reason why we tackle this tour from the main basin to the eastern basin ahead of its time. The possibly last late-summer-like October days of the year are likely to end tomorrow with heavy rain, and so we decide to clear out our busy schedule in order to set sail a day earlier than planned. As a paddler you just have to set priorities!

Of course you can easily complete the eastern part of the reservoir in a circular route, but we opt for a one-way trip from the Völkermarkt Reservoir bridge to the end of the lake at the small Dullach boat harbor near the dam. It's easy to shuttle with two cars, especially since both ends of this tour also offer free parking. If all lots at the Völkermarkt reservoir bridge are occupied, simply ask the local fishermen if you can park your car on their turf - this was possible for us without any problems.

The first view over the water stops at the bridge, which somehow looks completely different than other bridges in this country. Childhood memories of Florida's bridges to Key West flash through my mind. It's a bit far-fetched, but you can't deny a certain similarity to this relatively low-lying bridge over the Drava River.

There is a flat access to the water at the slipway, but it's best to get into the water next to the ramp to avoid slipping. Since the northern side of the reservoir is filled up in some places, we paddle under the bridge towards the south bank. Here there is no longer any risk of getting stuck in the clay, like old trees that sometimes stay flat in the water for months because branches have gotten caught in the shallow ground. There is no current to be expected here, and any waves from small motorboats can be ignored with a smirk.

Paddlers rarely come here all year round, either because they don't know that it's comfortable to paddle here or because they respect the slightly cooler river water. To be fair, even in October the temperature can still reach an estimated 17°C if summer takes a nice extra turn. In addition, the entire reservoir is relatively protected from the wind and therefore easy to paddle even for SUP beginners.

On the wooded southern bank you can immediately smell the woody forest air and enjoy the view up to the small town of Völkermarkt. Although there are many small harbors and boat launches along the entire reservoir, the water is by no means overrun with boats. The gentle wakes of the fishing boats that occasionally leisurely pass by are also a nice change from what feels like still water. We only meet one canoeist along our tour. As I said – even in summer there are hardly any paddlers here.

This is good for us and probably also good for the flora and fauna. Fishermen can expect to catch up to thirty fish per hectare of water, which is quite impressive. What really impresses us, however, is the isolation that you can enjoy here. Things get quieter, especially after about 1.5 km, when you paddle around the bend of the main basin to the right and towards the eastern basin.

Here the forests on both banks reach down to the water and small islands invite you to land. While the October sun provides an orange color filter to the afternoon and thus also to nature, I marvel at the trees that were uprooted like toothpicks during a storm in August. Even months later, the power of nature can be seen everywhere on the banks, as they have been littered with tree trunks lying across them or have been reduced to partly bare slopes. It is precisely because of this wildness that the landscape around the reservoir is so interesting and not at all depressing. After all, nature always finds a way to renew itself if humans don't arrogantly interfere.

Relics of the storm in question keep floating in the water, so we have to avoid the driftwood every now and then. There is even a bench on one of the islands and, despite its steep terrain, it can be easily climbed from the south. We accept this offer and treat ourselves to a break with a view over the lake, which leads into its eastern basin on the left in front of us. On the way there we meet a few fishing boats that are probably chugging back to home base after a good catch.

The weather report seems to be accurate, because more and more clouds are moving into the country from the west and so we paddle the last few kilometers through the eastern basin to the harbor near Dullach under relatively gray skies. Although we are approaching the power plant, there is no current to be felt here and so a little later we glide relaxed to the bank where our shuttle car is already waitng.

This extremely entertaining tour may end the warm paddling season and leaves us wanting more. Of course, we also have to explore the reservoir to the west. But that probably won't happen until next year. First we enjoy our beer at the harbor and with interest follow the small talk of the fishermen at the next table.

Alternatives: If you haven't had enough yet, you can get back on the river behind the Edling power plant and continue paddling another 16 km to the next power plant or even to Lavamünd before the Slovenian border. A large part of this section has already been featured on SUP Atlas. A circuit back to the reservoir bridge can also be easily completed due to the lack of current. In that case expect twice the distance and paddling time.

You can find many other SUP tours on Carinthian lakes in the SUP Guide Carinthia.

The post Völkermarkt Reservoir (eastern basin) first appeared on SUP Atlas - Paddle More.

Budapest is not only one of the top cities in Europe, but also a die-hard paddling city. The Danube forms two large islands in the city area, which can be comfortably paddled around before admiring the imposing parliament building from the water.

General information

• Budapest Wikipedia
• Budapest Card
• Budapest tourist information
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

There are no swimmers here on the Danube, but there is a lot of paddling going on (SUP, kayaking, regatta, etc.). In addition to commercial shipping, private boats can also stir up the water, so it is always important to keep enough distance and not block anyone's way. Only go on the water with a life jacket!

Dangers and risks

In the Budapest area, the Danube is a typical lowland river flowing quite comfortably most of the year and it is pleasant to navigate. After heavy rains, the river can speed up significantly (6 km/h and more) and coupled with the heavy vessel traffic, this can result in choppy swells in the city centre. That's why wearing a life jacket is mandatory here. In the (early) morning the water is the calmest because the traffic on the water is non-existent or at least little.

In general, the further you get into the city center, the more traffic and waves pick up, if in doubt just stay seated on your SUP. You should also keep a sufficient distance from bridge piers and moored ships to avoid being washed onto them under the above conditions.

Along the entire route you best keep to the right and refrain from crossing the river. This is especially true downstream from Margaret Bridge. The water exit in front of Elisabeth Bridge is a bit tricky because the bottom steps can be slippery depending on the water level. On the way up to the street (Friedrich Born Street) there may be shards of broken glass on the ground. If you are already walking barefoot, then at least keep your eyes on the ground and look out for suitable places to step. Ideally, put on shoes or sandals before going ashore.

Arriving upstairs at Friedrich Born Street, you walk behind crash barriers, but with the board in your hand it is a bit narrow and the busy traffic flows past quickly right next to you. Of course, there are no guard rails at the parking lot, so be particularly careful with the boards here!

Directions

Coming from the eastern part of the city (east of the Danube), for example, take the Árpád Bridge (Árpád híd), which crosses the river and also Margaret Island, heading west. Do not turn right immediately after the bridge, but take the long right-hand bend to the north about 260 m after the turn-off! Follow Szentendrei út street straight for 5 km and turn right at Mátyás király út. Follow the road for about 1.5 km to Királyok útja street and turn left at its intersection. After 400 m turn right into Piroska út, at the end of which you'll find the location of SUP Budapest to the right of it (in the direction of river).

ATTENTION: Google Maps shows a slightly different route, which leads via the next parallel street to Piroska út. However, this is a private road, which is blocked off by a gate - you cannot get over to the Danube from here. So please follow the directions above!

If you don't drive your own car, you can rent a two-wheeler, easily call a taxi using an app, or use the well-developed network of public transportation, the metropolis has it all.

Parking

You can park for free along Piroska út and you are very close to the starting point for this tour.

Swimming

The Danube is generally not blessed with clear water, we also advise against getting into the water in the city center. Ship and boat traffic is just too heavy, even light flow rates can quickly become a serious problem for unfit swimmers.

However, in 2021 the SHO Beach was opend in Lágymányosi Bay and it is the only lido on the Danube in Budapest. It offers not only sporting activities and entertainment but also great gastronomy. But locals love bathing primarily in the countless public baths and spas. No other capital in the world offers as many healing springs and spas as Budapest and its suburbs.

The highlights include the Gellert Spa as well as the Széchenyi Bath, which ensure relaxing hours in the water even on rainy days.

Tour

From the SUP Budapest base in the north of the city along the right bank to the Elisabeth Bridge.

Length

11.5 km

Time

2 hours

Start and landing

Start at the Danube access opposite the base of SUP Budapest.
Land on the stairs on the right in front of Elisabeth Bridge.

SUP rental

SUP Budapest (guided SUP tours)
Kossuth Lajos udulopart 81, 1039 Budapest
Phone +36 (0)30 701 9318

Kolonics György Vízisport Központ (Water Sports Center)
Duna utca 61, 1215 Budapest
Phone +36 (0)30 936 0513

Óbuda-Pénzügyőr SE Sporttelep
Kossuth Lajos Üdülőpart 15. Budapest III. Kerület, Hungary 1039

Kiteline respectively BudapestSUP
Batthyány utca, 1015 Budapest
Phone +36 (0)70 453 2414

SUPcsi
Latványsport Kft.
1203 Budapest Közműhelytelep 5 II/8
Phone +36 (0)30 530 9003

SUP the lifestyle
Népsziget 1-3 Budapest Evezős Egyesület, 1138 Budapest
Phone +36 (0)20 437 8733

SUPshop BudaPart
Napkelte utca 1, 1117 Budapest
Phone +36 (0)1 23 44 888

Sightseeing trip with a political background

Sunbathers have had a tough time over the past few weeks as constant rainfall left hardly any suitable windows for SUP tours. The Danube runs past me all the more quickly when I stand at the water entry point in front of SUP Budapest and look at the water conditions for my upcoming tour from the north of Budapest to the city center. At an estimated five to six km/h, this superstar among Europe's rivers is flowing twice as fast today as it normally would. Rainy seasons don't just have their downsides, so the view over the water promises an entertaining paddling trip with high water levels.

Today I have the pleasure of being guided by the girls from SUP Budapest to the center of the Hungarian capital and experiencing the Danube in all its grandeur for the first time.

The location and the entrance to the river are easily accessible just below the confluence of the Szentendrei-Danube (Szentendrei-Duna, Szentendrei-Duna-ág) in the main river of the Danube, and when I enter the extensive area of ​​the tour operator, there are already a dozen SUPs prepared on the meadow in the sun. Today's tour guides Maja and Réka give me a warm welcome and hand me a suitable life jacket and a dry bag. By the way, the life jacket is mandatory here if you want to do water sports on the river.

An international audience is part of the girls' everyday work, and so today there are not only Hungarian paddlers, but also French, German, American - and with me an Austrian paddler. After a safety briefing and a short technical training in English, we grab our boards and walk expectantly across the bike path to the shore entrance on the opposite side.

All kinds of paddling sports are very popular here, and countless kayaks are already passing us when we put our boards in the water. At the beginning of the season, the SUP Budapest team only offers its guided tours on weekends. Once summer is in full swing, however, you can paddle down into town from here every day. Sunrise tours, sunset tours and night tours are also regularly offered. There is enough equipment for groups of between twenty and thirty people, because stand up paddling has become an interesting alternative to the somewhat dusty company outing. Companies also like to use the offer for motivational training and other incentives for their employees.

