Villach

Its carnival is broadcast on public television throughout Austria.

It's quite old, with roots back in Roman times (when the city was called Santicum). The city was heavily bombed in World War II, destroying many parts of the city.

It's a quite small town, so it is easy to get around on foot. Taxis can be found near the railway station and in the centre of the city near Hauptplatz. Federal buses go to the surrounding area from the local Busbahnhof (busterminal, a few minutes away from the railway station). Local busline no.10 (operated by a company called Kowatsch) goes around the historic city centre. Getting around by car can be tiring since parking space is rare during weekdays and traffic jams at business hours are very common. During weekdays parking fees are charged in most areas around the centre of the city.

• 🌍 Museum der Stadt Villach (City Museum), Widmanngasse 38, ☏ +43 4242 205 3500, museum@villach.at. May-Oct: Tu-Su 10:00-16:30. if you are interested in the history of the town go there. The museum has a nice expo on minerals, mining and all kinds of Villacher History. Nice to visit for some background info on the town of Villach. Time to visit approx. 1 hour. Adults €5, reduced €4, under 19 free. (updated Jan 2023)
• 🌍 Landskron Castle. the remains of the old fortress of Landskron are on the top of a hill, 676 m high. A great part of the castle was destroyed by a fire in the 19th century, but some parts are still there and a few halls can be visited. There is also a restaurant, and every Tuesday evening there is a special "medieval" dinner served by waiters dressed in period costumes. The view from the castle is wonderful. From here you can see Villach and the valley of the river Drau with its lakes, and the Slovenian Alps on the other side of the valley. 
• 🌍 Falconry in Landskron Castle, Schlossbergweg 30, ☏ +43 4242 42888, info@adlerarena.com. Open April 29 - October 3; hours vary by season. A section of the castle is now the home of several birds of prey. They can be seen in their cages, but even better is to see them fly, which is possible two or three times a day, according to the season and to the weather. The demonstrations last about 40 minutes and guests can enjoy watching eagles, hawks, kites, and owls fly just above their heads. Adults €16, children €8, €13 reduced, €40 families. (updated Jan 2023)
• 🌍 Parish Church of Villach-St. Jacob, Kirchenplatz 8, ☏ +43 4242 24066, villach-stjakob@kath-pfarre-kaernten.at. The church of St. Jakob (the parish church of Villach) has an impressive bell tower, 94 metres high. It is the tallest in Carinthia and its present appearance and height dates back to 1847. Visitors can climb the 239 steps to the top and enjoy the wonderful view. The form of the church building today dates back to about the 14th century, when it was reconstructed following an earthquake, though some features were destroyed once again in 1944. (updated Jan 2023)
• 🌍 Museum of Doll Art (Elli Riehl Puppenwelt), Buchholzer Straße 4, ☏ +43 4248 2395, info@elli-riehl-puppenwelt.at. Open May - October. Collectors and doll lovers of dolls will be overwhelmed by this museum. They show porcelain, vinyl and wooden dolls made by famous artists. Some of these dolls are manufactured in the own studio. In the basement premises they exhibit all different kinds of craftswork like glass objects, pottery, flowers and certainly a great variety of special dolls. (updated Jan 2023)
• 🌍 Villacher Alpenstraße. This almost 20 km alpine road takes you up to Dobratsch mountain and ends on 1.732 m. Who wants to visit the top still has a bit of climbing to do! The top of Mount Dobratsch is at 2.167 m high. (updated Jan 2021)
• 🌍 Relief von Kärnten (Relief of Carinthia), Schillerpark, ☏ +43 4242 205 3500, museum@villach.at. May-Oct: Tu-Su 10:00-16:30. Walk around a precisely detailed three-dimensional model of the entire state of Carinthia. Audio, light and video effects explain the geology and history of the region, such as the formation of the Alps, and development of Roman roads into the modern transportation system. Adults €4, reduced €3, children free. (updated Jan 2023)

• 🌍 Kremlhoftheater Villach. Claiming to be the smallest theatre in the world, it seats 8 people and has a stage measuring 1.30 m (4.3 ft) by 1.30 m (4.3 ft) Free, donations welcome. 
• Cross Country Skiing. Cross-country skiing is possible on Dobratsch and all major ski resorts around Villach. (updated Jan 2021)
• Ice-Skating. Ice-skating is possible on Faakersee, Ossiachersee and Vassacher See though this depends heavily on the weather in winter whether lakes are frozen or not. (updated Jan 2021)
• Villacher Kirchtag. Every year (usually the first week in August) the city celebrates Villacher Kirchtag with a big amusement park. The city can get very crowded in this week with as many as 50,000 visitors, especially from Italy. (updated Jan 2021)
• Jazz Over Villach. A jazz festival in the middle of July located on Gernottenhöhe in Judendorf. (updated Jan 2021)
• 🌍 Kanzianiberg. One of the best natural climbing walls in Austria. There are hundreds of colour-coded climbing routes at all levels, and on sunny days the vista is stunning. The maximum height difference is approx. 60 m. Kanzianiberg can be accessed by bus or bicycle (30 min from Villach) or car (15 min). (updated Jan 2021)
• 🌍 Golfclub Schloss Finkenstein, Schlossrainweg 8 (Finkenstein, 10 minute drive from Villach), ☏ +43 4257 29201, office@gcfinkenstein.at. One of the best 19-hole golf places in the area with stunning views from every hole. (updated Jan 2021)
• 🌍 Faakersee. Said to be the lake featuring the cleanest water (drink water quality) in Europe. Tranquille area without those disturbing motorboats. There are some free beaches, but the better ones have to be paid for (usually no more than 4 euro). All beaches are nicely laid out with large grass fields. Getting to the Faakersee in the village of Faak is about 10 minutes away from Villach. (updated Jan 2021)
• 🌍 ThermenResort Warmbad-Villach, Kadischenallee 22-24 (Warmbad; S4 or S5 trains from Villach main station), ☏ +43 4242 3001 2750. A large spa resort, featuring the heated pools of Villach. Here, there are slides, vortex pools, and hot tubs for you to enjoy. Or, you can relax on the chairs outside of the pool. The resort complex includes hotels, restaurants, and wellness services. The Thermal Urquellbecken features an indoor thermal pool with natural bubbles and a pebble floor. The KärntenTherme offers indoor and outdoor thermal pools, and a separate sauna area with traditional infusions, rest areas, and a whirlpool with a view of the nearby mountains. (updated Jan 2023)
• 🌍 Maibachl (Bus No.1 from main station to Warmbad). A hot spring, which only appears in springtime. The water is hot enough for bathing and is very popular with the locals. Entry is free. Buses and trains operate from the main station to Warmbad on a regular basis. The hot springs were already known to the ancient Romans. (updated Jan 2023)

