Lavant

The Lavant is a river in Carinthia, Austria. It begins at Lake Lavant high on the southern slope of Zirbitzkogel in Styria. After eleven kilometres it crosses into Carinthia near the border. The river then flows south-east through the Lavanttal valley, passing towns such as Bad Sankt Leonhard, Wolfsberg and Sankt Andrä before joining the Drava. The Lavant drains 969 square kilometres of countryside. Its water once suffered from large-scale channel works between the 1930s and 1980s. Most of the river still belongs to the trout zone, while the lowest stretches hold barbel. The name comes from a Pre-Celtic word meaning ‘shining river’. Visitors walk along tree-lined banks or cycle the valley cycle path. Brown trout and grayling dart beneath the clear water. In spring the banks are lined with marsh marigolds. The river’s steady flow offers quiet spots for picnics beside willow thickets.