The water flows quickly for the first few kilometers, but with the exception of the occasional lateral boat wave it is fairly calm. With all the beach bars and cafés on the right bank, one would like to start this tour with a drink break. Even the most timid paddlers in the group are finally standing on both feet and together we let the water pull us southwards in an effortless way. After three kilometers, the well-known island of Óbudai-sziget appears in front of us, where the annual Sziget-Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. But of course this island in the Danube is also a popular local recreation area, which offers various leisure activities and some gastronomy.

At the railway bridge Maja instructs us to paddle to the right and into the side arm, knowing full well that we will encounter an urban-rural interplay here. On the right hand side the built-up and partly dilapidated bank including abandoned ship landing stages, dilapidated stairs and a lot of colorful graffiti. On the left, however, not a hint of it, because the island forms a floodplain landscape with low-growing trees and bushes on its shore. The river is much slower here and you are welcome to float supine on the SUP board under the K-bridge. However, you should make sure that there is no driftwood floating in the water around you.

As we get back on the main river and continue paddling along Margaret Island, we encounter prominent victims of the past few weeks of rain. A huge dead tree is carried by the water as if it were a water duck. How much timber can come down the river is only apparent in the city center when you see the carpets of driftwood between the docks and the moored ships. On the other hand, we can already see the Margaret Bridge in front of us, which skillfully covers the parliament building behind it.

Traffic on the water and the waves are slowly increasing. From this atmosphere alone we can already tell that we are approaching the highlight of our tour. My heart beats faster as Maja gives us final instructions on how to paddle under Margaret Bridge and past Parliament. A photo can hardly capture how impressive this 270 m long mega structure really is. For five minutes, a dozen paddlers can be seen navigating the now significantly rippled water with their heads fixed to the left. It is difficult to get enough of this sight. The numerous onlookers who watch us from the bank and from Elisabeth Bridge probably feel the same way.

We only really notice how fast and choppy the water has become when we slowly approach the end of this tour. optimal landing on the right side in front of Elisabeth Bridge can be a bit tricky. Only when you look at the long stone steps, which you have to climb from the water, you see why a buoyancy aid is always important here. The steps forcefully throw the choppy waters back into the river while we have to carefully yet quickly step off the board with one leg to fix it on the bank and consequently dismount. Something can easily go wrong here and you end up in the water. The bottom steps can be slippery and the climb up to the street reveals some broken glass. Light shoes are very useful here.

After almost two hours we all arrive at the quay unscathed and load our boards onto the trailer that a crew member of SUP Budapest has already parked here. Not only did we have a distinctive river experience and enjoy a side of Budapest that very few people get to see. We also got a number of great insider tips from our tour guides along the way, which will enhance our stay in the city. From here you can walk over the bridge to the city center, because there is still a lot to explore in this beautiful cosmopolitan metropolis. For example, you could walk straight over to the parliament and enjoy a sightseeing tour there.

However, if you have to get back to the location of the tour provider because your car is parked there, you can reserve a return trip in advance with SUP Budapest.

Of course there is also the possibility to rent an e-scooter or moped and get back on two wheels.

With ShareNow Budapest also offers an excellent car sharing service.

And then there is always the well-developed public transport network. The nearest metro station is just across Elisabeth Bridge. At Eszperantó Park there is also a tram station. Within one hour the subway and the tram take you back to the water entrance in the north of the city.

The post Danube-Tour through Budapest first appeared on SUP Atlas - Paddle More.

The south-east of Austria is full of lonely waterways that stretch all the way to Hungary. For almost twenty dreamy kilometers the rivers Feistritz and Lafnitz run through beaver areas, river meadows and past remote sandbanks.

General information

• Südburgenland tourist information
• Southeast Styria tourist information
• Western Transdanubia tourist information
• Fürstenfeld Wikipedia
• Szentgotthárd Wikipedia
• Feistritz Wikipedia
• Lafnitz Wikipedia
• Burgenland Card
• Genusscard Styria
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Avoid gravel and sand banks as well as zones with aquatic plants as far as possible (animal and nature conservation). Please take waste with you and dispose of it later on land. Species such as the Siberian iris, stork and kingfisher need to be protected. That is why since 2022 the Lafnitztal valley with its wetland habitats has also been a Ramsar site.

Dangers and risks

The unpredictable is a constant companion on this tour and depending on the water level and previous weather conditions, blockages of driftwood are always possible along the Feistritz. Both rivers have dug deep into the ground in parts, and because many places involve portage, sturdy shoes are a better choice than neoprene shoes or sandals. In any case, please wear footwear, because usually you have to portage over steep banks with a height of up to three meters!

A lot of dead trees and larger branches are lying in the water. You have to paddle with foresight to avoid catching your fins on a trunk or branch just below the surface of the water. Sweepers - i.e. branches and trees occasionally hanging down to the water - and the dead trees lying stuck in the water can also be dangerous for advanced paddlers if overlooked.

Riffels and shallow areas appear again and again, but mostly no dismounting is necessary. Standing far forward on the board should be enough to lift the fins.

The Lafnitz River has sills every few kilometers, of which probably only two are passable. However, this could be different in the event of high water. The portages often take place over steep and earthy banks. You should therefore be sure-footed and have good coordination in order to carry all the equipment past the obstacles.

We also point out the danger of too low a water level. On both rivers this can happen more often than paddlers desire.

The relevant measuring stations on the Feistritz should show at least the following water levels:  Anger 200 cm, Hofing 80 cm.

The relevant measuring stations on the Lafnitz are situated in Dobersdorf and Eltendorf. Both should show at least a water level of 140 cm.

We recommend bypassing the mill in Dobersdorf via the canal of the meander cutoff. After the mill you would otherwise have to re-enter on private property, which is not allowed. It is currently unknown how easy it is to get into the water on the opposite side of this private property.

Occasionally fishermen can go about their daily work on the banks, because the Feistritz and Lafnitz, together with their side channels and oxbow lakes, are popular fishing areas. Then it's time to look out for fishing rods, swimmers and fishing lines and navigate around them.

Directions

Coming from Graz, take the A2 motorway (Südautobahn) in the direction of Vienna and take the Ilz/Fürstenfeld exit. Coming from Vienna, take the A2 southbound via Hartberg to the Ilz/Fürstenfeld exit. Follow the course of the country road until after about 11.5 km you pass the main station of Fürstenfeld. This is not easily recognizable on the left because the station building looks more like a large residential building.

After another 800 m, take the Loipersdorfer Straße street on the left at the fork in the road, drive straight ahead over the roundabout and after 140 m turn into Rennmühlstraße (sharp left after the red snack bar on the left-hand side of the road). This road runs straight for 1.7 km, going over a small bridge at the weir. After the bridge, turn right and park on the right-hand side of the road along the bike path.

Parking

North of the small weir in Fürstenfeld, at the water entrance, you can park your car on Kohlwiesenweg Street on the right-hand side of the road. Unfortunately, the spacious parking areas on the opposite bank of the river are private property, so parking without a permit is prohibited.

At the Hungarian end of the tour there are plenty of parking spaces on both banks of the river in the area of shops, but using them for several hours at a time is at your own risk. In paddler forums there are a few reports of bad experiences with parked cars in the area.

Parking lot of Penny und DM supermarkets
Parking lot of Fezo supermarket
Parking lot of market square

Swimming

In many places with little current, such as on the banks of the river, you can cool off wonderfully at your own risk. However, the water of the Feistritz is not always as clear as one would like it to be, because the sandy and loamy subsoil releases sediments again and again, which can turn the water brownish. Even if the water levels are generally low, there are enough sections without sufficient footing.

Foam crowns also tend to appear on blockages, which unfortunately indicate a certain degree of contamination.

As an alternative, the baths in the region offer comprehensive bathing fun and comfort with fewer risks:

Public bath Fürstenfeld
Badstraße 1, 8280 Fürstenfeld
Phone +43 (0)664 73451854

Natural bathing lake Königsdorf
7423 Neustift an der Lafnitz
Phone +43 (0)3338 3050

Worth seeing

On a walk through Fürstenfeld you get to know the historic old town along 16 interesting spots. The walk leads through narrow streets and past centuries-old buildings (e.g. the old town hall, the parish church or the Franciscan monastery).

The Szentgotthárd Abbey dates from the 12th century and part of its premises – the rooms of Cistercians – now serves as the town hall. The former dining room on the ground floor is now used as a concert hall and wedding hall.

Extra Tips

If it's not the SUP board, it could also be a canoe. Guided canoe tours abound in the region as it is a popular destination for canoeists. The various bodies of water and tour providers usually invite you to take a discovery trip of several hours between May and October.

Info page of the tourist board Südburgenland
Info page of the tourist board Jennersdorf
Sunsplash Kanu

The so-called subscription concerts in Fürstenfeld offer music from a wide variety of styles throughout the year. The summer, however, is event-free.

In Szentgotthárd you will find an entertaining nature trail. It is located near the Cistercian church and the monastery building. Along this path there are seven information boards in the shape of an open book, giving the reader a glimpse of the earlier life of the Cistercians.

Tour

From the small weir in Fürstenfeld along the rivers Feistritz and Lafnitz to the mouth of the river Raab in Szentgotthárd.

Length

18,2 km

Time

5 - 6 hours

Start and landing

Start at the small weir in the east of Fürstenfeld.

Land in Szentgotthárd on the left bank at the confluence of the Lafnitz and Raab.

SUP rental

None

Overnight Stay

Big apartment in Bad Loipersdorf on a farm near Fürstenfeld
Rittscheintalstraße 84, 8282 Bad Loipersdorf
Phone +31 (20) 894 5659

Aparthotel Heuberger
Grazer Straße 1, 7571 Rudersdorf
Phone +43 (0)660 460 0919

Haus Semmi
Grazer Platz 9, 8280 Fürstenfeld
Phone +43 (0)676 7448234

La Villa Pergola
Kossuth ut 56, 9970 Szentgotthárd
Phone +36 (0)30 9 471 559

Andante Guesthouse & Restaurant
Füzesi ut 12, 9970 Szentgotthárd
Phone +36 (0)94 44 55 66

Hotel Zsida
Zöldlomb utca 1, 9970 Szentgotthárd

Gastronomy

Das Hermann’s
Ungarstraße 1, 8280 Fürstenfeld
Phone +43 (0)3382 52939

Fürstenbräu Braugasthaus
Hauptstrasse 31, 8280 Fürstenfeld
Phone +43 (0)3382 55255

Beim Borckenstein – Styrian Style Tapas Bar
Hauptstraße 2A, 8280 Fürstenfeld
Phone +43 (0) 664 5142326

Maximilian Cocktailbar
Stadt-Zug-Platz 2, 8280 Fürstenfeld
Phone +43 (0)676 5833330

Havanna Lounge
Burgenlandstrasse 2, 8280 Fürstenfeld
Phone +43 (0)664 1200092

Rezi Pizzeria and Restaurant
Martirok ut 5/A, 9970 Szentgotthard
Phone +36 (0)70 263 2761

Cafe Corso
Szell Kalman ter 21/A, 9970 Szentgotthard
Phone +36 (0)20 430 5766

Double river pleasure

The Austro-Hungarian border area is characterized by countless natural tame waterways, which provide paddling areas with different characters for nature lovers. Today's tour is a combination of the two rivers Feistritz and Lafnitz, which will end after about 18 km in the Hungarian town of Szentgotthard right after the border.

