Krems, Carinthia
Krems in Kärnten is a small municipality in the Spittal an der Drau district in Carinthia, Austria. It sits in the Krems Valley in northern Carinthia, near the borders with Salzburg and Styria. The Lieser River flows through the valley, and the area reaches up into the Nock Mountains, part of the Gurktal Alps. Innerkrems is the starting point of the scenic Nockalm Road to Reichenau. To the north, the Schönfeldsattel Pass leads to Thomatal in Salzburg. The Katschberg Pass road and the Tauern Autobahn are important routes to the west. This mountainous region is popular for winter sports, with several ski slopes and lifts.
Krems is divided into seven cadastral communities: Eisentratten, Kremsbrücke, Leoben, Nöring, Puchreit, Reitern, and Sankt Nikolai. In history, Rauchenkatsch Castle was first mentioned in 1197 and sits high above the Katschberg road. The surrounding lands were owned by the Archbishops of Salzburg. From the 14th century Krems was known for iron ore mining, with a medieval hammer mill at Eisentratten. A blast furnace was built in 1541 and rebuilt in 1861; it remains a landmark today.
As of 2018, about 1,679 people lived in Krems, with an area of around 207 square kilometers and an elevation of about 807 meters. The postal codes are 9861 and 9862, and the area code is 04732.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:36 (CET).