Hochrindl

The Hochrindl sits at 1,617 metres in the Nock mountains of Carinthia, where a high Alpine pass meets summer meadows and winter ski runs. It lies between the villages of Ebene Reichenau and Sirnitz, linked by Landesstraße 65. Most of the land and every settlement belong to the municipality of Albeck, though a small part reaches into Deutsch-Griffen. Until the mid-20th century the area was almost empty, used only for seasonal grazing. Since then tourism has reshaped the landscape, creating five separate hamlets whose existence depends almost entirely on visitors. The Hochrindl has become a focus for winter sports investment. A new reservoir of 75,000 cubic metres is planned to replace the old 10,000 cubic metre basin, which lost its licence after ten seasons. A crowdfunding campaign raised 300,000 euros from local people, while private investors, the regional government and nearby towns covered the remaining 2.2 million of the 2.5 million euro total. The project was started by Alexandra Bresztowanszky, who bought the ski area in 2017. Visitors find five small settlements scattered across the plateau, each with holiday homes and lifts. In summer the meadows are dotted with grazing cattle and hikers on marked paths. A striking wooden statue called the ‘Tatarmandl’ marks the furthest point reached by raiding Turkish cavalry in the 15th century. The road up the pass offers wide views over the surrounding peaks and valleys.