We choose to start in the small austrian town of Fürstenfeld in south-east Styria, which is well known in this country for a wonderful classic Austropop song (Band: STS – Song: Fürstenfeld). East of the town there is a small weir, which offers us ideal starting conditions, because here you can park your car on the side of the road and comfortably carry the board between the bushes to the sandy-loamy pool under the weir.

After about a hundred meters, the almost standing water merges with the faster-flowing water of the weir and with a little push we start our natural adventure. We paddle the first one and a half kilometers under the treetops through long curves and enjoy the spring-like chirping of the birds around us.

We were told that it is far more difficult to paddle here in the summer as the water levels are often poor. It is therefore worth taking a look at the water water levels online. We were also lucky that during the week before our tour rainy days had spoiled the weather again and again, which resulted in a far better water level on the two rivers today.

If the measuring station on the Feistritz shows a water level of 200 cm near Anger and at least 80 cm near the municipality of Hofing a SUP ride should be possible.

The water levels for the Lafnitz should reach at least 140 cm at the measuring points in Dobersdorf and Eltendorf. Below that, also the flor rate will probably be extremely slow.

After about 1.5 kilometers of leisurely drifting, we enter the meandering part of our route with a sharp left turn. Here the Feistritz River is only between ten and fifteen meters wide and there are always tree trunks and driftwood in the water. The zig-zag course through the river meadows is obviously fun and we pass the small islands to the left and right, mostly with increased currents. In contrast to the river Raab, which has a similar character over long stretches, fewer trees and branches hang into the water here. However, there are also steep and high meanders and dreamy sandbanks.

Shortly before the mill in the village of Dobersdorf we end up in a wooden blockage, because in a river bend the driftwood has collected with plastic waste.

The floating carpet looks insurmountable at first, even portaging the boards is out of the question, since the banks are vertical and earthy and you can't stand in the water. Fortunately, on the far right, a nice tree trunk is about 30 cm firmly fixed above the water, so that you can slide the board under it and climb over the tree yourself. You don't find such an easy obstacle solution every day and later we will also find even less easy spots to bypass.

After a few bends in the river we reach the mill in Dobersdorf (also called the Bagdy Mill) and go ashore to portage the mill. Just around the corner on Mühlwinkelstraße Street you can marvel at an old boundary stone from 1756, the inscription on it mentions Maria Theresia, the Queen of Hungary at the time.

Unfortunately we do not know that our planned entry on the other side (on the right after the bridge and the fish ladder) is on private property, it is therefore not permitted to pass. After a nice and enlightening conversation with the property owners living there, we exceptionally climb into the fast water under the weir and make the following recommendation for this transfer:

The most sensible thing would be to take the meander cutoff just before the mill, because it offers the shortest route around the private property and is easily accessible.

You could possibly try your luck at the mill by not going left over the small bridge to the private property, as we did, but going right past the mill and climbing across the meadow down to the shore. The terrain here allows for a good descent in many places (please feel free to pass on your experiences with this variant to us).

At the latest at the end of the next bend we realize that we are in the middle of the beaver area, when we have to dodge two tree trunks that have recently fallen across. This is tricky and time-consuming because there is no stable footing, just a few reasonably well-wedged branches to climb on. The landowner had warned us about this obstacle beforehand and we could easily have saved ourselves 15 minutes of time and nerves via the canal.

When crossing the two blockages, we don't even notice that the Golfclub Loipersdorf is already on the right above us, but this becomes obvious a few meters downstream as soon as the short-mown meadows rise up next to the Feistritz river. We have been in the austrian state of Burgenland since the mill and are now paddling by the unspectacular confluence of the Feistritz and the river Lafnitz, which suddenly comes from the left between Dobersdorf and Königsdorf.

Both narrow rivers now continue in a somewhat wider river course. The Feistritz ends here and the Lafnitz is now up to 30 meters wide in some places, but carries almost motionless tame water most of the time.

The Lafnitz has always been a border river, separating the Roman regions of Pannonia and Noricum. However, rivers are not always reliable as boundary markers as they can change course. So it is not surprising that the border between the states of Burgenland and Styria along our route does not always correspond to the course of the river. The actual course of the border thus corresponds to a historical course of the Lafnitz river, which has changed over the decades since the First World War due to the ongoing flow dynamics. A look at a map tells us how much unregulated river courses can change over time.

From now on, however, the course of the river is heavily regulated and one sill follows the next. Shortly after the golf course there is the first one, which can be navigated on the right hand side if the water level is right. But it doesn't hurt to stand or even kneel a little further forward on the board.

A few minutes later we stand at an impassable rapid, in addition, both banks in the immediate vicinity are unfortunately too overgrown. On the right bank, however, there is a small channel around the sill. We take it and paddle it out until the way is completely blocked. Too much driftwood and low growing bushes. So the solution lies in the 2-3 meter high climb to the meadow above us. The bank is almost vertical and earthy, but a few well-placed stones make our work easier. One paddler goes ahead, after that the boards are pulled up and then the other paddlers follow. We'll have to repeat this maneuver a few more times before we get to Hungary.

The meadow is now quite passable in spring and at the next opportunity we climb down the steep but not high bank leading to the water. Also because of the vegetation, this tour would probably be unthinkable in summer, because many portages would probably be even more tedious through tall grass and lush vegetation .

Then we leisurely paddle on, while occasionally light breezes blow around our ears. Replica chartaques appear again and again near the shore. These watchtowers were used by the Ottomans to defend their territory and today enrich the views of the land from the shore. Finally we approach the Pannonian plain which is influenced by the Mediterranean climate. From time to time we pass lonely farm buildings, otherwise we are in idyllic no man's land.

The next swell in front of us is already audible, unfortunately this one is not passable either, but here too, there is a quiet place to get off on the right bank. We go back up the earthy, loamy wall to the next meadow and shortly afterwards back into the water. We establish a rhythm.

The fairly straightened river slowly pulls us further to the east and fortunately the soon to follow groundsill is easily navigable under a bridge slightly to the right of its middle.

Bike and farm paths run along both banks, making us an attraction for Sunday cyclists and walkers. Unfortunately we can't offer them more action to watch as most of the rock outcrops are impassable, at least not at the current water level.

The other sills are as follows:

Near Poppendorf the sill should be portaged to the left. The bank is only about a meter high, the ascent is relatively easy, but the descent directly below the threshold is a bit steep.

300 m further on you have to stop again and it is best to carry around on the left hand again. Due to the vegetation, you have to enter the water again directly below the sill at the last boulders.  

After that there is almost three kilometers of free-flowing water and the last sill is easily passable again. It is best to stay slightly to the right of center, but expect that the fin may touch the rock slightly. Therefore shift the weight a little forward!

Although the water level is okay along the entire route, shallow areas and ripples are to be expected. Especially with the idyllic pace of this ride, it's no problem to keep your sights on the ground under your boards from time to time. In the area of the municipality of Neuheiligenkreuz on the Austro-Hungarian border, with a bit of luck, we spot an elongated and transverse stone edge in the shallow water and can paddle past it to the left in a swinging manner.

If you recognize this spot too late, you either have to lift your board over the stones or paddle back a bit to be able to enter the left-hand current.

In any case, there is a little push here again, which brings us over the border and into a long right-hand bend to Szentgotthárd. Shortly thereafter, we pass a green-painted railway bridge and see the tower of the Virgin Mary Church in the town's center.

Shortly before the third bridge, over which the street Füzesi út leads, we land on the left at a reasonably suitable place. From the other side, the river Raab flows around the corner. The Lafnitz has reached its end with its confluence with the Raab. One last time we climb a small difference in altitude and walk throug tall grass in order to reach the road. Our afternoon tour ends here in the north of the small town and after a high-five and a victory pose, a tick check awaits, which fortunately remains negative for all of us.

In terms of paddling, this route is not a great challenge and it should also be suited for beginners. The difficulty sometimes lies in the awkward portages of the sills and any blockages. Sweepers and dead trees lying in the water can also be dangerous for advanced paddlers if you overlook them. That's why we recommend always paddling into the Pannonian Plain in groups.

If you are not traveling with two cars and are thus able to shuttle, you can take public transport back to Fürstenfeld.

By train: From the exit it takes about 15 minutes to walk and from there it takes no more than an hour and a half (depending on the connection) to the train station in Fürstenfeld. In the small town called Fehring you have to change trains once.

From the train station in Fürstenfeld it takes about half an hour to walk back to the water entry of this tour.

By bus: From the exit it takes about 15 minutes to walk to the train station and from there take the train to Fehring (ride lasting no more than 20 minutes). Here you can change to the bus and go to Fürstenfeld main station (Fürstenfeld HBF) if you don't continue by train anyway.

From the train station in Fürstenfeld it takes about half an hour to walk back to the water entry of this tour.

The post Feistritz and Lafnitz River from Fürstenfeld to Szentgotthárd  first appeared on SUP Atlas - Paddle More.

Carinthia's summer paradise also cuts an excellent figure in winter and invites you to paddle across still water. If you want to have the lake to yourself, dress warmly and do your winter sports here.

General information

• Woerthersee Plus Card
• Carinthia Card
• Lake Wörthersee Wikipedia
• Wörthersee tourist information
• Wörthersee SUP information
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

The lake is very busy in summer - motorized and non-motorized watercraft navigate in abundance. Therefore keep enough distance to bathers and watercraft. In winter you have the lake to yourself.

Dangers and risks

Apart from the usual dangers of winter paddling, such as cold water and cold air temperature, there are no significant hazards along the route.
The start by the lakeside promenade (Strandpark Velden) is accessible via wooden walkways with a small difference in height to the water (approx. 50 cm). If you get into the lake via the so-called Kurpark Velden the water access is flat.
In summer, on the other hand, you have to reckon with brisk ship and boat traffic and the corresponding waves, which is why a crossing outside the bathing season is safer, faster and requires less effort.

Directions

If you are coming from the east (Klagenfurt) or west (Villach) via the A 2 motorway, take the Velden West motorway exit and follow the course of the road straight into town. The town center is easily recognizable by the fork in the road in front of the Kurpark - Velden's central park. It's best to look for a parking space right here.

Parking

There are enough chargeable parking lots along the access roads near the water entrance. However, the search for a parking space can be tedious in summer, since Velden then becomes the overcrowded St. Tropez of Carinthia.

