Görtschitz

The Görtschitz is a small river in the Austrian province of Styria, rising high in the mountains near Hüttenberg. It flows through a narrow valley for most of its course before widening near Mösel. Near Brückl it joins the Gurk at just under 500 metres above sea level. The river gives its name to the Görtschitztal, a quiet valley where the water remains clean enough for brown trout to thrive. Its flow peaks twice a year, once in late spring and again in autumn, fed by streams from the Saualpe on one side and lower hills on the other. Only the stretches through villages show signs of disturbance; elsewhere the banks stay largely natural. Visitors walk along paths beside the clear water, spotting trout in the shallows. The valley sides are covered in woodland and meadow, with occasional farmsteads and small chapels. At dusk the air is filled with the sound of rushing water and birdsong from the banks.