Pörtschach - Bannwaldtour

The start is at the tourist information office and the route initially leads along the main road towards Velden. After about 150 m - immediately after Leonstain Castle - you turn right. Under the railway underpass and along well-marked side roads to the north. After a few hundred m, the Seeburger Weg leads into the slightly larger Moosburger Straße. From this, however, after about 50 m, you turn right again at a Kelag building. Under the motorway underpass and past the Pörtschach district heating plant, you reach the barrier of a forest path. You can go around this on the left and then go up a well-developed forest path for almost 3 km and 250 m in altitude. The average gradient is therefore less than 10%. Directional arrows are attached at all junctions, making orientation very easy. After the end of the forest road, the route leads over a few hundred meters and a few meters in altitude on a hiking trail to the highest point of the route, just below the Bannwaldhöhe at 711 m above sea level. In June and July, extensive fields of blackberries invite you to take a culinary break there.

From the Bannwaldhöhe, the route is well marked to the left - towards the south. This is followed by a few hundred meters and about 100 meters of wonderful single trails, interrupted only once by about 20 meters of forest path. You get the impression that the bends were built especially for this trail. These are ancient sunken paths that were just waiting to be revived as mountain bike trails.

Once back on the forest path, you share the route with the Wörthersee circular hiking trail for about 1 km. On this section you pass a wonderful viewpoint that is located directly above the rural district of Winklern, which the locals call “Kate”. The view sweeps over the meadows and fields, over Lake Wörthersee to Maria Wörth and up to the rugged peaks of the Karawanks.

At the end of the forest path there is another barrier, which can easily be bypassed on the left. Although the barrier is after a long straight and is clearly visible, caution is advised. After a 180° bend you come to the Gaißrückenstraße, which takes us on a hearty descent into the district of Winklern. In this natural idyll you will find the Brockhof with a wonderful Buschenschank and the Zocklwirt, which is known for its good home cooking, directly opposite.

Whether you are freshly strengthened or still hungry, the route is well marked and leads along asphalted side roads (Gaißrückenstraße - Tscheberweg - Karawankenblickstraße - Moosburger Straße) down to the town center, where the circle closes at Monte Carlo Platz.

It is not advisable to drive the route in the opposite direction. You lose the wonderful single trails on the downhill sections and most bikers would have to push the bikes uphill. That's why the Bannwald tour is only marked in the direction described.