If you are unlucky, you have to drive to the slightly more distant free Park & Ride at the central station. or to the Parking P5 in Bahnhofstraße street below the train station (since summer of 2022 it is chargeable, in winter it remains free).

The same applies to the parking spaces in Velden East north of Klagenfurter Straße street and the parking lot Velden South (Berger Parkplatz) - these are also free of charge, but are a bit out of the way.

Swimming

With summer water temperatures of up to 28° C, Lake Wörthersee is probably the most popular bathtub in the state. That's why it's very heavily built up, but also has a number of free lake accesses. Worth mentioning are: the Metnitzstrand Beach in Klagenfurt, the Edelweissbad in Pörtschach, the Teixlbucht near Maria Wörth and the free access to the lake in Krumpendorf. If you are looking for more infrastructure, you are spoiled for choice with the countless bathing beaches.

Winter swimmers always find like-minded people in Velden, when on the first day of the year the traditional New Year's Swim takes place in the area of Villa Bulfon.

Strandbad Maiernigg
Süduferstrasse 116, 9020 Klagenfurt
Phone +43 (0)463 292389

Strandbad der Gemeinde Velden
Seepromenade 7, 9220 Velden
Phone +43 (0)4274 34150

Promenadenbad Pörtschach
Blumenpromenade 24, 9210 Pörtschach
Phone +43 (0)4272 2435

Strandbad Dellach
Süduferstraße 240, 9082 Maria Wörth
Phone +43 (0)676 3367034

Parkbad & Bewegungsarena Krumpendorf
Pamperlallee 35, 9201 Krumpendorf
Phone +43 (0)4229 2440

Strandbad Saag
Saag 11, 9212 Techelsberg
Phone +43 (0)4272 43501

Strandbad Maria Loretto
Lorettoweg 48, 9020 Klagenfurt
Phone +43 (0)664 805216350

Tour

From the promenade in Velden to the Metnitz beach in Klagenfurt.

Length

16.5 km

Time

4 - 5 hours

Start and landing

Start at the waterfront in front of the Schlosshotel Velden or in the Kurpark Velden.

Land on Metnitzstrand Beach next to the lido in Klagenfurt.

SUP rental

Fanatic SUP Center 
(Strandbad Maiernigg) 
Süduferstrasse 116, 9073 Klagenfurt
Phone +43 (0)677 62963993

Seesport 
(in the Parkbad Krumpendorf) 
Pamperlallee 35-37, 9201 Krumpendorf
Phone +43 (0)664 7661685

Reifnitz Sailing School
Uferweg 3, 9081 Reifnitz
Phone +43 (0)664 1858143

Click&Paddle Wörthersee
Self-service machine at the
slipway, Berthastraße street in Krumpendorf
Discount code “SUPAtlas” for 20% discount

Wassersport Lex
Fischerweg 14, 9082 Maria Wörth/Dellach
Phone +43 (0) 676 3367034

SUP2GETHER
(in the Maria Loretto lido)
Lorettoweg 48, 9020 Klagenfurt
Phone +43 (0)463 20323020

SUP2GETHER
(in the lido Strandbad Klagenfurt) 
Metnitzstrand 2, 9020 Klagenfurt
Phone +43 (0)463 20323020

Winter paddling on a lonely lake

The small Lake Woerthersee is not only located in the heart of Carinthia, but is also the tourist heart of the federal state - at least in summer. Things are very different in winter and the lake reveals its deserted expanses to us. Those who take advantage of the cold season for paddling will experience Carinthia's largest lake without passenger ships, motor boats, water skiers or fishermen. This means that the water is completely calm, apart from occasional light waves blown by the wind. You can move forward much faster and safer than in summer, when the boat waves in particular can always offer a challenge.

Another advantage of winter paddling is already evident in the run-up to the tour, because the otherwise completely overcrowded municipality of Velden offers enough free parking spaces near the shore outside of the bathing season and so you can be on the water in just a few steps. The waterfront in the areas of the beach park (Strandpark) and the spa park (Kurpark) is best suited for getting started, since the remaining parts of the shore are mostly built up and privately owned. So I choose the empty boat docks in front of the famous and legendary Schlosshotel Velden and pump my board up on the promenade next to the Roy Black memorial. Since the weather is spring-like, it is even possible to set sail in shorts and tee-shirt.

I start off with a light north-east wind of one Beaufort and with motivation I catch the miniature waves below me. The wind can't be felt, but the waves slow down my speed a little at first. Since I only have a window of about three hours until sunset, any water resistance is crucial.

The sun shines flat on the lake from the south and guarantees me pleasant warmth, even though it's only been a few days since New Year's Eve. The sixteen kilometer long lake stretches out in front of me and I can already see the Parkhotel and the Flower Island (Blumeninsel) near the municipality of Pörtschach far out across the water. I should be there in a little over an hour and thus have completed the first half of the crossing.

Until then, I can relax and listen to my podcast through the headphones on my MP3 player and at the same time enjoy the absolute solitude in the middle of the lake. The cool air revives the spirits and is a pleasant change from sitting indoors over the past holiday season. The inns and hotels around the lake shore seem completely deserted, and the bare trees reveal a view of the southern highway A2 to my left, which runs across the north shore of the lake.

After a few kilometers the wind calms down and the lake is smooth as glass in front of me. I immediately notice that I can make better progress and cover more meters with the same stroke frequency. My GPS tracker provides proof of this, because my kilometer time suddenly improves by around twenty seconds. Without changing the paddling frequency, this is a difference of about forty meters per kilometer. In total, this means a time saving of about half a kilometer for the remaining distance. I quickly do the math and realize that I can easily manage to reach Klagenfurt before the sun sets.

To be on the safe side, I have a long change of clothes and a towel in my drybag, but with such great water conditions, falling off the board is very unlikely. I try to paddle in an ideal line as straight as possible over the bend in the lake around Pörtschach, which is why I paddle south around the tiny so-called Capuchin Island (Kapuzinerinsel) while almost touching its shore. Opposite of this island, by the lakeside, there is a free parking lot and one of the few public lake accesses, which offers a good starting point for paddling tours, especially in summer. It's quiet and in both directions it's the same distance to Velden as to Klagenfurt. Half time! But without a break.

Meanwhile, the rays of the low-lying sun are behind me and shielded by Mt. Pyramidenkogel to my right and I paddle across the shady lake in the direction of Krumpendorf. Enjoying the view from the observation tower on the Pyramidenkogel is a must, because the world looks completely different from a height of one hundred meters. On my right I find the little village of Reifnitz, which is well known to GTI car fans in particular. Several times a year, GTI drivers from all over Europe meet here, but also around the lake, with their tuned cars for the so-called GTI Meeting.

It's getting harder to keep up the paddling cadence and I switch from podcast mode to music mode for an extra boost of adrenaline and motivation to keep going. The clear view of the Klagenfurt lido in front of me gives me more energy and I try to get the last three kilometers over with as quickly as possible. Little by little I get ahead and can still feel the last rays of sunshine on my back before the waterfront promenade Metnitzstrand Beach takes shape.

Upon getting there, I am immediately greeted by onlookers and only recognize the blood-red sky behind me when I dismount. The great photos that were taken are from the blogger iTravelerGuide, that I get to meet when landing in Klagenfurt. Since I've been paddling in a trance for the last few minutes, I'm not even aware of how quickly the sunset set in. A short dip in the six-degree cold water and the day is over.

As far as the return journey to Velden is concerned, you can either be picked up on site or you can take the public transport back. From here you can take the bus to Klagenfurt, where you can hop on a return train or bus from the Lend station or from the central station. On Omio or RailEurope you find convenient train connections to any destination.

Meanwhile, I'm already thinking about the next adventure, because the Wörthersee should provide wonderful paddling impressions even in a deep winter snowy landscape.

Alternative: If you have to rent a low-priced hardboard via Click&Paddel and want to save a whopping 20% on your booking with the discount code "SUPAtlas", start at the slipway in Krumpendorf, where the self-service machine is located.

You can find this and many other SUP tours on Carinthian lakes in the SUP Guide Carinthia.

The post Wörthersee longitudinal crossing first appeared on SUP Atlas - Paddle More.

The Gail River is known for its crystal clear and cool water. If you want to avoid the whitewater on this river, the best thing to do is paddle its last thirteen kilometers to where it flows into the Drave, enjoying various minor challenges and a great view of the Karawanken mountains.

General information

• Carinthia Card  
• Villach Wikipedia 
• Villach tourist information
• Paddling Town
• Gailtal Valley tourist information
• Gail Wikipedia
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Only head for the banks for short breaks and behave quietly so as not to expose the animals to unnecessary stressors. Always take rubbish with you!

On the Drave (Drau River) passenger ships always have priority.

Dangers and risks

The Gail River has pleasantly navigable tame water along the entire route with some light whitewater passages and surges.

The access is a bit rocky and the pool between the heaped up rocks at the so-called White Stones of the Gail is quite shallow towards the motorway bridge (indicated by the brownish shading of the water on the satellite image). Once in the water, you probably have to walk about a hundred meters and carry/push the board over the rock embankment. This already shows that good neoprene or bathing shoes with non-slip soles are indispensable, because it can also be necessary to wade through the water over the smooth stones in other places along this tour.

There are a number of shallow passages along the entire route, but these are passable. In extreme cases, simply shift the weight to the front third of the board to get the fins up in the back.

Under the jetty at the snack station called Gailstüberl a groundsill is formed that can only be negotiated via the middle. To do this, you paddle just to the left of the central pillar and find a passable gap between the rocks ahead – keep your knees relaxed and paddle through with body tension.

Alternative: wade to the left through the shallow river bed and get back on after the footbridge.

Another groundsill is located in front of the sandbanks after passing the railway bridges at Gödersdorf. The threshold on the far right is fairly okay to paddle, but expect a water landing under certain circumstances. Otherwise, turn left early enough, wade through the shallow water and carefully carry the board over the threshold close to the bank.

Just before getting into the Villach urban area, the water can become choppy again near the sandbars around the barbecue area. Here fishermen like to stand in the river while doing their job. So keep your eyes open and take evasive action in good time!

If you paddle on the Drau and the Gail in spring, you have to expect very cold meltwater. Snowmelt can also cause more turbulent flow due to the additional water in the sections west of Villach.

Passenger ships operate on the Drave, so please make way in time!

Directions

Coming from Villach, take the Kärntner Straße B 83 south of town (Udine, Wurzenpass, Tarvisio) and turn right after Warmbad in the direction of Schütt (Wurzenpass, Tarvisio junction). Just before you drive under the motorway bridge (A2), turn right again towards Schütt/Oberfederaun/Unterfederaun and follow the Schütter Straße Street for about five kilometers until you have passed under the A 2 motorway bridge and are level with the gravel banks and the so-called White Stones of the Gail where you will get on the water. Park or get off at the few and hopefully free parking spots along the roadside.

