Level of difficulty 2 paddles |  Gastronomy 1 pitcher |  Length 5.5 km |  Time 60 - 80 minutes

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If you are looking for fjord-like bays and absolute silence, the Soboth Reservoir is the right place for you. At 1080 m above sea level we found a nice paddling paradise in the Styrian-Carinthian-Slovenian border triangle, which is also easy to navigate in winter.

General information

• Styria tourist information
• Styria Card
• Soboth Reservoir Wikipedia
• Soboth tourist information
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Bathers always have priority.

Dangers and risks

None

Directions

Unfortunately, the reservoir can only be easily reached by private vehicle. Buses don't stop here.

Coming from Styria: From the municipality of Eibiswald across the Südsteirische Grenzstrasse/B 69 southwest to the village Aybl. Turn right at the roundabout after the supermarket. Follow the road for about 21 km (25 min) to the south bank of the reservoir.

Coming from Carinthia: From Lavamünd take the B 80, drive south-east in the direction of the village Pfarrdorf and after the Hüttenwirt Inn (on the right) turn left onto the B 69 in the direction of Graz/Eibiswald. Follow the winding road for about 13 km to the crest of the dam on the south bank of the reservoir.

Parking

On the south bank, which is right next to the main street (Stadtgrabenstraße street), there are two free parking lots at the top of the dam. The one by the little bar called See-Rast Soboth is larger and closer to the water access.

Swimming

Due to its fjord-like bays, the reservoir resembles Canadian or Norwegian waters and is freely accessible from all sides. The maximum water temperature of 23° C is similar to northern waters. There is a non-swimmer area including a sunbathing area, public toilets, a campsite and gastronomy.

Worth seeing

The Parish Church of Soboth is dedicated to Saint James and has existed since the end of the 17th century. A previous church succumbed to the flames after being struck by lightning. The building is monument protected and according to the dedication it was consecrated in 1704. Since 1789 the church has also been a parish church.

The innovative Jakobihouse Soboth was opened in 2005. It is not only the home of the "Sobothage" art and culture association, but also an information point and starting point for numerous hiking routes, which from here cover the entire Schilcherland Region (e.g. Koralpe, Speikkogel). Soboth is probably the hiking village par excellence.

The Kloepfer and local history museum in Eibiswald is above all dedicated to the dialect poet and doctor Hans Kloepfer who spent his youth and his professional beginnings in the village. The local history museum offers visitors around 1300 exhibits, which immerse you in the daily life of bygone times.

Extra Tips

The historical Aibl Oil Press processes pumpkin seeds, nuts, rapeseed and poppy seeds and invites you to a free tour of the company every Tuesday. There is also the opportunity to watch the pressing and taste the great end products.

The small Pomsbach Stream rises from Mt. Großer Kar and cascades down 15 m as the Poms Waterfall. A great hike and great photos are guaranteed.

The Buchenberg lookout tower is part of the Koralpenlauf hiking trail and offers an unbelievable view over the Graz Basin and the Leibnitz Basin.

Tour

From the south-east bank, turn left and follow the western bank to the tributary (Feistritz). From there paddle back on the opposite bank.

Length

5.5 km

Time

60 - 80 minutes

Start and landing

At the lawn to the right of the See-Rast Bar on the south-east shore.

Overnight Stay

Hotel Alpengasthof Messner
Soboth 19, 8554 Soboth
Phone +43 (0)3460 209

Ferienwohnung Kochs Beeren
Wiel-St. Anna 12, Wiel 8551 Wies
Phone +43 (0)676 7930514

Guesthouse Rettl
Lavamünd 95, 9473 Lavamünd
Phone +43 (0)660 2206688

Ferienhaus Zankl
St. Vinzenz 37, 9473 Lavamünd

Gastronomy

See-Rast Soboth
Soboth 3, 8554 Soboth
Phone +43 (0)3460 50166

Charly's Hütte snack bar
Phone +43 (0)4356 30288

Sobother Seetreff
Phone +43 (0)664 4344071

Winter Wonderland in the Styrian Fjords

Our wish to escape the gloomy 'fog soup' in Graz late in the advent season inevitably leads us to higher altitudes. The Soboth Reservoir in the Austrian-Slovenian border area is about 1080 m above sea level and situated on the Koralpe mountains offering ideal conditions for paddling even in winter. Crystal clear air and a piercingly sharp sun await us here above the blanket of fog, as well as pleasant temperatures, which do not let the lake freeze over and at the same time make for a great winter feeling.

The large parking lot on the south bank offers enough space to park our bus and prepare our equipment while Chris Rea sings 'Riding home for Christmas' on the radio. SUP instead of ski slopes, that's all we need for Christmas.

From the parking lot it is easy to find the way down to the reservoir. The path through the snow is already well trampled and we find ourselves at the foot of the sunbathing area, which is one of the most popular spots at the reservoir in summer.

The Koralpe power plant was built between 1988 and 1993 and the reservoir is part of the whole complex. The small, northern-looking paddling paradise is approx. 2.6 km long and up to a kilometer wide in some places. On an area of 0.8 hectares we find absolute winter silence, wonderfully secluded fjord-like bays and a leisurely tour to end our work week.

In summer there is a lot more going on along the banks, mainly because the reservoir is the only reasonably large still body of water in South Styria and across its adjoining regions. Between June and October the reservoir must be full, providing a maximal level fluctuation of one meter. We are a long way from that today, because the water level seems to be about four to five meters lower than in summer. But you can clearly see how steeply the banks drop and we now understand how water depths of up to 80 m are possible here.

We immediately paddle left to the western bank and enjoy the romantic snowy landscape. Since the Feistritzbach Stream flows in from the west and we also feel a light breeze blowing from there, we immediately feel some resistance and start a pleasant paddling workout. In front of the first bay (to the left) there is a prominent rock, which in the right light is certainly a great photo motif. Because of the deep winter sun we unfortunately have to be content with a long shadow, which is immediately replaced by sunshine behind the treetops in the following bay.

After a few photos we continue west in the dark water and we notice that the reservoir is getting narrower and tighter like the eye of a needle. Except for a few walkers and snowshoe hikers, we are completely alone between the forest-covered shores of the lake, which, by the way, can be circumnavigated on countless hiking routes. The village Soboth is 3 km away from here and is considered the hiking village par excellence in the region. Countless routes lead from here to Carinthia and Slovenia and the area is so vast that nobody gets stepped on their feet along the way.

We paddle to the inconspicuous tributary of the little Feistrizbach Stream and take the eastern bank back from there. From here we have a wonderful view over the entire reservoir, which spreads out in front of us. Due to the stronger exposure to the sun, there is not that much snow on this shore and we paddle more or less directly under the shore road. There is no question that we are a real eye-catcher for many walkers, as most of them only know the sight of SUPs from summer. But the reservoir makes it possible to find top paddling conditions even in winter and to experience a touch of Canada or Norway in the heart of Europe. We will definitely be back - but by then it will be summer again.