Villach in Austria - what attractions are worth seeing on the way to Italy?

Villach is a very picturesque town in Austria, the second largest tourist resort in Carinthia, at the main Alpine road junction. We were very positively surprised by this city with its undeniable charm. Due to its ideal location on the route between Poland and Italy, it is perfect as a stop on the way. This was the case in our case, when driving around Ravenna, both on the way to and from Ravenna, we stopped for an overnight stay at Villach, which we decided to visit and discover its advantages. And he has a lot of them. Check out our Villa guide!

Location & Directions

Villach is ideally located on the Drawa River, between lakes and mountains. Villach is located in southern Austria, in the state of Carinthia, at the junction of the Carnic Alps and the Gailtal Alps (Karnische Alpen and Gailtaler Alpen). The city is located very close to the border with Italy and Slovenia, which has made it an important transit point on the north-south routes for centuries. Two key motorways run through Villach: the A2 Südautobahn towards Graz, Vienna and the crossing to Italy, and the A10 Tauernautobahn from Salzburg to the south. We drove by car from Poland, from Upper Silesia through the Czech Republic on Highway 1 and the natural corridor in Austria was A2, which leads straight to the area of Villach, from where it is easy to continue the journey to Udine, Venice and further to Cesenatico near Ravenna. The A2 motorway in Austria (Süd Autobahn) is the longest expressway in the country. It is about 380 km long and runs from Vienna through Graz and Klagenfurt to the Italian border in Arnoldstein, under the road before the border passing Villach. Riding it requires a valid vignette.

For people traveling without a car, the advantage is very good rail transport – Villach is an important junction of Austrian railways with connections to, among others, Vienna, Salzburg, Italy and Slovenia. Long-distance buses also reach the city, including popular coach lines serving international routes, which allows you to easily move to the mountain harbor, which is Villach.

What's there to see at Villach? - Attraction map

Although Villach is often treated only as a transit point on the way to the Italian coast or to alpine resorts, the city and its surroundings offer surprisingly many attractions for a short stay and beautiful views that charmed us. In the compact old town you will find colorful townhouses, atmospheric cafes and a church with a characteristic tower, as well as a pleasant walking and leisure area by the river, and a few minutes by car or bus from the center of the lake, thermal baths and mountain panoramas. Villach is also a great starting point - ski slopes, scenic trails, a castle with bird of prey shows and the warm lakes of Carinthia await within a radius of several or several dozen kilometers. Here are the best Villach experiences!

Stadthauptpfarrkirche St. Jakob - St. James Square and Church in Villach

The heart of Villach is a small old town with a market and a network of pedestrian streets, along which nice bourgeois tenement houses with boutiques, cafes and restaurants are located. The building has been renovated and looks great. A walk around the center is not only a great way to stretch your legs after a long journey, but also an interesting aesthetic experience, especially in the afternoon sun and at dusk, when the facades and the church tower are spectacularly illuminated. Interestingly, there are decorative elements suspended above the streets, in the form of leaves, frames or hearts, which interestingly enlivens the urban space and makes you want to walk here. A little in the shade, behind the fountain, there was a powerful, modern Town Hall.

The most important temple of the city, standing in the very center, is the church of St. James with a high tower, which can often be seen in photos from Villach. From the 94-meter-high church tower, there is an impressive panorama of the city and the surrounding mountains. It is the tallest church tower in Carinthia, with over 200 stairs leading to it. The interior design surprises with valuable, gothic elements, such as a noble vault. It is especially beautiful, covered with frescoes above the main altar. Although it is Baroque, in the Rococo style, it hides a Gothic crucifix. It is worth keeping your eye on the carved pulpit. History breathes from this place, because the beginnings of the temple date back to the 12th century, although today's building dates back to the 14th century. The interior also hides numerous epitaphs, which are witnesses of history.
Address: Kirchenpl. 9

