Alpe Adria Road Trip Stage 3: Klagenfurt - Tarvisio

Our tour starts in the east bay of Lake Wörthersee in Klagenfurt. On a round trip with the line ships of the Wörthersee fleet, you can enjoy Carinthia's largest lake, which is 16.5 kilometers long from Klagenfurt to Velden, from the water. A special experience is the ride with the old steamship "Thalia" and during a breakfast cruise, you can enjoy culinary delights along with the dreamlike view. By car, the route leads over the Wörthersee south shore road, which was personally opened by Emperor Franz Josef in 1899, past historic buildings such as Maiernigg Castle or Villa Mahler to Reifnitz, whose magnificent castle towers high above the lake. Around 1900, mainly nobles and wealthy citizens settled here at the Wörthersee to enjoy their exclusive summer retreat; later many celebrities like the Horten or Flick families followed.  Famous composers such as Brahms or Mahler were also inspired by the idyll of Lake Wörthersee. Their music is now the focus of the Wörthersee Classic Festival, which takes place in Klagenfurt. From Reifnitz, we turn off to Keutschach, where natural lakes like Keutschacher or Hafnersee lie between gentle hills. Via the Höhenstraße, we drive up to one of Austria's most popular excursion destinations, the Pyramidenkogel. At 100 meters, it is the highest wooden observation tower in the world and impresses with its unique spiral design. You can reach the skybox and three observation platforms via 441 steps or the panorama lift, where you can enjoy a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of Carinthia's mountains and lake landscape. The way back is the same; for those who want more, you can slide down the 120-meter-long slide or the Flying Fox. Now we go to Velden, the popular lifestyle and celebrity hotspot on Lake Wörthersee, where life takes place on the promenade between the casino, trendy bars and restaurants, and the castle hotel on the lakeside promenade. The popular holiday resort gained fame from the 1990s TV series "A Castle on Lake Wörthersee." Even today, fans pilgrimage to the iconic filming location, now a luxury hotel. The journey continues to Rosegg in the Rosental valley, where you can observe bisons, ibexes, or lynxes during a walk through the extensive animal park. The Rosegg Castle with Austria's largest garden maze is also worth a visit. If you want to know how our ancestors lived, visit the "Celtic World Frög."

Peaceful lakes, vibrant culture

The Mittagskogel, an impressive peak in the Karawanks resembling a volcano, towers high above the Lake Faak. Carinthia's southernmost lake is a genuine natural beauty with unique turquoise blue color. Gentle water sports are at home here, as motorboats are prohibited. Instead, you can paddle across the lake, around the island, and through the vast reed belt—Carinthia's "Everglades"—by canoe or SUP. The idyllic calm is only broken once a year: in September, Europe's largest motorcycle event, the "European Bike Week," attracts thousands of Harley riders to Lake Faak. The Finkenstein castle arena on Kanzianiberg was a strategic observation point in the Middle Ages, so the view from up there is magnificent. In summer, the castle arena, along with the picturesque landscape as a backdrop, forms one of the most beautiful locations for top cultural events.

Traditions, culture, and spa

From here, it's not far to Villach, the lively city on the Drau River. It scores with southern flair and is known for Austria's largest traditional festival, the Villach Kirchtag. Among culture enthusiasts, the nearby Lake Ossiach is well known, with the abbey at the center of the renowned cultural and music festival "Carinthian Summer." Carinthia's third-largest lake, together with the Gerlitzen Alps, forms a fantastic leisure paradise. Popular destinations include the Eagle Arena at Landskron Castle and the Affenberg, Austria's largest monkey enclosure. On the way south, we pass Warmbad-Villach, a famous spa town. Its thermal springs were popular even in Roman times; today, there is a modern spa resort and the Carinthia Thermal Spa, an attractive water adventure world for young and old. Passing Dobratsch, whose distinctive rock face was formed by a landslide in the 14th century, the route continues over Arnoldstein to Thörl-Maglern, where we cross the border into Italy.