Lake Brennsee

Level of difficulty 1 |  Gastronomy 1 |  Length 2,6 km |  Time 40 – 60 minutes

---

The clear Lake Brennsee combines relaxed lakeside romance with alpine flair. It is a compact all-rounder offering fun between the mountains for the whole family .

General information

• Carinthia Card
• Sonnenschein Card
• Lake Brennsee Wikipedia
• Lake Brennsee tourist information
• Carinthia tourist information
• Tour video
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

The lake is very popular in summer, which is why countless swimmers and water sports enthusiasts share the water here. It is best to always give way and paddle within sight.

Even in the middle of the lake it often happens that fishermen cast their lines. In such cases, paddle away from the fishing boats!

Dangers and risks

In summer, the small and popular lake quickly becomes overcrowded with swimmers and other water sports enthusiasts. The windsurfing and foil spot attracts stand-up paddlers as well as kayakers. Therefore, always paddle with foresight and give others plenty of space!

As the lake is regularly buffeted by westerly winds, it is a popular surfing and sailing spot in the region. For stand-up paddlers, this naturally means that such winds can make paddling very difficult or even impossible. It can be particularly problematic for inexperienced paddlers if they get into distress on the lake due to the wind.

The water access at the public beach in the north of the lake is rocky and up to half a meter high in places. Climb up and down carefully and slowly, and if possible, two people should carry the SUP!

Along the federal highway on the west bank, access to the lake is also elevated and partly rocky.

Directions

You can reach Lake Brennsee either from the south or from the west. If you are traveling from the south by car, take the B 98 and turn right after the lake into the village of Feld am See. There you can park for free at the tennis courts or near the town hall.

The route from the west also takes you along the B 98, passing the long Lake Millstätter See. Shortly after the small town of Radenthein, you reach Feld am See, where you turn left just before Lake Brennsee to reach the parking lots.

Those who rely on public transport can use the so-called Nockmobil, among other things. This flexible shuttle service in the Biosphere Park Nockberge connects over 650 stops and can be booked via app or telephone. To travel to Lake Brennsee, select the destination stop "Brennsee" in the Postbus Shuttle app and book the trip, specifying the desired time and number of passengers.

In addition, the bus line Postbus 350 (formerly 5150) runs between the towns of Villach and Radenthein and stops at Feld am See/Ortsmitte. From there, it is a 350 m walk to the park and 800 m to the public beach.

National and international bus, train and flight connections can be found via the comparison portals Omio, Busbud as well as RailEurope. If you arrive by plane, you will either land in Klagenfurt or Ljubljana – the closest airports in the region.

Parking

As the lake is bordered by the B 98 road to the west and the remaining sections of the shore run along private property, it is not possible to park directly by the lake. However, there are free parking spaces near the town hall and the cemetery, as well as near the tennis courts. From there, it is only a few minutes' walk to the public beach or the small park by the water.

Swimming

The 26-meter-deep lake is known for its excellent water quality and pleasant water temperatures of up to 26 °C in summer. The highest temperatures are in July, and from August onwards the lake cools down slightly again. As with so many lakes in Austria, the water here is of drinking water quality. In addition to swimming, visitors can also enjoy numerous water sports such as sailing and surfing. Understandably, the idyllic location makes Lake Brennsee a popular destination for nature lovers and active vacationers.

There is a small, publicly accessible bathing beach on the northern shore. However, the park offers shallower access to the water. Along the B 98 federal highway, you can also reach the water at suitable points along the western shore. However, there are no parking spaces along the road, so if you want to swim here, you have to come on foot or by bike via the lake trail. Otherwise, the remaining water access points are on private property.

Once the lake is too cold for swimming in autumn, you can enjoy a relaxing bath in one of the two thermal spas in the nearby town of Bad Kleinkirchheim.

Therme St. Kathrein
Dorfstraße 47, 9546 Bad Kleinkirchheim
Phone +43 (0)4240 81100

Thermal Römerbad
Dorfstraße 74, 9546 Bad Kleinkirchheim
Phone +43 (0)4240 8282 201

Tour

From the public beach, paddle left or right along the shore and back again.

