Julius Kugy: The mountaineer, who overcame borders and conquered heart

Julius Kugy: The mountaineer, who overcame borders and conquered heart

Lind bei Arnoldstein, Österreich - On February 5, 2025, Julius Kugy's death was for the 81st time. Born in Görzer, who was born in a Slovenian family in 1858, is known far beyond the borders of the Julian Alps as a mountaineer, botanist and writer. During his travels, Kugy shaped the connection between people, nature and culture and is primarily valued for his travel reports. According to orf Carärnten there were many challenges in the life of the alpinist, especially the development of previously unassembly mountain paths in his home region.

a legacy of alpinism

Johann Kugi, a descendant from Riegersdorf, impressively shows the connection to Kugy by calling his father's house, which was also Kugy's father's house, as a “place of heart”. On his journey of discovery, Johann Kugi came across the linguistic inaccuracies that explain the different spellings of the name Kugi and Kugy. He remembers that his family's inn was once a popular meeting place for alpinists who heard of Kugy's passion for the mountains and read his works. Kugy's books about mountaineering are still important for many hikers, as Erika Hornbogner from Drava Verlag states.

In his pioneering work in the Julian Alps, he discovered over 50 new routes and was able to carry out many initial grades with his knowledge and experience. As can be found on Wikipedia , Kugy spoke several languages in his childhood, but could not make him Slovenian, which was nevertheless made an important figure in the Alpine-Adria idea. After the First World War, he devoted himself to writing and thus made a significant contribution to an authentic mountain literature that still captivates readers today.

Today, the legacy of Kugy is kept alive through initiatives such as the Julius-Kugy Dreiländerweg, which combines Carinthia, Slovenia and Friuli-Julian Veneto. This cross -border connection promotes hiking and international understanding and at the same time honors the memory of this extraordinary person.