Parking

Parking is a bit difficult around the starting point of this tour. Along the Schütter Straße there are a few single parking spots on both sides of the street, but these can already be occupied on nice days.

Preferably you let yourself be driven there so that you don't have to park your car yourself. No matter where in this area you get on the Gail, you will always have to find a parking space by the road side and then a footpath through a green belt.    

Swimming

The Gail is actually known for its cool mountain water, however the water temperature can get surprisingly warm in midsummer. In the Schütt people enjoy the relatively cool and clear water on countless sand and stone banks between the power plant and the white stones. In the dammed pools you might get surprised by lake temperatures of over 20° C in midsummer.

Along the entire route you will always find access to water, sandbanks, and in the Villach area several bathing spots with parking facilities in front of them, and all of this is free of charge.

The Drava River often has brown water in summer and is not always as clear and inviting as the Gail due to the sediments it carries. You can also get into this river at suitable water access points along this route, as the river speed tends towards zero in many places.

In the Villach area there are also a number of bathing opportunities outdoors as well as the indoor baths Kärnten Therme (Carinthia Thermal Baths) and Warmbaderhof in Warmbad.

Tour

From the so-called Schütt in a northeasterly direction to Lake Silbersee.

Length

15 km

Time

2.5 - 3 hours

Start and landing

Start at the White Stones of the river Gail near Oberschütt.
Land at the ship pier on the Drave near Lake Silbersee.

SUP rental

Kanupanzi
Vorderberg 144, 9614 Vorderberg
Phone +43 (0)4256 29196

Fels & Wasser
Flurweg 20, 9524 Villach
Phone +43 (0)650 6161327

Kayak Center Faak     
Am Sonnhügel 1, 9583 Faak am See
Phone +43 (0)650 41 022 71  

Drau Paddelweg
Dahlienweg 14, 9161 Maria Rain
Phone +43 (0)463 2032 30100

FreizeitBASE
Drauterrassen at Lagana am Fluss
Phone +43 (0)463 203230100

Entertaining ride over clear water

The Gail River is the longest right tributary of the Drave River an rises from the East Tyrolean Gailtal Valley. After 122 km it passes the so-called Gailspitz near Villach and flows into the Drave. Unfortunately, at the end of the 19th century, the river began to be regulated over large areas, so that the section under the old power plant Schuett 1 and the Gailspitz has lost a lot of its meandering naturalness.

Nevertheless, a paddling tour up to the Lake Silbersee is a lot of fun and offers largely lonely sections with some easy white water. The search for a suitable entry is already adventurous, because after the power plant Schuett 1 which was renovated in 2018/19, the river is mostly dry in the area of the Schütt over a distance of approximately 4.5 km. Up to the power plant, the river is still quite natural and sometimes impetuous. Due to the regulation, the largely drained Schütt is not navigable, but a popular natural bathing area. On nice days sun worshipers and water lovers bask between the banks and rock outcrops.

I choose my starting point at the lower end of this zone at the White Stones of the Gail, at the foot of Mt. Dobratsch. To do this, I have to be taken to Schütter Strasse, as it's hard to find a permanent parking space here. There are some paved parking spaces along the road, but not optimal conditions for long-term parking.

A small dirt road leads to a stone wall and from there past the trees to the pool under the white stones of the Gail. Opposite, swimmers have built their day shelter and are curiously watching me getting on my SUP. You can paddle a few meters downstream, but after that you have to dismount and wade through the water to pull the board to and over the following rock outcrop. The rocks on the ground are consistently slippery, which is why bathing shoes or neoprene shoes are essential.

Starting at the motorway bridge of the A2 motorway, the Gail finally shows river character and the next 1.5 km you can paddle towards the pedestrian bridge at the snack station Radlertreff Gailstüberl pretty comfortably.

Due to the straightened course of the river, the small bridge is visible from afar and you can prepare yourself optimally for paddling over the sill below. To do this, you should approach just to the left of the middle bridge pillar and pull straight ahead over the threshold. As an alternative, you can also carry the board over the stones on the shallow left bank.

No matter which variant you choose, you can be sure that cyclists and hikers who have stopped will be staring at you. From here a cycle path leads to the Villach suburbs up to the Warmbach, which comes out of the thermal area Warmbad/Villach and makes its way to the public bathing beach Gail just a few kilometers down.

The next two kilometers on the river are unspectacular, until you come across a 200 m long passage with boulders scattered in the water, which create nice little surges and turbulences. Here you can slalom and indulge in the high entertainment value of this passage before the river continues again quite inconspicuously.

Time and again gravel banks and the view of the Karavanks alternate. Especially the high Mittagskogel attracts attention again and again with its supposed summit plateau. However, anyone who has ever been up there knows that it is actually not a plateau but rather a ridge that you climb.

Near Gödersdorf I pass three railway bridges and get closer and closer to the city of Villach. After the bridges, there is a left turn and the Gail meanders - possibly following its original course - into the city and on to the Drave. Again and again I paddle past splashing families, recreational athletes and fishermen. Here many shore sections are easily accessible and allow you to park your car.

A larger sill, which is passable on the right follows, and about 200 m further downstream another smaller sill, which is best conquered on the left. If necessary, you can simply kneel or sit and let yourself be pulled over the thresholds, but you cannot completely rule out the possibility of a water landing. Classic river paddling action!

After another right turn the water becomes choppy yet again by the gravel bank in the area of the Warmbach Stream. If you managed to make it this far, you can easily get over this passage and consequently glide through the Villach suburbs of Tschinowitsch and Maria Gail and on to the Gailspitz - the point at which the Gail flows into the Drave.

From the bridge in Tschinowitsch at the semiconductor plant of Infineon the flow decreases significantly, so that towards the Gailspitz you have to pull your paddle harder in order to get ahead. This does not change anymore as soon as the clear water of the Gail has mixed with the sediment-rich water of the Drava and you are on your last 1.5 kilometers to the Silbersee lake.

The small Lake Silbersee is a popular gravel pond east of Villach and is in close proximity to the left bank of the Drave. I conclude this river tour at the ship dock and review the last 15 km in my head sitting on the bathing lawn while watching some SUP paddlers splashing in the lake.

At the lake there are two paid parking spaces (in summer) where you can park your car in advance. For getting back you can also take bus line 3 which takes you to the Villach main station within a few minutes. The bus stop is at the road junction to the lake.

Alternative 1: Of course, this tour doesn't have to end at Lake Silbersee, because you can still paddel to the municipality of Rosegg and land there at the power plant. The power station can be crossed on foot and by bike. There is a parking lot on the left side next to the facility and a bus stop to the right of it (in the direction of river).

Alternative 2: At the Geilspitz you can also turn left into the Drave. This means you can paddle upstream to the center of Villach (4.3 km) or even further to the next power plant (7.2 km). This variant corresponds to a section of the route Silbersee – Villach.

You can find more beautiful paddling tours in the Villach area in the SUP Guide Carinthia.

The post Gail – von der Schütt bis zum Silbersee first appeared on SUP Atlas - Paddle More.

At the interface between the region of southern Carinthia and the Lavanttal Valley, the Drave offers extraordinary SUP experiences in largely untouched nature. During a bank cleaning you get to know many hidden places of power away from the river's main stream.

General information

• Carinthia Card/ Active Card Southern Carinthia
• Carinthia Wikipedia
• Lavanttal tourist information
• Southern Carinthia tourist information
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Along this tour you move throughout the great outdoors almost without any infrastructure in sight. Treat the habitat of animals and plants with respect and take any rubbish with you. Avoid the shallow areas away from the banks or the forests as much as possible or at least enter them as gently as possible.

Dangers and risks

When the locks of the Edling power plant are opened, a higher flow rate must be expected.

Always keep a sufficient distance from the bridge pillars.

To get to the start at the Wölfnitzbach Stream you have to overcome a minimal difference in height on the grassy bank. As it can be a bit slippery depending on the time of day and the weather, enter the water carefully.

Occasionally you can meet fishermen. If you see them, please paddle around their fishing lines early enough.

Take care at the parking lot by the water exit because it is right next to the main road (B 80 – Lavamünder Straße).

Directions

If you are coming from the north or west via the A 2 southern highway (A 2 Südautobahn) you stay on the highway until reaching the little town of Griffen. There you take the Exit 273 and drive towards Lavamünd/Ruden, going along the Lippitzbacher Landesstraße for 5.7 km until it intersects with the B 80 in Ruden. At the crossroads, turn left in the direction of Lavamünd and after 360 m turn right into Lippitzbacher Straße. This leads about 2.5 km along the Wölfnitzbach stream down to the village of Lippitzbach and the entry point on the Drave river.

Parking

Along the Start at the Wölfnitzbach you can park in the area of the bridge or on the bank. It is also possible to park at the exit point on the side of the road (e.g. in the area Lavamünder Strasse 30).

Swimming

In the pent up Drava River you can swim wonderfully along the entire tour and enjoy a refreshing 20° C water temperature until late summer. Only if the locks at the Edling power plant are open and the current is rising, swimming is not recommended. Although the area is heavily forested down to the water, there are many good access points to the river along the way. Or you just jump from the SUP directly into the water.

Not only the Drava invites you to swim, also the lakes Klopeiner See, Turnersee and Gösselsdorfer See are coveted destinations for water lovers and sun worshipers.

There are also a number of smaller pools and bathing lakes, such as the nice bathing lakes in Lavamünd as in St. Andrä and the adventure pool in St Paul.

Tour

From the Wölfnitzbach stream in Lippitzbach to the small boat dock in Wunderstätten.

Length

12 km

Time

3 - 4 hours

Start and landing

Start at the mouth of the Wolfnitzbach Stream with the Drave in Lippitzbach.

Land at the small boat dock in Wunderstätten.

SUP rental

Draupaddelweg
Dahlienweg 14, 9161 Maria Rain
Phone +43 (0)463 2032 30100

Trading metal barrels and car tires for river caves and brookmint carpets

That the Drava River has countless beautiful paddling stages to offer is no longer a secret. However, you only know that it also boasts exotic-looking, hidden places of power and natural monuments after you have paddled between Ruden and Wunderstätten in the Lavanttal Valley. You get to know this area even better if you paddle while going on a bank cleaning tour scanning meter by meter downstream.

To get to the starting point at the mouth of the Wölfnitzbach stream in Lippitzbach, you first drive 2.3 km next to the stream along the narrow Lippitzbacher Strasse down to the Drave. Here you can park your car in the area of the bridge, but of course you have to pick it up here after the tour. In addition to this traffic logistics challenge, a few more disposal logistics challenges await us during the course of the day as soon as we get to the water.

