Villach
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Villach [1] is a town located in Carinthia in Austria. It has about 50,000 inhabitants.
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[edit] Understand
Villach is the second-largest city of Carinthia. It is a railway gateway to most parts of Austria as well as the Italian border. In Austria Villach is well-known for its carnival which is broadcast on public television throughout Austria. Villach is quite an old city with roots back in Roman times (when the city was called Santicum).The city was heavily bombed in World War II (due to its importance as a major traffic gateway) destroying many parts of the city.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By plane
Villach has no domestic or international airport. If you are travelling by plane you have to go to Klagenfurt which has an airport.
[edit] By train
Villach is a railway gateway within Austria, so trains go from virtually every bigger city including Vienna, Graz,Klagenfurt, Salzburg, Linz, Innsbruck and Bregenz. There are also direct connections to Munich, Venice, Ljubljana, Zagreb and Belgrade.
[edit] By car
If you are coming from north, take the A10 Tauernautobahn. If you are coming from east (Graz,Vienna) take the A2 Südautobahn. If you are planning to go from Slovenia, take the A11 Karawankenautobahn. If you are arriving from Italy also take the A2 Südautobahn. The motorway around Villach has two exits at Faakersee which takes you to the centre of the city and Ossiachersee which takes you to the north of the city.
[edit] Get around
Villach is 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,located 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 center of the city.
[edit] See
- Villacher Fahrzeugmuseum - has antiquities which are worth seeing.
- Museum der Stadt Villach - if you are interested in the history of the town go there.
[edit] Do
- Maibacherl - located in Warmbad near Villach. 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 base. The hot springs were already known to the ancient Romans. Take bus No.1 from main station to Warmbad and get off in Warmbad. From there it's only a 10min walk to the hot springs.
- Hiking - Villach is surrounded by a number of mountains including the Dobratsch which offer many possibilities for hiking.
- Cross-country skiing - Cross-country skiing is possible on Dobratsch and all major ski resorts around Villach.
- 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.
- 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.
- Jazz over Villach - a Jazz festival in the middle of July ocated on Gernottenhöhe in Judendorf .
- Kanzianiberg is 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).
[edit] Buy
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) has been opened. It has about 80 shops!
[edit] Eat
- Cafe Paragraf, Peraustr.18, Tel.+43664 4827174 - has cheap menus around €5,50 from 11.30 to 14.00 o`clock. Outdoor restaurant area!
- Brauhof Villach, Bahnhofsstrasse 8, Tel.242220 - has traditional Carinthian food and is run by the local brewery.
- Trastevere - Widmanngasse 30, Tel. 215665 - lovely interior, italian-style kitchen renowned for the fish.
- Kaufmann & Kaufmann,Dietrichsteingasse 5, Tel.25871 - Italian-style kitchen, it is recommended to book in advance.
- Gasthof "Genottenhöhe" ,Genottehöhe Straße 40, Tel.379 18 genottehoehe@aon.at - serves traditional carinthian food and is located on a hill in Judendorf.
[edit] Drink
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, Tel.37875 - a small, atmospheric pub where the locals go. If you are travelling in a group you should book a table in advance.
- Tostenwirt Lederergasse 25 - A nice place if you want to try the locally brewed Malzbier. (a special blend of beer). They serve meals as well.
- Soho Bar Freihausgasse 13 - a cosy cocktail bar with a large amount of available cocktails.
- Lücke - an athmospheric pub
- Stern Kaiser Josef Platz 5 - a nice cocktail bar and restaurant
- Flaschl Seilergasse 1 - a lively pub
[edit] Stay safe
Tussles and vandalism among drunk people going out at weekend have been a problem on weekends in the centre of city. The city goverment reacted with rising the number of police controls, video surveillance in certain areas and assignment of private security services. Though the situation is getting better, be cautious especially on saturday night.
[edit] Sleep
Villach has a large variety of both - low and high-budget hotels. Some addresses are:
[edit] Budget
- Jugendherberge Villach - A youth hostel is available in Villach-St. Martin, Dinzlweg 34. Tel.56368, [2] Single beds are available for €17, a double costs €42.The centre of the city can be easily reached on foot.(about 10min walk)
- Pension Egger St. Martinerstrasse 19 Tel. 56338 Just opposite to the Youth Hostel (about 10min walk to the city centre). Single rooms start at €18. (breakfast included)
[edit] Mid Range
- Hotel Goldenes Lamm - Hauptplatz 1, Tel. 24105 - nice hotel, above Wienerwald Restaurant. Doubles start at €57 (breakfast included). Lower prices apply before and after high season
[edit] Splurge
- Romantik Hotel Post - Hauptplatz 26, Tel.26101 - pretty scenic, old hotel (built in the 16th century) in the centre of the city. This is one of the best (and therefor upper-price) hotels in Villach. Doubles are available from €80 to €140. Single beds are available from €70 to €90.
There is a tourist information centre at Rathausplatz 1 which will assist you with finding accommodation.
[edit] Get out
- If you want to get out, try Faaker See, a beautiful lake a few kilometers outside of Villach. Faaker See is one of the warmest lakes in Austria with water temperatures around 27 degrees during summer. Faaker See can be reached by bus or train. Trains go to Faak am See (the ride takes about 20min) from the main station (during weekdays there is a train every two hours), a lido is only 10min 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 a hour's walk to the summit. The cable car station at the mountain's base at Annenheim can be reached by bus or train, though connections are poor.
- Burgruine Finkenstein 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 whater 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.
[edit] Contact
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.