Rauchkofel

The Rauchkofel rises to 1,910 metres above Amlach and Tristach on the edge of the Lienzer Dolomites. It stands on the border between the two villages and belongs to the Gailtaler Alps. From the summit every valley is visible: the Pustertal, the Iseltal, the Lienzer basin, the Mölltal and the Drautal. The Lienzer Dolomites and the Schobergruppe also appear on the horizon. A television and radio transmitter occupies the highest point. The transmitter was built in 1958 and still serves East Tirol today. Its steel lattice tower is a landmark that can be seen from Lienz on clear days. The mountain’s name, meaning ‘smoke peak’, may come from the clouds that often gather around the summit. The first recorded ascent took place in 1890 by local climbers who left a record in the summit book. A broad gravel track winds up the northern flank from Tristach. The final section is a narrow path over grass and rock to the transmitter platform. Visitors walk among dwarf pines and encounter marmots in the alpine meadows. On the summit ridge the view stretches as far as the Carnic Alps in the west and the Hohe Tauern in the north.