Oswaldiberg

The Oswaldiberg rises north of Villach in Carinthia, a forested Mittelgebirgsberg that drops steeply on all sides. It stands between the Drau river to the south and the Ossiacher See, with the Wörthersee and Faaker See visible beyond. The summit is reached by paths from Gritschach, Großvassach, Treffen and Eichholz, while the A10 Tauern Autobahn burrows through the mountain in the Oswaldibergtunnel. The slopes are clothed in mixed conifer and deciduous woods, giving way to open meadows near the top. The mountain has drawn walkers for centuries because of its small summit church. First recorded in 1784 but probably built in the 15th century, the church is 7.1 m wide and 16 m long, with a Gothic nave and three Baroque altars. A 1902 renovation added a new roof and an observation tower, rebuilt again in 1985 to its original appearance. Below, traces of medieval silver-lead mining remain on the southern flanks, along with collapsed adits that once yielded a little gold. A modest radio mast at the summit transmits Kronehit on 107.6 MHz across Villach and the Ossiacher See basin. Visitors follow the old pilgrim route or the gentler 1960s Hohlweg up from Großvassach, passing the hamlets of Gritschach and Großvassach where the forest thins. At Eichholz, 712 m above sea level, a fork in the Eichholzgraben path leads either back to Gritschach or onward to Treffen. From the church plateau there are wide views over three lakes and the Karawanken and Julian Alps beyond. The steep drop on every side shows why the mountain has long been called the Hausberg of Vassach.