Kärnten

Carinthia


The Austrian country Kärnten (Carinthia) has always been rich in cheap ores, as a local proverb tells. It is the southernmost Land (country) of Austria, located at the border to Slovenia and Italy. The capital is Klagenfurt.

Kärnten is a mountainous country, which is mainly the east to west running valley of the Drau river. To the north it is bordered by the Tauern mountain ridge, to the south by the Karawanken mountain ridge. It is on the border of the Tauernfenster, a crystalline area in the center of the Alps with many ores and minerals. Most of the country is nevertheless covered by limestone, as the Karawanken are part of the so-called southern limestone Alps. So we find mining mainly to the north, and caves mainly to the south.