Karawanken

Karawanks
Karavankas, Karavanks
View to Eastern Karawanks from Mt. Stol/Hochstuhl
Highest point
Peak	Hochstuhl/Veliki Stol
Elevation	2,236 m (7,336 ft)
Coordinates	46°26′3″N 14°10′24″E / 46.43417°N 14.17333°E / 46.43417; 14.17333
Dimensions
Length	120 km (75 mi)
Geography
The Karawanks (red, left) and Pohorje (red, right)
Countries	Slovenia and Austria
Range coordinates	46°25′N 14°25′E / 46.42°N 14.42°E / 46.42; 14.42Coordinates: 46°25′N 14°25′E / 46.42°N 14.42°E / 46.42; 14.42
Parent range	Southern Limestone Alps Carinthian-Slovenian Alps

The Karawanks or Karavankas or Karavanks (Slovene: Karavanke, German: Karawanken) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps on the border between Slovenia to the south and Austria to the north. With a total length of 120 kilometres (75 mi) in an east-west direction, the Karawanks chain is one of the longest ranges in Europe. It is traversed by important trade routes and has a great tourist significance. Geographically and geologically, it is divided into the higher Western Karawanks and the lower-lying Eastern Karawanks. It is traversed by the Periadriatic Seam, separating the Apulian tectonic plate from the Eurasian Plate.

The Karawanks form the continuation of the Carnic Alps east of the Slizza stream near the tripoint of Austria, Slovenia and Italy at Arnoldstein. They are confined by the Drava Valley in the north (called Rosental/Rož) and the Sava in the south, separating it from the adjacent Julian Alps. In the east, they border on the Kamnik–Savinja Alps and Pohorje ranges.

A number of mountain passes on important trade routes cross the range, like Wurzen (Koreno), Loibl (Ljubelj) or Seeberg (Jezero), which have been used since prehistory. Nowadays the Austrian Karawanken Autobahn (A11) runs from Villach to the Karavanke motorway tunnel, which traverses the Western Karawanks connecting it with the Slovenian A2 motorway at Jesenice. A parallel railway line crosses the range through the Karawanks railway tunnel.