Reichenau, Carinthia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Reichenau
Ebene Reichenau with St Martin Church
Coat of arms
Reichenau Location in Austria
Country	Austria
State	Carinthia
District	Feldkirchen
Area
• Total	113.99 km2 (44.01 sq mi)
Elevation	1,095 m (3,593 ft)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	9564, 9565
Website	reichenau.gv.at

Reichenau is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Feldkirchen district. It's in the state of Carinthia in Austria.

Exploring Reichenau's Geography

South-southeast view of Reichenau

Reichenau is found in a beautiful valley. This valley is where the Gurk River flows. It is also part of the Nock Mountains, which are a mountain range.

Mountains and Lakes

To the north, a road goes up to the Turracher Höhe Pass. This pass is a mountain crossing. It leads to Turracher See, a lake that is 1,763 meters (5,784 feet) high. This area is on the border with Styria. Another pretty mountain lake nearby is Falkertsee. It sits at 1,872 meters (6,142 feet) high in the west.

Reichenau is also the start of the Nockalmstraße. This is a special road that offers amazing views. It winds through the Nock Mountains.

Parts of Reichenau

Reichenau is made up of several smaller areas. These are called cadastral communities. They include Ebene Reichenau, Sankt Lorenzen, Sankt Margarethen, Wiedweg, and Winkl.

Towns Near Reichenau

Reichenau has several towns as its neighbors. Here is a list of them:

	Predlitz-Turrach
Bad Kleinkirchheim		Albeck, Carinthia
Feld am See Afritz am See	Arriach	Gnesau

Reichenau's History Through Time

Farmsteads in Gurk Valley

The Gurk Valley was once a wild, forested place. It was first settled by the Celts. This was when the area was part of the Noricum kingdom. Around 15 BC, the Roman Empire took over this kingdom.

Early Settlements

Around the year 590, people called Alpine Slavs moved into the lower parts of the valley. Later, in the 10th century, settlers from Bavaria arrived.

During the Middle Ages, the valley belonged to a place called Millstatt Abbey. This abbey was run by Benedictine monks. Around the year 1300, these monks cleared large parts of the forest. They used a method called "slash-and-burn" agriculture. This means they cut down trees and burned them to clear land for farming.

First Mentions and Churches

The village of Reichenau was first written about in 1332. Its name might come from the German word "Rauch," meaning "smoke." This could refer to the smoke from the slash-and-burn farming.

A church in the nearby village of Sankt Lorenzen was mentioned even earlier, in 1216. This church is 1,477 meters (4,846 feet) high. It is the highest church in Carinthia.

Protestant Community

In 1787, a Protestant prayer house was first mentioned in Wiedweg. This was a special place for Protestants to worship. About 16% of the people in Reichenau today are part of the Protestant Church.

Famous People from Reichenau

• Siegfried Grabner (born 1975), a well-known snowboarder.

Gallery

• 

  Sankt Margarethen, church

• 

  Wiedweg, church

See also

In Spanish: Reichenau (Carintia) para niños