Fortunately, our bank cleaning tour will be supported by the municipalites of Lavamünd and St Paul as well as by the Lavanttal Waste Management Association and the Austrian Water Rescue, so that we get enough garbage bags, work gloves and some food sponsored. In addition, the national television network shows interest and will report on our campaign throughout Austria. After all, a little exemplary effect and awareness in regards of environmental protection can't hurt. Our venture was even picked up by the Viennese artist Peter Schönhard, who painted nice posters, to attract as many paddles as possible.

Not only do we paddlers board our SUPs in the estuary area, but also the water rescue team board their inflatable boat, from which they will be available for nautical emergencies along the entire tour.

At the tour start, the Wölfnitzbach stream falls into the Drave and forms a small estuary in which small amounts of waste have already accumulated. We pick them up right away and then paddle off to the right. Directly in front of and above us we have an imposing natural monument - a meter-high vertical rock face covered in moss protrudes into the river, while water constantly runs down from above and falls into the Drave. So before we find our first big piece of garbage, it's about time for a group photo with a tropical background.

Then we continue paddling upstream and initially find nothing at all, which is a good sign for a garbage collection campaign. However, this should not remain so for long and soon we discover a waste highlight.

From the forest we pull a rusty bin and other smaller metal waste, which we load onto our boards and then paddle back to the entrance to unload the scrap there. After a short television interview, we continue towards Lavamünd.

It is unusual to see the Drave so deeply encircled on this section of the river and to drift between its wooded flanks. The Jörg Haider Bridge, which was renamed in honor of the former governor after his death rises before us. We leisurely paddle by the boats under the bridge and then tilt our heads back - the bridge is 96 meters high measured from the water surface and its echo can be quite impressive. Because there is no inhabited area here either, you can let go a loud call without scaring any residents.

As calm and relaxed as this section of the river is, it almost makes us forget what purpose our paddling tour is actually supposed to serve today, because the banks are absolutely clean and we let ourselves be carried away by the water with relish. The forests reach down to the edge of the shore and coniferous trees repeatedly rise diagonally into the water. Some even grow so strangely that they try to compensate for their sloping position towards the treetops and thus grow curved towards the sky again.

From time to time we pick up some garbage and enjoy the wonderful silence paired with an incredibly picturesque environment. Then one guy in the group discovers something:

On the right bank there is again a slightly higher rock formation, which is heavily forested and offers a narrow cave entrance. However, you can only see it if you paddle very close to the shore and scan it for rubbish with laser eyes. If you paddle in the middle of the river, on the other hand, you will only see the rocks and will probably paddle past them quite unimpressed.

You can glide into the cave on your knees, but unfortunately you will soon reach its end inside. Only a ray of light from the water suggests that you could dive out on the other side - but we are happy to leave that to others.

Although the water temperature is still around twenty degrees in early September, we stay on our boards for a short break in front of the cave. Then we spread out again on both sides of the bank and continue paddling in the direction of the Jauntal Bridge. On the way there, larger and smaller rivulets lead into the river and the dark green aquatic plants reach up to the water surface. Again and again you will find small ponds away from the main stream, which have crystal clear water and reveal an incredible variety of plants.

Under the Jauntal Bridge, one of the highest railway bridges in Europe, water mint grows even out of the water and forms large carpets under our boards. Sometimes the water colors go crazy thanks to the different basic sediments and plants, there is a lot of color interplay reaching from green in all shades to blue-green and turquoise. Of course, you can also view this natural beauty from above if you have the courage to bungy jump from the Jauntal Bridge.

We end up in a real fairytale world with our SUP boards, but are grounded again as soon as we paddle past the reed belt after the Jauntal Bridge and can then really start to work. A lot of bottles, styrofoam parts, packaging and even a closed beer can get caught in the reeds.

It is no longer possible to tell how long its content is consumable, but after a little basic cleaning, we dare to try and taste the noble drink. Unfortunately, it is not optimally cooled and would probably do us much better in winter, when picked up in cold water. However, the taste is inconspicuous and the brew can therefore be consumed. The drinkers never had any side effects afterwards, which was probably due to their contactless drinking technique.

This curiosity is later replaced by rather sad finds, such as garbage bags that have grown together in the ground, paint cans and - recovered by the divers of the water rescue service - a sunken boat and a toilet bowl. Once you know where to look, it becomes clear that a one-time rubbish collection campaign is unfortunately not enough, because we could have discovered a lot more in the reeds. In our opinion, it definitely makes more sense to paddle a bit into the reeds for a short time and sometimes damage something in the process than to leave garbage floating in it for years, which affects the water quality and on which the animals living here can also die.

After about five hours our tour ends at the boat dock in the village of Wunderstätten, just before the Schwabeck power plant. The flat exit on the left between the reeds and the footbridge is ideal and you can park a few cars on the main road at the end of the gravel path. After the Lavanttal Waste Management Association picked up the waste, it was of course disposed of properly. Finally we were able to relieve this river section of around 280 kg of garbage which gives us the opportunity to celebrate this small success in the bistro called Laquamuend located near Lavamünd Bathing Lake. With hot dogs and drinks we experience a wonderful sunset and are already planning our next cleaning campaigns with our SUPs.

Alternative: You can also paddle 1.8 km further to the Schwabeck power plant and bypass it on the right. From there the river meanders another six kilometers to the Lavamuend power plant. Or even further, because the Drave is navigable through Slovenia and deep into Croatia.

The post Drau – Von Lippitzbach nach Wunderstätten first appeared on SUP Atlas - Paddle More.

Adventurous weir transfers and easy whitewater paired with partly deserted river sections - the Mur River between Graz and the Slovenian border has all this and so much more to offer. With enough time and perseverance, you can paddle yourself away from daily stressors while challanging personal limits.

General information

• GuestCard South Styria
• Styria Wikipedia
• South Styria tourist information
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Only south of Graz (up to the Gössendorf power station) you can expect water sports enthusiasts and a few bathers around the Auwiesen recreational area. Always give priority!

There are also fishermen along the banks along the entire route, so always make sure not to paddle into a fishing line.

It is best not to enter reed areas and other resting areas for animals.

Dangers and risks

Although the Mur River. was straightened a long time ago and on this river section south of the state capital of Graz it has lost a lot of its naturalness, it makes sense that there are quite a few sources of danger lurking on almost 60 km of river action. This is why this mammoth tour as a whole is only suitable for experienced river paddlers, although many quiet sections of the river away from the weirs pose no challenge, even for beginners.

The eight weirs are tough and usually there are no optimal conditions to get out of the water or back into the water. If boarding is not made easy by stairs, you will have to find a suitable spot yourself. The greater challenge, however, is the re-entry below the power plants, because very often the only way to get to the water is over rocks, scree or sloping banks. Patience, coordination and foresight are extremely important here.

The highlight in this regard is definitely the power plant Mellach, which can only be exited through thickets and has to be portaged 500 to 1500 meters (depending on preference). Here even the short version is nerve-wracking, because you then have to walk/paddle through a badly laid, shallow stream to the water. Especially at the end you have to carefully climb down the stone steps with the SUP in your hand and at the same time withstand the torrent of water from behind - not for the faint of heart. For this reason alone, it is a must to wear stable and non-slip neoprene shoes or other footwear.

Due to the length of the tour, it is also advisable to take a spare fin and a spare paddle with you, because losing them on flowing water can lead to the discontinuance of the tour or even more serious consequences.

Of course, a number of bridges and footbridges lead over the Mur, the pillars of which should be avoided on a large scale, but the current usually shows the right way around anyway. After the weir near Lebring, motor boats could make their rounds. Better to paddle along the right bank, because the pier is on the left after the little bridge.

From Gralla onwards time and again trees and branches hang over the river from the shore. Be careful if you want to paddle along the shore for shade or currents.

From 500 m before the Obervogau power plant the left river bank is shallow and muddy. If you paddle too far to the left, your fin could get stuck or cross the fishing lines. From here to Spielfeld more and more fishermen line the shore. So it doesn't hurt to paddle more in the middle.

700 m after leaving the A9 motorway bridge at Spielfeld behind you, you glide towards a flat bed glide, which is unlikely to be manageable. These are the remains of the dilapidated Oberschwarza weir. Hard-nosed paddlers could try to paddle it if the water level was high enough. On the other hand, you can take the right side arm and carry the SUP over the stone wall to get back on under the sole slide. It is not clear from the satellite images whether the side arm is passable throughout and would still have to be tested on site. If so, paddling it would also mean bypassing whitewater level 1-2 for about three kilometers if you prefer to take it easy.

From the aforesaid flat bed glide to the exit in Mureck, whitewater and small riffles are to be expected again and again, but no problem for experienced paddlers. Here it is important to decide in a flash whether to kneel or just shift your weight forward to protect the fins.

Directions

By car you get from the center of Graz the easiest way to get to the Murkraftwerk Graz is via Wielandgasse Street. On the way south, Wielandgasse Street first becomes Schönaugasse street and then Kasernstraße – just follow the road south straight ahead. At the pharmacy (Apotheke am Grünanger) simply turn right into Eduard-Keil-Gasse and from there continue to the GDG Sports Center (mini golf and tennis). There are usually enough available car parking spaces free of charge here.

Alternatively you can take any number 34 bus from Jakominiplatz in the direction of Thondorf, get off at the Andersengasse stop and from there go straight ahead to the GDG Sportcenter where you turn left in the direction of the power plant. After the landscaped park between the bike path and the Mur, you get to the Olympiawiese Meadow with the starting point of this tour.

Parking

There are enough free parking spaces in the area of the GDG Sports Center in Pichlergasse. Please only occupy the unmarked parking lots and avoid those directly at the housing estates - private property!

Swimming

In summer, the Mur is pleasantly warm and you can get into the water from many places in the dammed-up areas. However, swimming and bathing is prohibited in the areas around of the power plants.

In addition, Styria offers a lot of great bathing opportunities in the vicinity of this tour and away from the Styrian main river.

Tour

From Graz along the Mur to Mureck.

Length

57 km

Time

11 – 13 hours

Start and landing

Start at the Olympiawiese Meadow under the Graz power plant.

Land about 100 m before the Ship Mill in Mureck.

SUP rental

Bootsverleih Stadtstrand Graz
Marina in Liebenau
Murpromenade Graz-Süd, 8020 Graz
Phone +43 (0)677 63 95 50 96

Stand Up Paddling am Sulmsee
Seggauberg 184, 8430 Seggauberg
Phone +43 (0)664 944 14 72

South Styrian river paddling with extra miles

The longest river in Styria is particularly varied in its Upper Styrian reaches and almost entirely navigable. The almost sixty kilometers from Graz to the Slovenian border, on the other hand, are divided into manageable stages by eight power plants. Despite the often slow-moving water, they pose a challenge of their own. This is due to the high effort required in the low current and on the other hand to the regular portaging of the weirs . Even if interactive satellite images are helpful during tour preparation, you will always experience surprises and moments of excitement along this route.