Museum der Stadt Villach - City Museum

The Municipal Museum is located near the market square, on a charming street, in a magnificent tenement house beautifully maintained. It is a precious jewel of the city, although in the very center, it is a bit hidden. You will find a lot of art here, but also a child-friendly exhibition with interactive elements. After sightseeing, it is worth entering the intimate and charming garden.
Address: Widmanngasse 38

Stadtmauer - Villach city walls

Stadtmauer are medieval defensive walls that once surrounded the center of Villach. Fortifications were formed mainly in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, but were seriously destroyed during an earthquake in 1348. Most of the walls were demolished at the beginning of the 19th century during the Napoleonic occupation, but a historical fragment of the walls with a massive tower (Basteiturm) slightly behind the market square, near Hans-Gasser-Platz, has survived to this day. It is worth crossing these walls and finding a small park with a lot of flowers and a small museum available free of charge. It is a kind of lapidarium with stone souvenirs of the past.
Address: Schanzgasse 3

Drauterrassen - Drawa promenade and colorful mural on the Congress Center Brücke bridge

Almost in the very center of the city on the Drau (Drau) you will find a very pleasant, walking section of the seafront. Drauterrassen is a promenade ideal for admiring the mountain panorama, because the mountains emerge beautifully above the water. In addition, wooden rocking benches have been created here, it is also worth stopping for a moment and contemplating these views. This pedestrian and bicycle trail by the river has definitely stolen our hearts and is one of the most picturesque fragments of Villach. You can feel the "alpine" character of the city here. On the one hand, colorful buildings and cafes, and on the other, a wide river and a wall of mountains on the horizon. It is the Dobratsch massif, the Caravan Mountains and the further Julian Alps. And on the observation pedestrian bridge of the Congress Center, Brücke is delighted with a colorful mural with ducks. This creates a really picturesque whole. The concrete structure turns into a long, colorful strip of street art, which contrasts perfectly with the turquoise water of the river and the blue of the sky and peaks. Just walk a few minutes from the market to stand in a place where modern art meets alpine landscapes.
Address: Gerbergasse or Drauterrassen promenade

Murals in Villach

Street art is generally well developed in Villach. Small and large murals created by local and international artists appear here and there. When walking around the city, it is impossible not to notice them. They make the city seem more cheerful, but also more modern. You can also approach a special place dedicated to them, i.e. Graffiti Wall Villach
Address: Scholzstraße

Nikolaikirche Villach - St. Nicholas Church

On the other side of the river, opposite the tourist information, there is the neo-Gothic church of St. Nicholas, which is guarded by the Franciscan order. The first temple under this name was built in Villach at the beginning of the fourteenth century, but it stood in a different place. It was built in this location in the first half of the 17th century, but he was unlucky. He was consumed by fire, he became a victim of an earthquake as well as bombing during World War II. Since 1886, the temple has been run by Franciscans.
Address: Nikolaigasse 1

Ossiacher See and Burg Landskron - lake and castle

Villach is famous for its warm, clean lakes, which become an important tourist magnet in the summer. The largest of them is the Ossiacher See, above which, in addition to the castle (Burg Landskron), you will find beaches, marinas and numerous accommodation facilities. These lakes are great for swimming, boating or walking along the promenade. Landskron Castleis a 14th-century ruin, picturesquely set on a hill above the water. An impressive view stretches from the walls of the castle. Interestingly, for years there have been flight shows of birds of prey – eagles, vultures or falcons. They are organized in a special arena. The Monkey Park with macaques was also created near the lake (Affenberg Landskron, Schloßbergweg 26). A little closer to the border with Italy is Lake Faaker See, with its characteristic emerald water colour.
Address: Ossiachersee Süduferstraße 69
Schloßbergweg 30

