Carinthia
From World travel guide
Carinthia (German:Kärnten) is a state of Austria. It is especially known for its skiing areas, and its fantastic lakes.
Contents |
Regions
Cities
Other destinations
Skiing resorts
- Nassfeld at the Italian border,
- Turrach at the border with Styria,
- Flachau and Katschberg both bordering Salzburg.
Understand
Carinthia is possibly the most autonomous state in Austria (with possible exception of Tyrol). Older than Austria itself, it has always been fairly isolated from its surroundings by its geography. Carinthians are rooted and proud, but also have a reputation for being more warm-hearted than the rest of Austrians.
Talk
Carinthians have their own (sounding quite hard) dialect which might be hard to understand if you are only used to formal German. English is widely understood in cities and tourism areas (lakes, ski-resorts, cities), but less understood in more rural areas. Italian and Slovenian are also widely spoken in the south of Carinthia.
Get in
By air
Kärnten has one international airport located in Klagenfurt. You can reach this airport from Vienna. International flights arrive from Berlin,London,Hannover,Cologne(Köln) and Frankfurt.
By train
Villach is a railway-gateway to all parts of Austria, therefore it's easy to get to Kärnten from all major cities in Austria. Trains from Vienna and Graz arrive approximately every two hours.
By car
Take the Südautobahn (A2/motorway) if your travelling from Styria or Vienna. If you are arriving from Salzburg take the Tauernautobahn (A10/motorway,liable to pay costs).
Get around
The easiest way to get around is definitely by car. If you don't have a car, go for the local train routes.(the biggest railway stations are located in Villach and Klagenfurt). There is also a federal bus network though the frequency of buses is low to non-existent on weekends.
See
- Minimundus - Located in Klagenfurt this park offers a huge collection of miniature models of famous buildings from many countries in the world.
- Landskron - Located a few kilometers from Villach. This old ruin has birds of prey.
- Reptilienzoo Happ - Located in Klagenfurt. A small zoo offering a large and varied stock of reptiles and animals.
- Burg Hochosterwitz - A scenic, more than 1000 years old castle located on the top of a hill. To get to the castle you have to make your way through 14 defensive gates.
- Friesach - a city located in the north of Carinthia. It's also the oldest city in carinthia. Don't miss the spectaculum in summer, where the whole city is prepared to look like a real middle-ages city.
Do
Kärnten is known for its ski resorts as well for its scenic lakes. If you are travelling in summer try out one of these lakes:
- Wörthersee - Austrias biggest lake, a popular resort for German tourists and location for various German and Austrian film and TV-series productions. Prices tend to be higher than elsewhere in Carinthia, due to its importance to tourism.
- Faakersee - A small lake close to Villach.
- Ossiachersee - located in the north-east of Villach.
- Millstättersee - located in the east of Spittal.
Skiing resorts include Nassfeld at the Italian border, Turrach at the border with Styria, Flachau and Katschberg both bordering Salzburg. Skiing is a bit cheaper than in Tirol and Vorarlberg.
Eat
Carinthian cuisine is closely related to Italian cuisine and therefore known for all types of noodles. A speciality are Kletzennudel (sweet noodles filled with dried pears)
Drink
There is a well-known brewery in Hirt near Friesach which make fantastic beer. (Hirter Pils and Hirter Märzen)
Stay safe
As the rest of Austria, Carinthia is a very safe place. The usual precautions when travelling is usually enough.
Get out
- The Soca / Isonzo valley in Slovenia is about an hour's drive from Klagefurt and Villach over the Predil mountain pass. 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 Ljubliana (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.
- If you are in Villach take a trip to Tarvis in Italy (it is about 30min by car) which is a popular place to eat and shop for Carinthians.
- East Tyrol, the province neighbouring Carinthia to the West, is an alpinist's paradise. The capital Lienz can be conveniently be reached by train or car.
External links
[[1]] - German/English information on places to see/stay in Carinthia.
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