BERRY PICKING IN CARINTHIA

For many, summertime means berry time. The refreshing flavors and juicy sweetness of fresh berries are simply irresistible on a warm summer’s day. In Carinthia, there are lots of places to pick your own berries as well as wild berries growing in the forest. The rumor is that the Carinthian sunshine makes the berries grown here tastier than anywhere else in Austria (or at least I think so!).

PICK-YOUR-OWN BERRY FARMS IN CARINTHIA

What could be better than spending time outdoors with a basket full of berries? Pick-your-own berry farms are a great destination for the whole family. So bring your basket and a sunhat for a fun day of berry picking. Berry picking season begins in June and continues through early Autumn depending on the berry crop.

• Familie Schwarz: With several locations throughout Carinthia, Familie Schwarz is a popular destination for pick-your-own berries. During berry season, you can stop by the different farms to collect strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and currants.
   
• Erdbeerland: Its strawberries galore at Erdbeerland. There are several locations throughout Carinthia including farms in Klagenfurt, Egg am Faaker-See, and St. Veit.
   
• Beerengarten Feldkirchen: At the berry garden in Feldkirchen you can pick your own strawberries from June - July. Once strawberry season finishes, there are raspberries to pick from August until the first frost of the season.
   
• Heidelbeergarten Ebenthal: To the east of Klagenfurt, in the market town of Ebenthal, the Heidelbeergarten has a whole farm dedicated just to blueberries. Its the perfect destination for blueberry lovers. 

TYPES OF WILD BERRIES

While enjoying a summer walk in the forest or Alpine pastures of Austria chances are you may find some wild berries. There are many tasty wild berries for you to enjoy, but there are some things you should know before you eat them.

• Legal Regulations: In Austria, you can collect wild berries as long as it is permitted by the property owner. Check to make sure that the gathering of berries and mushrooms is permitted first (this typically done with a sign). If everything is okay, you are permitted to collect up to 2 kg of berries/mushrooms for personal use free of charge.

• Tapeworm: Although uncommon, it is possible for wild berries to be infected with fox tapeworm (Echinococcus multilocularis). So before you eat your wild berries, be sure to thoroughly wash or boil the berries before eating.

• Poisonous Berries: Before you eat it, make sure you know what you are eating. Common poisonous berries found in Austria are belladonna, red honeysuckle, and Daphne berries.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE WILD BERRIES YOU CAN ENJOY IN AUSTRIA

• Wild Strawberry / Wald-Erdbeere: These tiny and delicious berries can be found along roadsides and trails. Although they are smaller than traditional strawberries, they are still loaded with flavor.
   
• Wild Blueberry / Heidelbeere, Blaubeere, or Schwarzbeere: This berry is known by many names in Austria, but no matter what you call it, it tastes delicious and stains your fingers blue.
   
• Currants / Ribisel or Johannisbeeren: These tart berries come in shades of red, white, and black. Red currants tend to be sweet, while the black currants tend to be sour.

With so much talk about berries, we’re sure you are eager to go and pick some yourself. After a successful berry picking, why not prepare a traditional Austrian dish of Kaiserschmarren with fresh berries? Wishing you a fun and delicious summer!