Graz power plant

I experience the first moment of joy just after 7 a.m. when I put my board in the water under a cloudless sky and in the pleasantly cool morning air. At the Olympiawiese under the barrage in Graz Liebenau you can paddle straight into the day with a little momentum and head straight towards the local recreation area Auwiesen with its artificial side arm of the river.

I enjoy the first rays of sunshine over the treetops and rooftops and look ahead, where the Gössendorf barrage is expected in about five kilometers.

Gössendorf barrage

Up to this point I have already paddled several kilometers in standing water and in order to go around the power plant I climb the stairs 220 m to the right in front of the weir 380 m further south. I take the steep stairs under the power station back into the water and take the momentum towards the narrow and wooded oxbow lakes, which branch off on both sides of the main river and run parallel to it.

A long island builds up in front of me in the middle of the river and gives me two options: if I paddle to the right it's a bit more comfortable and after about 250 m I will be carried back into the main river over shallow water. The passage on the left guarantees me more momentum and river feeling and I avoid the shallow water at the end of the right oxbow lake. So I paddle around the island on the left and enjoy the pleasant current.

Immediately after the island you could paddle left and right into other side arms and let your soul dangle a little. I prefer to enjoy the brisk river speed, because I know that the water will soon slow down considerably and that I'll have to paddle harder all the rest of the way to Kalsdorf anyway.

Kalsdorf barrage

Also in Kalsdorf you can leave the water 240 m in front of the power plant on a small staircase on the right and after 400 m climb the next staircase under the weir back down to the water. The entrance is steep, but thanks to the stairs it is not dangerous and from here I paddle into a lonely landscape, which is accessible via a cycle path, but is still deserted. The water quickly slows down and after a few gentle bends in the river, I can already see the chimneys of the district heating plant in Mellach. While I am listening carefully to the chirping of the birds and pulling hard on the paddle, I have no idea that I am about to have a little brain teaser.

Mellach barrage

First of all, you have the choice of going ashore on the right hand side over the stone wall, or directly by the weir over the somewhat overgrown bank (according to the satellite image, an exit on the left does not seem to make much sense). In both cases you will come to a field path that leads to the power plant, but ends in front of its fence or gate.

On the right there are bushes and a small, low-lying stream in the direction of the Mur, on the left the sealed-off power plant site. The entire facility is relatively extensive and has its own network of paths - even down to the river. Climbing over the fence would be possible and probably not that difficult, and would enable an optimal re-entry under the dam. However, this is too illegal and undemanding for me.

Unfortunately, the stream initially leads into two pipelines and cannot be navigated down to the Mur. It is just as dubious that there is a corn field on the opposite side of the stream, which is almost impossible to cross in summer.

Probably the only sensible way to get around the power plant here is to go down to the stream and up the other side (thicket, bushes, earthy and steep bank) - at a very specific point:

Approximately at the level of the dam wall, two large pipelines lead away to the right (west) and that's exactly where you should cross the creek, because under the pipelines there is a wide undeveloped route, along which you can bypass the corn field. You follow the pipes for about a hundred meters to the bike path (Kraftwerkstraße), but you have to reckon with some nettles on your calves along the way, which shouldn't be a problem for outdoor junkies.

You can climb up the bike path to the left (south) for 550 m, bypassing the power plant site. At the fork in the path, there is the opportunity to paddle another, larger and easily accessible stream in the direction of the Mur. The alternative would just be further out on the main road B 67 and then get back into the river much further down via the next bike bath (R2 Murradweg). This detour would be about a kilometer long, the creek leads into the Mur after only 600 m.

So I take the stream and let myself be carried under the canopy of leaves to the Mur, but I realize right away that this won't be a walk in the park either. Over the entire length I find bloated branches, trees and tree trunks lying across the water. In addition, the water moves down to the river in countless low rock steps and, to make matters worse, in many places it is so shallow that I have to pull my board by hand.

It probably makes the most sense to remove the fins in advance and only attach them to the SUP again when you get to the river. Paddling straight ahead is not possible here anyway and you could at least save yourself from getting off the board a number of times.

The inconspicuous stream is very nerve-wracking and time-consuming to cover, not least because of the horseflies and the countless carrying processes. In the end, however, you really have to earn the entrance to the Mur, because on its last few meters the stream falls steeply into the river and here you have to carry everything down carefully and resist the pull of the water.

It is best to approach this challenge with at least two people, because every step has to be spot on and you can use any help here.

But after this power plant bypass, it's a quite easy going ride again and you pass the village of Wildon, whose parish church can be seen well from the water. From Wildon on paddlers enter South Styria, highly seductive, both in terms of landscape and cuisine. Here wine culture and customs are lived like nowhere else in Austria.

The cycle path is now also well frequented and as a paddler you quickly become an eye-catcher for all road users on land. After a few long turns, you finally get to the Lebring power plant.

Lebring barrage

Here you can paddle stress-free to the right bank directly in front of the dam and then walk down to the main road. At the road turn left and walk past the local gas station and the municipal office and after about 400 m turn left into Florianistrasse Street. At the bottom of the playground there is a small parking lot. From here you can easily get down to the water and set sail again carefree.

The next kilometers towards Gralla run almost without current and you paddle straight through a wooded area. If motor boats make their rounds here, caution is advised and you should paddle close to the shore. Fortunately, however, I am slowly being overtaken, so that the waves are kept within limits.

Gralla barrage

Above the power plant forms the Gralla reservoir with a small floodplain from and opposite - on the left bank - you will find enough flat landings. This is where fishermen can position their rods, so always keep an eye out for the lines. The portage is easy and short here by simply following the dirt road to the left around the power plant and going back down to the shore via the asphalt parking lot under the dam wall. There are boulders that have been piled up here, sloping down to the water, but these bank structures can be conquered with ease.

Most of the next river stage goes through a lonely green area and by now I'm starting to notice clear signs of exhaustion, because half of the tour has already been completed and there is little variety on this section, which runs quite straight. Going straight ahead can also be mentally tiring, especially since the water is very slowly too.

Gabersdorf barrage

In return the Gabersdorf barrage offers a pleasant landing on the right side, where there is a small embankment directly in front of the weir up to the bike path. I use the shade under the trees and the bench for a short break before I walk along the cycle path (West bank of the Mur) to the stream. At its mouth into the Mur you can carefully climb down over the rocks to reach the water. Here, too, it is advantageous to act in pairs, because the stones are sometimes a bit unstable or the subsoil can crumble. It is best to use the paddle handle to feel where you want to climb.

From now on, the flow rate of the Mur finally increases and stays the same for longer. I paddle under the A9 motorway, which leads to Slovenia, and enjoy the lightness on my SUP, because the river carries me comfortably past the small town called Leibnitz which you can neither see nor guess from the water. Tree trunks keep appearing on the shore and I enjoy paddling in the shade under the trees to the next barrage.

Obervogau barrage

The approach to the Obervogau power plant turns out to be particularly idyllic, since the left river bank from 500 m in front of the weir it is very loamy and shallow, which can also be clearly seen on the satellite image. If you don't stay at least twenty meters from the shore, you could get stuck in the clay soil. Otherwise you glide over the water, which is quite transparent here, past a meadow landscape and look for a flat exit in the vicinity of the fishing hut on wooden posts to the left in front of the weir.

I quickly reach the bike path via the field path and find a small snack station about 150 m further on under the power plant. Especially along the second half of this tour you will always find good places to stop for refreshments by the shore.

The resting cyclists look at me in amazement and are probably wondering where I come from. I get into conversation and the innkeeper at Murradeweg Hütte 1 shows me a great way to the water not far from the rest area.

I simply follow the path to the barrier and then find a staircase carved into the rocks on the right between the trees. It leads to a small brick water access, which leads diagonally to the river. From the opposite side the Sulm joins the Mur and in the eddy you can easily get on your SUP and then throw yourself into the water. Here, too, the subtle current remains and after a few turns I can already see the Ehrenhausen Palace right above me.

Now I'm in the midst of the southern Styrian wine region and when I cross the bridge towards Ehrenhausen my heart lights up. How many times have I passed it in my car on the way to Slovenia and stared longingly at the river. Every time I said to my girlfriend that I wanted to paddle down here. And now the time has actually come. Doing this tour was a small dream come true and I only really become aware of it down here in the Styrian wine region.

I stay on the right bank and paddle in the shade for the very last weir transfer of the day.

Spielfeld barrage

Approaching the power plant in located in Spielfeld more and more fishing rods are sticking out of the bushes, I paddle towards the middle and finally have to swing to the left bank anyway. I find enough flat exits between the fishermen and drag my equipment down to the dirt road one last time where I pass a snack bar called Radl Hittn. I follow the lonely path and discover two rabbits in front of me. Only when I get within a few meters of them do they hop away and give me the way to the underside of the dam.

To do this, you simply have to walk across the meadow at the end of the field path until you are at the end of the hill. From there, another fairly steep and smooth bank structure leads over concreted-in boulders. From here I paddle straight to the middle of the river in order to get into the strongest current and let myself be pushed towards Spielfeld. After I pass the A9 motorway a second time (2nd bridge after portaging at Spielfeld), the most exciting part of my trip in terms of river paddling begins, because in about 700 m a bottom slide awaits me at the Slovenian border and then repeatedly passages with easy whitewater and river speeds between 4 to 8 km/h.

The sole slide, the remains of a former weir, can easily be bypassed by re-entering the river via the stone bed to its right at the bottom. Alternatively, there would be a side arm that runs three kilometers through Slovenian territory, but it is unclear how well this it navigable throughout. If the water level is high enough, die-hards could try to paddle on or around the slide on the far left, but the site would have to be inspected in advance because of its stones and shoals. Before that, there is definitely no recommendation for this endeavor!

From here it is still ten kilometers to the planned exit in Mureck and these definitely complete the tour. Finally you can fully enjoy waves and currents and get your money's worth with whitewater class I-II.

Some places form shallow ripples, but these can easily be bypassed via small side arms. You may be out and about in deserted areas a lot, but there are always small bays where sun worshipers sunbathe.

I paddle past a curious rarity: the Mur ferry in Weitensfeld is now unfortunately the last intact roller ferry on the river and takes cyclists and walkers from bank to bank every day. And even for free! But you should have your passport with you, because on the Austrian side it can happen that the military police stop by randomly and check the travel documents.

Suddenly and far too quickly I see the Ship Mill Mureck in front of me and let out an enthusiastic and at the same time relieved 'Yeah!'.

About a hundred meters before the mill I find the optimal landing between the trees, where you can walk straight up over a wooden bridge to a paved path. Here you can choose between the following options for the return journey: either a car is waiting in front of the public bath in Mureck for pickup, or you can walk to the local bus station (10 min) or train station (20 min). You find train connections in all directions on Omio and on RailEurope.

