Waldheimhütte - Rothaidenhütte (via Türkenkreuz)

Access to starting point:
We leave the highway Klagenfurt am Wörthersee - Graz at the exit Bad St. Leonhard im Lavanttal, and then we follow the signs for Zeltweg and Reichenfels. After the settlement Reichenfels we reach the state border between Austrian Carinthia / Kärnten and Styria / Steiermark, and a little further we arrive at the Obdacher Sattel pass, where we turn left towards the settlement St. Anna am Lavantegg. Next follows a steeper ascent to the mentioned settlement, from where we follow the signs for the Waldheimhütte mountain hut. In the last section we continue on a toll road; the toll is paid at the parking meter next to the Waldheimhütte mountain hut (the toll in 2025 was 3 euros for a passenger car).

Route description:
From the parking lot we walk past the mountain hut to a marked junction, from which we head slightly left onto the path towards Köhlerhütte (straight ahead Zirbitzkogel) and begin ascending diagonally along the forest road. The path along the road leads mostly through the forest and after a good 20 minutes of walking brings us to the chapel in the tree Maria in der Zirbe.
Further on, the road gradually turns into a wider cart track and then splits.
We continue along the lower path (the upper one leads to a nearby holiday cottage) and keep following the markings, gradually starting to ascend a bit more steeply. A little further on, when we reach the indistinct ridge, we turn right and pass by the cross Türkenkreuz.
From here follows some ascent along the edge of the forest, then, when we reach the forest road, we continue right in the direction of Rothaidenhütte (slightly left is Köhlerhütte).
We continue along the road to a nearby junction; after the junction, where we proceed straight ahead, the marked path passes under the road and then runs parallel to it, while we constantly traverse grazing slopes to the right. A little further on, we cross the usual path from Waldheimhütte towards Zirbitzkogel, and continue straight ahead in the direction of Rothaidenhütte.
The path ahead mostly descends diagonally and crosses a few streams; soon afterwards, with beautiful views, we arrive at Rothaidenhütte.

Along the route: Maria in der Zirbe (1720m), Türkenkreuz (1839m)

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