Holidays in Austria: The best tips for a visit to Klagenfurt

Even the location of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee is fantastic. The Austrian town in southern Carinthia is also located in the border triangle of Austria, Italy and Slovenia.

As a result, life there is traditionally multicultural. Anyone who likes the light-footed Mediterranean way of life and appreciates Austrian Alpine architecture will love Klagenfurt.

Speaking of architecture: the original old town of Klagenfurt has been completely preserved with its Renaissance buildings and has been extensively restored in recent years. Anyone who strolls through Kramergasse, the oldest pedestrian zone in Austria, must believe that they have landed in a perfect, maybe even too perfect world. The houses plastered in pastel shades and decorated with ornaments shine so beautifully and freshly.

Fantastic location on Lake Wörthersee

Probably the most famous lake in Carinthia’s water kingdom, also known as the celebrity bathtub, is Lake Wörthersee, on whose shore Klagenfurt is located. Celebrities like Udo Jürgens and Niki Lauda have already spent their holidays here, and in some corners of Klagenfurt things are chic and exclusive. A major literature festival, the competition for the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, takes place here in the summer. Promising young talents compete against each other in a multi-day reading marathon.

“New Square” with fountain and lindworm

Star architect Boris Podrecca, whose signature is also reflected in squares in Venice, redesigned the “Neuer Platz” directly in front of the town hall in 2008, thus combining traditional and modern construction methods. There is a fountain on the square, in the middle of which sits a lindworm, the heraldic animal of Klagenfurt.

Boat tour on the Lend Canal

It is not only possible to leave Klagenfurt by land. The Lend Canal, which is somewhat reminiscent of the Dutch canals, leads straight from the city center to the Wörthersee. A boat trip on the Lend Canal is always worthwhile, because you can pass under many pretty bridges and buildings worth seeing, such as the Johanniskirche (neo-Gothic stencil painting), Gustav Mahler’s little composing house or Maria Loretto Castle. The castle is situated on an idyllic peninsula that has its own bathing area.

Miniature Park Minimundus

The whole world can be found in the Miniaturenpark Minimundus. You can visit Neuschwanstein Castle, the Statue of Liberty, St. Peter’s Basilica or the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul in just one day. The scent of the big, wide world is in the air here.

Sights in the Klagenfurt area

Anyone who drives from Klagenfurt by car or bicycle along the southern shore of Lake Wörthersee will reach Reifnitz after 14 kilometers with the Maria Wörth peninsula, one of the most beautiful destinations in the area. If the weather in Carinthia plays along in summer, you should rent a pedal boat here and go out on the lake to swim.

Note: Information on the current corona restrictions in Austria can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.