The “bluer-than-blue” tiny lake Meerauge and the Tscheppaschlucht gorge are a beautiful piece of nature ready for you to explore.
You can find these places south of Ferlach (Austria) about ten kilometers north of the border with Slovenia. If you’re staying near the Wörthersee and Klagenfurt, you can easily go there as a day trip. Whereas the Tscheppaschlucht gorge is known among tourists, I am pretty sure not many people know of Meerauge.
Meerauge
Meerauge is located in a valley at an altitude of 1010 to 1160 meters. This valley is home to a very diverse natural and cultural landscape, including a fairy tale meadow, the linden tree at Bodenbauer that is on the list of natural monuments, and, of course, Meerauge. This valley is the starting point for numerous hikes.
The origins of Meerauge can be traced back to the last ice age. At the site of present day’s Meerauge there was probably a lump of dead ice, which left a visible depression in the ground after it had completely melted away. The bright turquoise-blue color is the result of several factors: light, special chemistry, very clean water (almost no algae, hardly any plankton and hardly any nutrients in the water).
You can easily observe the blue lake from the 220 meters long wooden walkway connected by six bridges. A visit takes only fifteen minutes. There are three parking spots directly in front of the path to the walkway. Why I recommend it: the colors of the lake are beautiful and the remoteness of the surrounding area is a welcome change of scenery if you’re staying in a more crowded area. Combine a visit to Meerauge with a hike in the area or a visit to the Tscheppaschlucht gorge to make it a day trip.
Near Meerauge you can stop by Gasthaus Bodenbauer-Podnar for a drink, some food and a much appreciated toilet.
Tscheppaschlucht gorge
Let me start by saying that I wanted to visit the gorge, but took the wrong turn (left) at the bridge and never made it to the gorge. The same happened to others we met along the way. With this warning, this will probably not happen to you and you will wonder how it is even possible for someone not to choose the right direction. We didn’t mind, as we were fine with a hike in the area (and had already visited the Sigmund Thun Klamm in Kaprun on another day).
The winding road from Meerauge to the parking lots at the Tscheppaschlucht gorge is no less enjoyable than the destinations themselves. I love driving(/being a passenger) on a road that goes left, right, up and down between mountains, trees and houses. Such roads are abundant in Austria and this one satisfied my daily craving.
After parking and paying a small parking fee, you cross the road and take the bridge toward the Tscheppaschlucht (marked with a very clear sign). On the way to the stream coming out of the gorge, you pass a Waldseilpark that is a fun active platform climbing destination for kids of the right age.
When you get to the stream, where I would have liked to have seen a sign pointing in the right direction, turn right toward the gorge. You can find pictures of the Tscheppaschlucht on Google Maps; I can only share pictures of the walking path and the way back that you find in the other direction.
