Hühnerkogel

The Hühnerkogel, known locally as Košenjak, is a low mountain range straddling the border between Austrian Kärnten and Slovenia’s Koroška region. It rises just north of the town of Dravograd, where the Velika and Ojstrški streams begin their descent. Three forested ridges—Goriški vrh, Ojstrica and Kozji vrh—climb to the broad, grassy summit at 1 522 m. The slopes are a patchwork of conifer woods and open alpine meadows. The area is recognised for its rare wildlife and plants. Birkhahn, Auerhahn and Haselhuhn share the slopes with mountain hares and marmots, while the Kerbelova jama cave shelters several bat species. Botanists value the site for Heidekraut, Vaccinium berries and two protected species: the Klappertopf and the broad-leaved gentian. The 62 m-long Kerbelova jama is the only cave of its kind in Slovenia. A stone-built mountain hut, Planinski dom Košenjak, stands on the high plateau at 1 169 m. From there a wide gravel track winds through spruce and larch to the summit in about two hours. The final metres cross open grassland where the wind often carries the scent of juniper and bilberry. On clear days the view stretches across the Klagenfurt basin to the Karawanks and the Pohorje massif.