Carinthia
Carinthia (Kärtnen), with Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglockner (3798m/12,457ft) to the west and the Karawanken Mountains in the south, has a mild climate. The famous lakes reach temperatures of 28°C (82°F), and earned Carinthia the European Environment Award for their superb water quality.
From the Wörther See to the Hohe Tauern National Park (which extends into Tirol and Salzburg provinces), Carinthia offers a wide variety of excursions even in winter, when the lakes become skating rinks and the ten ski resorts with 1000km (625-mile) pistes open their doors to the public.
KLAGENFURT: The Provincial capital lies on the western edge of the Wörthersee, the largest lake in the region. The town is full of tradition, with more than 50 restored baroque arcades now housing shops and coffee houses. It is worth visiting the Dom (Cathedral), the museums and at least some of the 23 castles which encircle the town, now offering restaurants, cultural performances and even an animal sanctuary. The Naturpark Kreuzbergl overlooking the town offers trails, lakes and a way to see the Austrian hills without too much effort.
Excursions: Carinthia has a rich legacy of gothic and renaissance churches, fortresses, palaces, and museums; history is always close at hand. The Wörthersee has many good beaches and attractive campsites. The cathedrals, churches and monasteries of Gurk, Maria Gail, Maria Saal and Viktring are popular, as is the City Museum of Friesach. The hot spring at Villach is known for its curative properties. The Hohe Tauern National Park is one of the last large undisturbed mountain environments in Europe. Also worth visiting for a leisurely holiday are the towns of Heiligenblut, Millstatt, Obervellach, Ossiach, St Veit an der Glan, Velden and Pörtschach.
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