More than 3,000 hornbeam trees form the Rosegg Maze between the castle and the animal park. For planning a trip to Villach, the places featured here offer very different experiences, from cultural history and art to hiking, cycling and winter activities. Choose according to the experiences you want to shape your trip, rather than trying to fit every theme into a single stay.

Discover cultural history and art

The Arnoldstein Monastery Ruins recall a once-powerful Benedictine monastery with an 800-year history. Restoration began in 1993, and numerous events in recent years have made it Arnoldstein’s cultural hub. The Arnoldstein Bunker Museum features an original military fortification built by the Austrian Armed Forces between 1963 and 1995. It includes various bunkers, prepared positions and barriers dating from the Cold War. Terra Montana offers a different focus: its 14 stations explore historic and modern mining methods, as well as the lives of miners.

Individual buildings also tell the story of different eras. The Arnoldstein Shot Tower was built in 1814 as a shot factory on the remains of Fuggerau Castle, which the Fugger brothers had built in 1495. The Church of St Andrew in Thörl-Maglern features Gothic interior frescoes by Master Thomas of Villach, an artist of the 15th century. The little church in Gailitz was built in 1490 as a pilgrimage church and is dedicated to Saint Mary. A footpath beside the church offers views over Gailitz and Arnoldstein.

At the Thörl-Maglern Greißler Museum, you can find out which products people bought in this shop in the time of Maria Theresa. The museum is housed in a building that has served as a shop for more than 300 years. In Nötsch im Gailtal, the Museum of the Nötsch Circle explores Austrian art history. It opened on 16 May 1998 and is a home for Austrian art, shaped in particular by four painter friends.

Traditions and archaeological finds are also part of the cultural heritage. In 2018, the festive costume of the Lower Gail Valley was added to Austria’s national inventory of intangible cultural heritage. Around 3,000 years ago, members of an upper social class were buried in Frög beneath huge burial mounds, with valuable grave goods such as jewellery and weapons. An ornate lead funerary wagon was also found there. The Celtic World of Frög brings the Hallstatt culture to life.

Explore routes, mountains and activities

Hiking routes vary in distance and duration: the Austria-Slovenia-Italy Loop is 6.87 kilometres long and takes about 4 hours and 30 minutes. On the Gerlitzen Alpe, paved panoramic and themed trails invite you to stroll and linger. Winter sports enthusiasts will find a network of 34 ski runs of all difficulty levels across 53 kilometres of groomed pistes, as well as 12 kilometres of natural ski routes. As infrastructure information can change, check the current details of the ski area before planning your trip.

Cycling can also be planned in detail: new sections of the Alpe-Adria Cycle Path have been created near Arnoldstein and elsewhere, and connected to existing cycle routes. You can return to your starting point by train or by bike bus; bike buses must be booked in advance. Check the timetable and booking conditions beforehand. From Finkenstein, the Alpe Adria Trail offers a hiking option. For climbing, you can head from there to Kanzianiberg.

Other nature and leisure options each have their own conditions. Dobratsch has been protected as a nature park in Carinthia since 2002. In winter, natural conditions at Aichwaldsee invite visitors to go ice skating and play ice hockey. Four lidos at Lake Faak offer practical amenities. At Rosegg Animal Park, visitors can pet and feed sheep, goats, donkeys, llamas and other domestic animals in the small-animal zoo. Dreiländereck Hut serves open sandwiches and a wide selection of Carinthian snacks; check the food options before your visit.

Choose your stay to suit your interests

The examples above vary considerably in subject matter and in the stated durations and distances. Use these differences to set your personal priorities, and check the relevant routes, timetables or seasonal conditions when making specific plans. This will help you choose a hotel for your stay in Villach with a clear idea of the discoveries that interest you.

Discover more destinations: Feistritz An Der Drau, Feld Am See, Nötsch Im Gailtal, Oberaichwald, Zlan, Afritz, Arriach, Landskron, Verditz, Villach, Latschach, St. Egyden, Faak Am See, Bad Bleiberg, Velden Am Wörthersee, Pölling, Fahrendorf, Selpritsch, Köstenberg, Sankt Lambrecht, Sankt Jakob Im Rosental, Finkenstein Am Faaker See, Drobollach Am Faakersee, Treffen Am Ossiacher See, Schloß Treffen, Heiligengeist, Wernberg, Hohenthurn, Innere Einöde, Fresach, Ledenitzen, Rosegg, Gschriet, Ferndorf, Weißenstein, Winkl, Sankt Andrä, Laastadt, Goritschach, Rosenbach, Kreuzen, Riegersdorf, Duel, Sankt Magdalen, Arnoldstein, Stuben, Oberfederaun, Gerlitzen, Äußere Einöde, Petschnitzen, Feistritz An Der Gail, Töplitsch, Winklern, Stockenboi, Gummern, Stöcklweingarten, Paternion, Gorintschach, Kerschdorf, Ragain, Glanz, Frießnitz, Saak

For the overview of the wider region: Carinthia.