Grosser Speikkogel

The Großer Speikkogel rises 2140 metres above sea level as the highest summit of the Koralpe range. It stands in Kärnten, about 18 kilometres west of Deutschlandsberg in the Steiermark and ten kilometres east of Wolfsberg. A broad ridge links it to the rest of the Koralpe, while the steep Großes Kar on its northwest side forms a protected nature reserve. Two simple shelters serve walkers on the usual route from the Weinebene plateau: the Grillitschhütte at 1710 metres and the Koralpenhaus, only 1.3 kilometres from the top at 1966 metres. A modern radio and television mast and a military radar station also occupy the summit zone. The mountain has long drawn visitors. Roman soldiers once used its broad summit as an outlook, and in 1810 Emperor Franz I climbed to the top. A 2-metre stone pyramid was raised in his honour the following year, though nothing of it remains today. In 1962 builders found a Roman altar stone dedicated to Mars-Latobius near the Steinschneider summit, evidence of the mountain’s ancient importance. The ridge also carried key smugglers’ paths between Kärnten and the Steiermark until roads replaced them in the 19th century. Today the summit offers a wide stone cross bearing two inscriptions and sweeping views across the Alps. The Koralpenhaus provides food and shelter for hikers, while the radar station’s large white dome dominates the skyline. On clear days the Grillitschhütte and the Großes Kar below show the full sweep of the Koralpe’s forested ridges and alpine meadows.