Cheese farm of the Zankl family 2

Discover Culinary Carinthia!
Enjoy slowly!

In Carinthia's Slow Food Travel region, guests can observe local producers as they practice their traditional crafts.

Slow food instead of fast food

Travelling through Carinthia, along the sunny southern side of the Alps with its numerous lakes and valleys, you'll encounter people who have realised that true enjoyment requires one thing above all: time. This time isn't just needed for savouring the local specialities, but also for their production. A journey to the Slow Food Travel region, including the Gailtal, Lesachtal, Gitschtal, and Weissensee, is therefore a voyage into traditional craftsmanship – and to producers who are full of dedication.

Farmers, chefs, and artisans work together, focusing on sustainable and organic methods for grain cultivation, fish farming, alpine pasture management, and cheese-making. With great care and passion, they create products that have often been cultivated in the region for centuries. They not only preserve this traditional knowledge but also aim to share the process with guests. Whether it's crimping Carinthian Kasnudeln (the intricate sealing of pasta pockets), baking natural sourdough bread, or making butter on the alpine pastures, the experience is immersive. Chefs bring a modern twist to seemingly familiar ingredients, crafting creative dishes that give these products a new dimension. Their extraordinary interpretations delight those who want to taste authenticity.

Sustainable culinary tips

Slow Food Events: looking over the shoulder of professionals

A trip to the Slow Food Travel Region in Carinthia is a journey to regional producers who let you look over their shoulders as they practise their traditional craft.

UNESCO cultural heritage

The Lesachtal bread

The Lesach Valley bread making has been declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO; the grain for the bread is still ground in old mills. Who wants to taste the Lesachtal bread and "taste" its ingredients with every bite, your palate goes on a journey: Up to altitudes of up to 1,427 meters, where the grain grows and is harvested in pure nature, and then down to Maria Luggau, where the five water mills are located at 1,179 meters, where the grain is ground for the bakers in the valley. The rich, fruity, valuable and award-winning bread is made in their ovens.

There are also special Slow Food Travel experiences around Lesachtal bread:

Enjoy slow travel: 4 hotels in Carinthia

SlowFoodGuide Kärnten
Slow Food Carinthia Guide

The culinary travel magazine showcases the best of Carinthian Alps-Adriatic cuisine, distinguished by its short food supply chains and the high-quality processing of its ingredients. This approach brings a diverse range of ever-evolving flavours to the plate. With the Slow Food Magazine, Carinthia sets benchmarks in sustainability, quality, and origin assurance, embodying the genuine commitment of farmers, chefs, and hosts to the principles of "good, clean, and fair" food. Agriculture and tourism work hand in hand to sustainably develop and preserve these vibrant communities.

FAQS

Producers, farmers, and chefs in the Slow Food Travel region of Gailtal, Lesachtal, Gitschtal, and Weissensee introduce their guests to the significance of high-quality, sustainably, and fairly produced food. But it’s also a deeply sensory culinary experience. Guests leave with memorable encounters and a profound understanding of how enriching a mindful approach to food and nature can be.

Fresh fish from crystal-clear waters, asparagus from Lavanttal, the UNESCO-listed Lesachtaler bread, and Gailtaler speck are just a few of Carinthia’s typical specialities. Reindling is a yeast dough pastry—served with or without raisins—that pairs perfectly with Carinthian Kirchtagssuppe. Carinthian noodles, with their “gekrendelt” (crimped) edges and sweet or savoury fillings, are another hallmark of Carinthian cuisine. The ideal accompaniment is a cold, freshly brewed beer from a Carinthian brewery.

Learn more about typical Carinthian specialities here.

Carinthia's top restaurants combine the richness of the Alps-Adriatic region to offer everything from hearty traditional fare to gourmet cuisine.

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