Flattnitz Pass
Flattnitz Pass (el. 1400 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Austrian Alps.
Flattnitz Pass | |
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![]() Panoramic view, with St John's Church | |
Elevation | 1,400 m (4,593 ft) |
Traversed by | L63 |
Location | Carinthia, Austria |
Range | Gurktal Alps |
Coordinates | 46°56′31″N 14°2′7″E |
![]() ![]() Flattnitz Pass Location of Flattnitz Pass |
The pass is located in the state of Carinthia, connecting Glödnitz in the Gurk valley with Stadl on the Mur river, beyond the border with Styria. The pass height comprises a dispersed settlement with a high-altitude sanatorium (Luftkurort) and an Alpine lake (Flattnitzer See). It is a popular destination for hikers and for cross-country skiers in winter.
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The pass was possibly known in Roman times, it was first mentioned in an 898 deed issued by the Carolingian emperor Arnulf. In 1173 the Gurk bishops had a Romanesque chapel erected, dedicated to St John the Baptist, which was rebuilt as a parish church with an adjacent hospice building about 1330. The bishops used Flattnitz (from Slovene: blato, "moss") as a summer residence. The pass height was devastated by invading Ottoman forces in 1478. In the 17th century, Flattnitz was a mining area for silver, iron ore, and lead.