The Lavanttal ('Lavant Valley', , [Melik, Anton. 1957. Slovenija: geografski opis. Vol. 2. Ljubljana: Slovenska matica, p. 18.][Gams, Ivan. 1992. "Labotska dolina." Enciklopedija Slovenije, vol. 6. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, pp. 87–87.] or ;[Grafenauer, Bogo, Lojze Ude, & Maks Veselko. 1946. Koroški zbornik. Ljubljana: Državna Založba Slovenije, p. 9.] Southern Bavarian: Lovnthol) lies in the Lavanttal Alps in southern Austria in the eastern part of the state of Carinthia. It covers just under . Approximately 60,000 people live in the area.
Geography
The Lavant River flows through the valley, having its source on the
Zirbitzkogel in
Styria and discharging into the
Drau near Lavamünd. It is divided into the Upper Lavant Valley (), which lies north of the Twimberger Graben, and the Lower Lavant Valley (), which is further south. The lower, broader valley nestles between the mountains of the
Koralpe and
Saualpe. The Upper Lavant Valley lies between the
Packalpe and the
Seetal Alps.
The Lavant Valley forms the greater part of the administrative district of Bezirk Wolfsberg.
Name
The valley derives its name from the Lavant River, which flows through it for from north to south. It has its source in the border region between Styria and Carinthia, on the Styrian mountain of
Zirbitzkogel. Near Lavamünd, in the southernmost part of the Lavant Valley, the Lavant empties into the
Drau.
Climate
The climate of the Lavant Valley is relatively dry, with around of precipitation annually.
[Strunz, Gunnar. 2014. Kärnten: Natur und Kultur zwischen Alpen und Wörthersee. Berlin: Trescher Verlag, p. 26.] The valley often suffers from temperature inversion during the winter half year, which brings fog and high levels of pollution in the valley bottom. The land at medium elevations around to are thus climatically preferred; they are sunnier and warmer than the terrain of the valley floor.
Agriculture
The growing of maize and the rearing of pigs and chickens are the main forms of agriculture in the valley. In the Lower Lavant Valley and the adjacent Granitz Valley there are many orchards, especially of apples used to make cider and
schnapps products. Here there are also several
. Another speciality is
asparagus. The majority of the Carinthian vineyards, only around , are located in the Lavant Valley.
Art and culture
Well-known artistic personalities such as
Christine Lavant, Switbert Lobisser, and
Gerhart Ellert have done much to promote the culture of the valley. There are regular special exhibitions in the Benedictine monastery of St. Paul, which enhance the extensive art collections.
External links
Literature
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Bäk, Richard: "Geologie und Landschaftsbild des Kärntner Lavanttales", in: Schatzhaus Kärntens: Landesausstellung St. Paul 1991, 900 Jahre Benediktinerstift, Klagenfurt, 1991, Vol. 2, pp. 309 ff.,
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Schober, Eduard: Das Lavanttal, Wolfsberg, 1990
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Thelian, Werner und Richter, Nicole: Lust auf Lavanttal, Klagenfurt, 2007,