Warmbad-Villach thermal baths

One of Villach's biggest attractions is its thermal pools. On the southern outskirts of the city, there is a kind of spa park with the famous ThermenResort Warmbad-Villach complex. It is considered one of the best thermal baths in Austria. It offers thermal pools, sauna area, steam grottoes, tepidariums and extensive wellness facilities. It's a great place to regenerate after hours of driving. Warm thermal waters have been used here for a long time, both for medicinal and simply recreational purposes. In the Park there are both traditional historic buildings and modern spa infrastructure.
Interestingly, if you book a room at the Thermenhotel Karawankenhof, you can use the adjacent Kärnten Therme hotel, which is considered one of the most modern in the south of Austria, free of charge. As a guest, you can use the thermals alone, without outsiders, which are only allowed in from 9.00 am. This is an asset, because thermal baths are popular. Apart from the swimming pools, there are saunas, steam baths, hammams and hot tubs. And a sports pool and a gym, and for lovers of madness -  slides and a "crazy river" with pontoons.
Address: Kadischenallee 25

Thermalquelle Maibachl - hot springs in the forest

The Thermalquelle Maibachl springs in Warmbad Villach are a real treat for lovers of nature and natural attractions. After rainfall and when the snow melts in the forest, warm water is collected in the natural depressions in which you can bathe. Apparently, it's an unforgettable experience!
Address: Napoleonwiese 4

Villacher Alpenstrasse and Naturpark Dobratsch - reserve with a scenic alpine route

One of the biggest natural attractions in the area is the Dobratsch Mountain Nature Reserve and the panoramic Villacher Alpenstrasse road leading in its vicinity. Spiral and scenic, it climbs high above the city, offering spectacular views of the villas, the Drawa valley and the lakes. Numerous viewpoints and walking trails await at the very top. Dobratsch used to be a ski resort, today it serves as an extensive protected area, ideal for short hikes, picnics and nature observation.
Address: Villacher Alpenstraße

Where to sleep? - accommodation in Villach

When we were in Villach on our way to Italy, we slept at the market square in Limehome Villach Kirchenplatz. It is a modern, spacious and very comfortable apartment, from the windows of which we could admire the evening market and the building of the church of St. James. A very beautiful and pleasant place. We had a double bed, a sofa bed, an equipped kitchenette and a private bathroom. In addition, secure parking and wifi, we managed to find a nice promotion on Booking. I highly recommend this place. There is a bakery and restaurants nearby. In addition, returning from Italy, we slept in Warmbad-Villach in Cara Apartments. There was also a comfortable apartment with a private kitchen and bathroom, as well as a terrace and parking. Unfortunately, the wifi did not work.

Ski resorts in the area - ski Carinthia

Here you will find a wide selection of accommodations. By booking your stay on Booking.com through our link, you support the development of our blog — and we thank you in advance! It helps us reach many interesting places that we later love to show you and share our experiences and information with you.

Villach has a ski jump, where World Cup competitions were held, which emphasizes the sporting nature of the city. In the immediate vicinity of Villach, there are popular ski stations: Gerlitzen (1909 m above sea level), the vicinity of Faaker See, Verditz and Dreiländereck at the junction of the borders of Austria, Italy and Slovenia. In winter, this region is an important winter sports center, offering trails of varying difficulty, ski schools and family-friendly infrastructure.

A Brief History of Villach

The oldest traces of settlement in the area of today's Villach date back to around 3500 BC, and many of the artifacts here come from the Roman period, when the settlement of Santicum functioned here. The first written mention from 878 concerns the donation of local goods to the Bavarian monastery of Altötting, which proves the importance of this place already in the early Middle Ages. In 979, King Otto II handed Villach over to Bishop Albuin of Säben, and in the 13th century, during the reign of the Carinthian prince Bernard II, a new city was established, which quickly became one of the most important centers of the principality. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Villach experienced a period of economic prosperity thanks to privileged trade contacts with Venice. In 1526, the city became the center of Protestantism in Carinthia, which left a strong mark on its religious and cultural history. In Napoleonic times, between 1809 and 1813, Villach was incorporated into the French province of Illyria, and in the 20th century the city suffered serious losses during World War II, when several dozen bombing raids were carried out on it. Thanks to the post-war reconstruction and development of the communication infrastructure, Villach once again strengthened its position, this time as a transit hub and tourist center in the south of Austria.

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