Carinthia, the most southern state in Austria, is a sun-spoilt area with Mediterranean flair. The popular holiday region is full of lakes, idyllic hiking areas and beautiful villages. The peaks of the Hohe Tauern are a perfect place for alpine hiking and skiing tours. In the metropolis Klagenfurt you find the Lindwurm fountain, the symbol of the town. In the national museum you can learn everything about the famous Lindwurm saga. The 100-meter-high tower of the Klagenfurt cathedral offers a great view of the city. In the pleasure park Minimundus the most important buildings of the world are reconstructed in a very small version.

Holiday in Carinthia
Carinthia is very favoured with health- and wellness tourists. The villages Warmbad Villach and Velden are famous for their healing springs. Velden is a popular holiday resort at the Wörthersee with numerous casinos and possibilities for water sports. It is also a good area for hiking tours, for example to the pilgrim’s church Maria Wörth which is located on a peninsula. The lake Millstätter See with a regular temperature of 23 degrees is one of the warmest waters in Austria. Visitors of Carinthia should not miss to drive along the Großglockner High-Alpine Road. This 50-kilometer-long impressing road leads through all vegetation steps on earth. At the end of the road you find the idyllic mountain village Heiligenblut at the foot of the Großglockner mountain. Winter sport enthusiasts meet on the slopes in the town of Bad Kleinkirchheim.

The Wörthersee is the biggest lake in the Austrian state Carinthia. It is located at an altitude of 439 meters and has an east-west-extension of 17 kilometers. Due to its sheltered location the lake can reach a temperature of 25 degrees during the summer months. Until the 19th century the lake had the name Werdersee, because of the word “werd” what means “island”. Tourism had started in the 19th century when people from Vienna travelled to the Wörthersee during summer. Today, the most important touristic place is Klagenfurt at the eastern bank of the lake. At the New Place you find the symbol of the town, the Lindwurm fountain. Another popular venue for tourists is the amusement park Minimundus.

Großglockner High-Alpine Road
A must-do for every visitor of Carinthia is a drive along the Großglockner High-Alpine Road, the highest mountain pass in the Alps. It connects the two Austrian states Carinthia and Salzburg. The way up the mountain Großglockner and the glacier Pasterze consists of 36 bends. You are passing impressing rock faces, scented meadows and ice regions. The road is not only fun for the driver, but also for the passengers.

Minimundus
As the name suggests, Minimundus is a miniature park located in Klagenfurth at the Wörthersee. On 26,000 square meters all important buildings in the world can be gazed at. The scale of the buildings is 1:25. Within a few seconds you can walk from the Taj Mahal to the Statue of Liberty and to the Eiffel Tower. Your children will love to discover the different buildings, especially when they join a guided tour of the park which will take them around the world in only 80 minutes. Patron of the park is the association “Save the child” which helps children in need. Another good reason to visit Minimundus.

Terra Mystica
If you always wanted to take a glance below ground, you should visit the adventure-gallery Terra Mystica. The adventure already starts when entering, as you access the mine via a 68-meter-long miners’ slide. The tour continues by foot or on a pit train. Next stop is the exhibition where you can learn everything about the development of the earth. The section Terra Montana tells you the 700 year old history of mining in Austria. The temperature in the whole gallery is about 9 degrees, the same temperature the pitmen had to cope with every day. In the Humoristika you can find the unique collection of humorous ceramic figures.

Hochosterwitz Castle
At the northern flank of the mountain Magdalensberg you find the gorgeous castle Hochosterwitz, placed on a 175-meter-high dolomite rock. The castle was firstly mentioned in the 9th century, however, it owes its actual appearance the family Khevenhüller that inherited the castle in the 16th century. The family still lives in the castle and takes care of it. Very special are the 14 gates which were built to protect the castle from invaders. Take a look at the arms-chamber and the weapon collection or discover the extensive exhibition of Renaissance paintings. The castle is open during the summer months.

Tscheppaschlucht
A very popular destination is the Tscheppaschlucht in Carinthia, a deep canyon that has once been formed by the river Loiblbach. It is definitely worth to hike to the canyon and watch the thundering water shining in a bright turquois. The path is challenging and takes you past narrow tracks, bridges and ladders. Sturdy shoes and a good physical condition are absolutely necessary. Keep your eyes open to discover rare plants along the way, for example the “White Silberwurz” or the “Frauenschuh”.

Granatium
At the Granatium you can discover the history of the multifunctional garnet. The exhibit center was built to give the visitors an idea of this special stone. In the garnet mine childrens’ eyes will light up when they see the sparking stones everywhere around them. Give yourself a try in garnet cutting – remove a stone from the rock, wash it and polish it. After this hard work you can recover at the resting area in the garnet canyon or move on to your next adventure, for example roping down the canyon and go on a treasure hunt.