Noric Alps

The Noric Alps form a group of ranges in the Eastern Alps, mainly in Austria’s southern states of Carinthia and Styria, with a small part in Slovenia. They stretch from the upper Mur River in the north to the Drava in the south, and from the Katschberg Pass in the west to the Mur River in the east. The mountains sit between the Hohe Tauern range to the west and the Low Tauern to the north, with the Gailtal Alps and Karavanke ranges to the south. The highest point is Eisenhut at 2,441 metres, modest compared with the 3,000-metre peaks elsewhere in the Eastern Alps. Other notable summits include Rosennock, Zirbitzkogel and Großer Speikkogel, all above 2,000 metres. The region’s history is tied to the ancient Roman province of Noricum, which once covered much of present-day Austria and parts of Bavaria and Slovenia. In the 19th century the term Noric Alps described the main northern ranges of the Eastern Alps, later narrowed to the ranges south of the Alpine divide between the Mur and Drava rivers. The area’s economy once relied on mining, especially for magnesite near Radenthein, but today tourism drives the region. In winter, ski areas such as Bad Kleinkirchheim, Krems and Turracher Höhe attract visitors, while in summer the Carinthian lakes like Wörthersee, Millstatt and Ossiach draw holidaymakers. A scenic route called the Nockalmstraße leads into the Nock Mountain National Park, a protected landscape in the Gurktal Alps. The park’s Nock Mountains, also known as the Nockberge, offer high pastures used for transhumance farming, where cattle graze in summer. The Lavanttal Alps stretch east to the Mur River, including the Poßruck range and Radl Pass at the Austrian-Slovene border. The region’s mining past is still visible in places like Radenthein, while the lakes and ski resorts provide year-round appeal for visitors.