Length

2,6 km

Time

40 – 60 minutes

Start and landing

At the public bathing beach on the north shore.

SUP rental

Sportschule Krainer
Seestraße 20, ‍9544 Feld am See
Phone +43 (0)4246 3188

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

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

SUP2GETHER
Mobile SUP rental
Am Birkengrund 26, 9073 Klagenfurt
Phone +43 (0)463 20323020

Valley floor paddling with a recreational character

In the middle of the Gegendtal Valley, not far from the geographical center of Carinthia, the water flows from the high plateau of Mt. Mirnock into Lake Brennsee and from there into the nearby Lake Afritzer See. The crystal-clear drinking water provides the perfect base for a relaxing SUP tour between the adjacent mountain slopes.

Most visitors come to the lake during the warm season, but today I am able to experience how incredibly attractive Lake Brennsee is in autumn too. The small and inconspicuous village of Feld am See is densely populated with vacation accommodations and describes itself as a family sports village. As a result, the shores of the lake, formerly known as Lake Feldsee, are almost completely built up in the north and east.

Since I arrive by car and park at the town hall, I have two lake accesses to choose from: the small park right next door or the public beach a little further away. Because both are within walking distance, I decide on the closer park.

This choice is absolutely right, because from the flat shore I have a great view across the lake to the east. Picturesquely nestled between the hills of the mountains Mirnock and Wöllaner Nock, the valley in front of me glows in the most beautiful autumn colors, and I begin my little tour across the quiet lake to the right. This is also where the lake's outlet is located, which is fed from the north by streams and groundwater.

Of course, the countless hotels and guesthouses are now closed and waiting for their winter hibernation, but the still warm sun and the lively cow pastures in the distance quickly make up for the empty townscape. The lake water may look dark, but on the shores you can see clear contours meters below the water's surface.

According to legend, a thousand years ago the Mirnock Giant flew into a rage and hurled a gigantic boulder into what was then a large lake. This split the lake in two, creating the lakes Brennsee and the nearby Afritzer See, according to tradition. The reason for his outburst of anger was, of course, a young woman, or rather his love for her.

It is no longer as noisy at the lake today, but the cars driving along the federal highway drown out the silence along the western shore. The lake trail runs alongside the road and offers convenient access to the water at several points. However, these can only be reached by bike or on foot, as there are no parking spaces along the B 98 road.

A light breeze pushes me south along the shore, where I drift past small boat docks and private accesses to the lake. Far ahead, a lone fisherman tries his luck in his boat, while flocks of mallards swim in the water in front of me. However, at the end of October, the 2110 m high Mt. Mirnock begins to cast its shadow on the lake in the early afternoon, and I reach the sparsely built-up south shore in good time.

So I take refuge in the sunshine and gaze at the green mountain slopes in front of me and the Nockberge Mountains, already covered in snow, far beyond the village of Feld am See. Now the west wind begins its familiar game and throws a few extra knots in my path. But that seems to be just a taste of what can happen here, because after all, Lake Brennsee is known as a surfing spot for its consistent winds.

I, on the other hand, am still able to paddle leisurely northward along the inviting homes and lakeside cottages on the eastern shore. My destination is the only official public beach on the lake, which will surely be deserted today.

The park where I started this tour is already in the cool shade, so I go ashore at the still bright beach. There are clean toilet facilities here too, but the shore is rockier and slightly steeper than in the park. However, the crab, which is leisurely searching for food here on the shore, doesn't seem to mind.

Whether you enter the water here or go ashore, you should always climb carefully over the rocks and, if possible, carry the SUP up and down in pairs. It is likely that it gets very busy here in summer, which means you also have to watch out for swimmers. In any case, Lake Brennsee is worth a paddling trip in all seasons, and I am already excited to see what it will be like next summer.

Find more SUP tours on Carinthian lakes in the SUP Guide Carinthia.