If you want to go shopping stick to the Hauptplatz and the centre area of the city. A bit outside of Villach (along Mariagailerstrasse) you will find an area with many shopping malls. These malls are far apart, so it's better to go by car or bus there. Buses to Mariagailerstrasse go from the local Busbahnhof (a bus terminal) which is located a few minutes away from the central railway station. In 2007 a huge shopping centre (atrio) was opened. It has about 80 shops!

If you want to go out in the evening go for Hauptplatz and the numerous small avenues that start there. You'll find various small pubs and cafes such as

• 🌍 Turmstüberl, Anton Tuder Straße 2, ☏ +43 4242 37875. A small, atmospheric pub where the locals go. If you are travelling in a group you should book a table in advance. 
• 🌍 Lücke, Freihausgasse 5, ☏ +43 670 2022640. Tu-Sa 18:00-04:00. An atmospheric pub. (updated Jan 2023)
• 🌍 Stern, Kaiser Josef Platz 5, ☏ +43 4242 24 7 55. Tu-Th 10:00-22:00, F 10:00-2:00, Sa 18:00-2:00. Cocktail bar and restaurant. (updated Jan 2023)
• 🌍 Flaschl, Seilergasse 1 (Hauptplatz). A lively pub. 
• 🌍 Parkcafe, Moritschstraße 2, ☏ +43 4242 27055, office@parkcafe.at. M-F 08:00-18:00, Sa Su 8:30-13:30. Stylish cafe with Italian snacks, baked goods, and breakfast. (updated Jan 2023)

Villach, like most Austrian cities, is safe to wander around. There will be occasional drunk people during festivities, but police visibility is evident. It is advisable to take precautionary measures when traveling, similarly to traveling to other European cities.

Villach has a large variety of both low and high-budget hotels. Some addresses are:

Local area code is 4242.

Cafeteria nikolai Nikolaigasse 16 (about 10min away from central square), Tel. 22511, an internet cafe which serves food and drinks.

• If you want to get out, try 🌍 Faaker See, a beautiful lake a few kilometres outside of Villach. Faaker See is one of the warmest lakes in Austria with water temperatures around 27 °C during summer. Faaker See can be reached by bus or train. Trains go to Faak am See (the ride takes about 20 min) from the main station (during weekdays there is a train every two hours), a lido is 10 min away from the local train station.

• 🌍 Schütt located in the south of mountain Dobratsch, an area with huge stone rocks, which are parts of Dobratsch itself after an earthquake back in the 14th century caused half of the mountain to fall into the surrounding area.
• 🌍 Gerlitzen is a mountain and small ski resort located half an hour from Villach. The skiing is nothing special but Gerlitzen offers some of the best vistas in Austria. On clear days almost the whole of Carinthia can be seen from this mountain top. You can either drive up (take care in winter) or take the cable car. From the parking space/cable car station it's an hour's walk to the summit. The cable car station at the mountain's base at 🌍 Annenheim can be reached by bus or train, including S-Bahn line S2 from the Villach main station.
• 🌍 Burgruine Finkenstein are the scenic remains of a castle built in the 12th century. Has great views. Today it is used as location for musical events.
• The Soca/Isonzo valley in Slovenia is about an hour's drive from Villach over the Predil mountain pass via Italy. Its deep limestone gorges offer a spectacular scenery and its emerald-coloured rivers are famed for some of the best kayaking and white water rafting in Europe. Since the Soca valley is actually easier to reach from Villach and Klagenfurt than Ljubljana (Slovenia's capital) it's well worth a day trip if you're hanging around Carinthia for longer. Head for the town Bovec, the touristic centre of the Soca valley.
• 🌍 Krimml Waterfalls, on the border of Salzburg and Tyrol, is the largest of Austria. A magnificent roundtrip is to first take the Gross-Glockner Hochalpenstraße (pass) that brings you as well along the highest mountain of the country. From here towards the Zillertal and over the Gerloss-pass to the waterfall. Then back to Carinthia. As a daytrip only with your own transportation.