Central Carinthia

Central Carinthia: A dream vacation destination with the Wörthersee and so much more!

Famous throughout the German-speaking world as the location for the popular “Ein Schloss am Wörthersee” TV series, there is indeed a castle there in the town of Velden, but it is only one of an array of highlights awaiting you on and close to the lake. And don’t forget to stick a big memory card in your camera, because there are so many images from Central Carinthia you are sure to want to keep with you forever!

At the end of the lake you will find the provincial capital, Klagenfurt, with its Lindworm fountain and Landhaus, a city that always seems to exude a sense of summery cheer. And fascinating tales and histories are just waiting to be unearthed. The area was known as “Noricum” back in the days of antiquity. Celts lived here, Romans made it a province of their own. Traces of this past can be found at the gateway to Klagenfurt, both on the Magdalensberg (excavations: the world-famous “Youth of Magdalensberg”) and Zollfeld (the ducal throne). Awaiting you a few minutes’ drive away is Carinthia’s most famous castle: Hochosterwitz! With its 14 gates, this fortification was impregnable to its enemies. Even today, it is run and owned by the Khevenhüller family. In the town of Friesach, for years they have been building a medieval castle using only the tools which were available during the Middle Ages.

Of the some 1200 Carinthian lakes, you will find a lot of them right here in Central Carinthia / with water pure enough to drink, including the glamorous Wörthersee, the warm Keutschacher See, the peaceful Faaker See, the popular Ossiacher See (home to Carinthian Summer Concerts), the mild Millstätter See at the foot of the Millstätter Alpe. This peak belongs to the Nockberge range, gently domed mountains that, decades ago, were saved by a grass-roots initiative from crass marketing as a ski area.

Carinthians know how to celebrate, and you are invited to celebrate right by their side. During Fasching or the fair in Villach, at the Wiesenmarkt in St. Veit, at the Beach Volleyball Grand Slam tournament in Klagenfurt, the “GTI-Treffen” VW meet in Reifnitz and the Harley Davidson rally on the Faaker See – a list that is undoubtedly far from complete.

Want to enjoy other outdoor sports in addition to swimming and hiking? Then why not hop onto a bike! The ****Drau Bike Path (from Toblach in Italy to Marburg in Slovenia – 222 km of which is through Carinthia) is one of the finest your spokes have to offer. Or circle the shores of lake Wörthersee and afterwards dive into its crystal-clear water.