The Countess Hemma of Freisach-Zeltschach (970-1054) is inseparably connected with the history of Gurk. Endowed with a lot of money and personal dedication the young widow founded the monastery of Gurk. Hemma‘s tomb − she was canonized in the 20th century - is still a destination for numerous pilgrims.

Like many other monasteries the monastery of St. Paul could not escape the abolishment wave of the 18th century. Already in 1809 Benedictine monks from St. Blasien in Schwarzwald repopulated the monastery. Due to its comprehensive and high quality collections St. Paul is considered to be the "Treasure house of Carinthia".

In the 12th and 13th century the writing and painting school of the Benedictine monastery, situated at the Millstätter See ( Millstätter Lake), had its golden age. In the later centuries the building was a residence for the Jesuits. Nowadays the former collegiate church − as many others too − fulfills the function of a simple parish church.

Friesach - town of castles − offers a lively view of former days. As a powerful finance center in the Middle Ages it was minting silver pennies, which were used as currency in the whole Southeast alpine region. Nowadays Friesach gives a deep insight into the unique world of the Middle Ages.

Maria Wörth was a medieval mission center in the middle of the Wörther See (Lake Wörth). More than thousand years ago the small island became manifest as a source for Christianity in Carinthia. Nowadays the locations, transformed to a peninsula, prospers primarily as a holiday resort for tourists looking for recreation.