Klagenfurt - A Charming Town on the Wörthersee

441 steps to a wonderful view

Our first stop was the Pyramidenkogel observation tower located on top of the Pyramidenkogel mountain. We followed the street arrows and arrived at a full parking lot (it was Saturday), so we headed back to the valley and parallel parked by the road. There’s a café, a public bathroom, and a ticket office at the ground floor of the tower. We bought the tickets and walked up the steel spiral staircase 70 metres high. We could already see the beautiful surroundings on our way up, but the panoramic view from the top was really magnificent. From there you can see Slovenian hills, the nearby town of Villach, and the entire lake Wörthersee. We wanted to go down the slide, but unfortunately it was closed because of the cold.

For an additional price of 4 euros, visitors can slide down a spiral tunnel on a sledge. The slide shoots down 120 metres. A great adventure full of adrenaline.

But no matter, we were thrilled by the tower and the view. The next night, when we were driving back to Slovenia, we could see the tower above the forest illuminated in different colours in our rear-view mirror. As beautiful as a rainbow!

Exploring the town, Wörthersee Mandl, and the coats-of-arms

We went to a hostel with an excellent location because of its proximity to the popular Minimundus and the town centre which is located just 3 km away. The staff kindly took care of us. You can find more information at Hostel Klagenfurt.

Afterwards, it was time to explore the town. Because it was Saturday, we didn’t have any trouble finding a parking spot, since parking charges in the blue parking zones only apply during the weekdays. We parked and went for a walk. Narrow streets, cobblestone paths, terraced houses and colourful facades are the reasons why we grew fond of the town so fast. We were greeted by a dragon in the town centre (Neuer Platz). It is actually a fountain with bronze statues of a dragon and Hercules (Lindwurmbrunnen) that tells the legend of the town’s origin. Right around the corner, in the neighbouring street where multiple paths converge, we were impressed by the coats-of-arms in the ground, representing the twin towns of Klagenfurt. Then we quickly caught the sight Mandl, a legendary figure who is believed to have created the lake Wörthersee (if local imagination is to be believed).

The inauguration – an important historical heritage

Afterwards we went to see the Prince’s Stone. Yes, the same one that was used for the ducal inauguration in the Middle Ages and on which the duke swore an oath in German and assumed power. The Prince’s Stone is on display at the Landhaus, situated between Alter Platz and Heiligengeistplatz. It’s not difficult to find the building, since it stands out among the other buildings with its two onion-shaped domes and arcaded courtyard. This is undoubtedly the most visited building in this part of Austria, thanks to the original Prince’s Stone (relocated from the Wörthersee) that is stored in a hall with baroque ceiling paintings and walls that exhibit 665 coats-of-arms.

The coats-of-arms were custom painted by a baroque painter from Carinthia at the request of various princes and royal families.

It was getting dark, so we decided to go out for dinner and ordered hot punch and chocolate-covered fruit in one of the cafés. Yummy! It’s something one can’t do without during winter.

Coffee served with sunshine at the Wörthersee

After the breakfast we continued exploring the town centre. We carried our luggage to the car and drove to the town again, where we parked and let the streets guide us. We quickly found our way around town, as it is quick and easy to navigate, despite being a big town. We like walking among the colourful facades, admiring them, having long conversations and guessing what the flats look like on the other side, as well as being impressed by display windows. Sweets tempted us to visit a café.

We spent the afternoon at the Wörthersee. The azure lake was breathtaking, and if it hadn’t been winter, we would have definitely jumped into the water. Instead, we treated ourselves to some coffee served with sunshine on a restaurant terrace and decided to visit Klagenfurt in the summer as well.

Wörthersee is the largest lake in the Austrian state of Carinthia. The lake’s surface area is 19.39 km² and the lake reaches a maximum depth of 82.5 m.

Klagenfurt is a charming town and its town centre easily navigatable. There isn’t any need to use public transport. You can walk the enchanting streets on foot and admire the beautiful buildings. The town is charming all year round and is suitable for tourists, families with small children, and seniors. On warm days the town offers a pleasant cycling or walking experience around the lake. If you are visiting the town with children, paying a visit to the miniature world, the Minimundus, is definitely the greatest experience. A must-see for castle enthusiasts is the Hochosterwitz Castle with a mystic path leading to it which runs through 14 “gates”. Maybe a less known destination but still interesting enough to add to your list of places to visit is the birth house of Josef Stefan.