Life blesses me with the first option and my sweetheart is already waiting for me with a cool refreshment in her hands. What a brilliant day that was - full of surprises, small frustrations, exhaustion and motivation, sun and pure joie de vivre. Even if you're happy to leave the river behind for the moment, you soon get the call to do it all over again.

The post Mur – Von Graz nach Mureck first appeared on SUP Atlas - Paddle More.

Well hidden, the almost inconspicuous Raab River meanders through the Austro-Hungarian border area and opens up incredible insights into the deserted primeval forest landscape of the Raab Nature Park.

General information

• Südburgenland tourist information
• Southeast Styria tourist information
• Western Transdanubia tourist information
• Raab Nature Park
• Raab Wikipedia
• Szentgotthárd Wikipedia
• Municipality of Szentgotthárd
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Any boating or paddling should be avoided between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. In addition, gravel and sand banks as well as zones with aquatic plants should be avoided (animal and nature conservation). Please take waste with you and dispose of it later on land.

Dangers and risks

The water level is not always optimal and with a bit of bad luck the Raab is impassable. If the water level is high enough, you can already be quite fast from the starting point on, so get on the water well warmed up!

The following water levels are recommended: Feldbach 100 cm, Neumarkt 150 cm.

The entire route is marked by trees, branches and bushes hanging towards the water (so-called sweepers). There are also dead trees or tree trunks in the water. Especially in combination with the fairly fast flow speed, paddling on sight is indispensable.

Sometimes you glide over shallow areas. It is best to check the water depth with a paddle in calmer sections of the river.

When disembarking in Szentgotthárd, take the concrete steps on the left. The power plant with its sharp drop is just behind the staircase. Since there is no limit, you could be pulled up to and over its edge - danger!

In the border area it is advisable to always paddle with a passport!

Directions

In Jennersdorf you turn from Eisenstädter Straße (opposite the Billa supermarket) into Neumarkter Straße heading south and after approx. 1.3 km you arrive at the small bridge over the Raab River. After the bridge turn right down to the weir and parking lot by the south bank.

Leaving from the roundabout in the town center of Szentgotthárd take Mártírok út Street towards the southwest and follow the road for 10 km. Shortly before the small bridge over the Raab, turn left down to the weir and the parking lot.

Parking

In front of the weir in St. Martin an der Raab there is enough free space for parking. Please note the signs and keep the loading zone free for commercial canoe providers (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday mornings).

Swimming

Just because of its recent environmental history it is not advisable to bathe in the river. Of course, it's not bad to experience a water landing from time to time, but you won't find classic bathing water here.
However, it has to be said that the brownish color is due to the sediments that are carried along, not to any industrial effluent.

Otherwise Jennersdorf and Szentgotthard offer a few bathing lakes that are a good alternative to the river. In addition, the Szentgotthárd Spa offers year-round water fun and relaxation.

Worth seeing

The Tabor Castle was built in the 15th century, is now known as a popular venue and houses a wine tavern. Since 2003, great outdoor events called JOpera have been held here every summer.

The Styrian house was originally built as a workers' home (1902) and has been a museum since 1983. Today the Museum of Homeland and Slovene Nationalities Pável Ágoston consists of several collections and is open all year round.

The Szentgotthárd Abbey dates from the 12th century and part of its premises – the rooms of Cistercians – now serves as the town hall. The former dining room on the ground floor is now used as a concert hall and wedding hall.

Extra Tips

The Raab Nature Park stretches across Austria, Hungary and Slovenia and offers sports enthusiasts and nature lovers a wide range of activites. In addition, cultural and informative events are regularly held in the region.

The rustic artists village in Neumarkt an der Raab is also open to non-artists. At this quiet and inspirational place everyone can rent a room and attend events while absorbing the spirits of greats as Peter Turrini, H.C. Artmann and Rosa Pock who all lived and worked here.

In Szentgotthárd you will find an entertaining nature trail. It is located near the Cistercian church and the monastery building. Along this path there are seven information boards in the shape of an open book, giving the reader a glimpse of the earlier life of the Cistercians.

Tour

From the barrage of St. Martin an der Raab to the weir in Szentgotthárd.

Length

15 km

Time

2 - 3 hours

Start and landing

Start at the small power plant near Neumarkt an der Raab

Land at the pier/concrete stairs in front of the weir in Szentgotthárd. 

SUP rental

Association for the Promotion of the Raab Nature Park
Kirchenstrasse 4, 8380 Jennersdorf
Phone +43 (0)3329 48453

Overnight Stay

Stunning home in St. Martin ad Raab
Jennersdorfer Strasse 8, 8380 Neumarkt an der Raab
Phone +45 (0)39 14 30 80

Hotel Raffel
Hauptplatz 6, 8380 Jennersdorf
Phone +43 (0)3329 46622

La Villa Pergola
Kossuth ut 56, 9970 Szentgotthárd
Phone +36 (0)30 9 471 559

Andante Guesthouse & Restaurant
Füzesi ut 12, 9970 Szentgotthárd
Phone +36 (0)94 44 55 66

Hotel Zsida
Zöldlomb utca 1, 9970 Szentgotthárd

Gastronomy

Burgenlandhof
Kirchenstrasse 4, 8380 Jennersdorf
Phone +43 (0)3329 453410

Rezi Pizzeria and Restaurant
Martirok ut 5/A, 9970 Szentgotthard
Phone +36 (0)70 263 2761

Cafe Corso
Szell Kalman ter 21/A, 9970 Szentgotthard
Phone +36 (0)20 430 5766

Austro-Hungarian border experience

The Raab River rises north of the Styrian capital of Graz, runs through the state called Burgenland and ends in Hungarian Győr where it flows into the Danube. The narrow lowland river winds its way through the countryside in innumerable meanders, carves its way into the ground like a canyon and then again forms large sand and gravel banks as well as islands. The Raab offers paddlers pleasant, sometimes quite brisk, tame water.

A beautiful and scenically varied route can be found between Neumarkt/Raab in the austrian state of Burgenland and the small border town of Szentgotthard (Hungary). This stretch of river in the middle of Raab Nature Park is very popular, especially among canoeists, which is why the Association for the Promotion of the Raab Nature Park offers up to three weekly canoe tours between May and October.

We take advantage of the great preparatory work of the canoeists and decide to also board at the barrage at the Neumarkt/Raab power plant. If you drive from Jennersdorf in the direction of Neumarkt an der Raab, you turn sharply to the right immediately after the small bridge leading over the Raab and get to the expansive parking area in front of the power plant.

However, it is important to heed the warnings here, because you are asked not to park directly in front of the snack banks on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, as this is where the canoe unloading point for the guided tours is located. The area offers enough other free parking spaces away from this unloading zone.

Our first route upon arrival is down to the river, as the enticing rush of the water below the weir is too alluring to ignore. So we start sightseeing right away and rejoice in the fact that, contrary to expectations, there is a clear but calm current here. Looks good that we can complete the almost 15 km to Szentgotthárd in about 2.5 entertaining hours. As we begin to unload our boards, the first load of canoes is already delivered and so we prepare for our forthcoming trip together with the canoeists.

The way down to the water is a bit steep, but you can get in flat at the bottom of the river bed and start the Raab adventure with momentum under the bridge. The river here is a maximum of twenty meters wide and overhung by trees on both sides. Despite the sunny weather, we paddle in the pleasant shade and immediately get a sense of the entertainment value of this waterway.

Like snakes, we drift briskly from one meander to the next and marvel at the untouched floodplain landscape around us. Maybe this isn't exactly a jungle, but it comes very close to defining one. Well, after all we are paddling through agricultural land, but you don't notice that down here on the water. Forest and bushes are too strong along both banks.

Again and again low-hanging branches stick in our way, dead trees have to be avoided and sometimes driftwood islands or beaver dams can be found along the route. Fortunately, the easy rapids can also be mastered by beginners, which is why the Raab is certainly a good opportunity to gain initial experience of running water. There are always opportunities to approach eddies and learn to read the water.

After 3 km in a zigzag course through the natural landscape, we suddenly find ourselves in front of a small surge, which our finns would probably not approve of. Luckily, a small side arm leads to the right from the congestion zone in front of it. This side arm leads through the thicket and due to the previous satellite sighting on the computer, we know that it is a loop that leads back into the main river just below the surge.

Full of anticipations we enter the narrow canal, which is hardly wider than five meters. Countless times we have to bend down to avoid the tree branches and overhanging bushes. Nevertheless, the water carries us quickly through the circumnavigation and so one after the other we paddle an extra kilometer before the main stream pushes us to the Hungarian border. Directly at the border there is another loop that you are welcome to paddle through to avoid the small surge there.

As the church of the village of Alsószölnök becomes visible one kilometer in front of us, we know that we have crossed the border and will arrive at the first weir in just a few minutes. We go ashore at the rustic facility and enjoy a short half-time break. To the right of the weir and to the left of the old power station, a small trail leads down to the other side and from there we head straight back into the second leg of our tour.

Weeping willows and other trees continue to rise like a protective roof over the friendly brown river, which until a few years ago was highly debated due to water protection failures and led to major disagreements among the neighboring countries of Austria and Hungary.

Today, the water quality has improved significantly and the Raab owes its brown water mainly to the sediments that have been stirred up. After the weir, you never really know exactly which national territory you are in, because the national border seems to run across the Raab in a diffuse way, instead of using the course of the river as a natural border. This is because the national border was once based on the river, but the river has changed its flow over time.

The countless trees and tree trunks that block the entire river in some places should not be underestimated. Some of them can be bypassed prone, but other times we have to dismount and carry the boards to the other side.

The closer we get to Szentgotthárd, the more the Raab sinks into the landscape and digs into the ground like a canyon, while the banks rise to meter-high earthen walls above us. We let the water push us through those canyons while the corn fields pass above us. Later we believe to hear the noise of chainsaws in the distance. But the closer we get to the source of the noise, the clearer it becomes to us that it is probably vehicle engines.

Eventually we pass the noise on the left and realize that it must be motocross engines. Szentgotthárd has its own motocross track and when we pass it, we are not far from the landing point of our river tour. More and more houses and private properties appear on the right-hand side, some with access to the water. Before we reach the power station of the city we paddle under the shades of the last trees just short of our tour exit. There is a good place to moor here at the concrete steps on the left bank.

After the power plant, you could continue paddling straight away on the remaining 207 km to Győr (mouth into the Danube) where there is still a lot to explore.
For the return journey you can either be picked up here by car or you walk to the local train station, there you can take the train or the bus. Within 30 minutes and with one change you get back to Neumarkt an der Raab. You find connections to and from all directions on Omio and on RailEurope.

For us, however, this extremely entertaining tour ends here, but we will be back - for another adventure on the Raab.

The post Raab from Neumarkt to Szentgotthárd first appeared on SUP Atlas - Paddle More.