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Carinthia is enjoyable in every season
Our holiday chalet is located at an altitude of 680 meters, in the village of Seltschach and 150 meters from the valley station with the chair lift that goes to top at the border triangle of Austria, Italy and Slovenia at an altitude of 1560 meters. It is a snow-sure destination, skiing is almost guaranteed in winter. In addition, there are other ski areas in the area for variety.
Carinthia is known for its many beautifully situated mountain lakes and a unique landscape. A top travel destination where adventurers can push themselves to the limit and Burgundians can enjoy local specialties. And anything inbetween!
Spending your holiday in Carinthia is enjoyable at any time of the year, due to the very diverse range of activities, culture and nature for young and old.
For starters, we have the great climate on the south side of the Alps. You will be hard-pressed to find a place with more sunshine hours anywhere in Europe.
The Carinthians are very friendly and hospitable, and there are festivals, festivities, markets and other events every week in spring and summer, with plenty to experience and taste. And let’s not forget about the abundance of Christmas markets in november and december!
People around here are also concerned with the nature around them. You will find many local, traditional companies that produce sustainably.
The river valleys of the Drau and Gail are well-suited for cycling and walking. The rugged surroundings of the mountain ranges are full of hiking and walking trails and there are several organizations where you can go mountaineering or klettersteigern.
The AlpeAdria trail, great for cyclists and hikers, also passes nearby Arnoldstein.
Winter
Plenty of opportunity for skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and ski touring.
Spring
When after the cold winter, nature starts blossoming in spring, it is absoultely gorgeous to walk, hike, cycle or mountain bike here! Enjoy the hospitality and delicious food in the three different countries.
Summer
Immerse yourself in the warm Mediterranean climate with cool nights and plenty of opportunity for activity with, in addition to cycling and walking, lots of swimming and water sports in the many warm lakes in the area.
Autumn
When the days shorten after the warm summer months, the Carinthian landscape changes to an overwhelming splendor as the trees show their most beautiful colors. This is the perfect time to discover the mountains and towns of Carinthia, and experience the many traditional harvest festivals with their local delicacies.
But in addition to all the possibilities for activity, it is also a place to relax and enjoy each other and the culinary and cultural experiences of the three different countries.
Tip
If you are staying in our house for a week or longer, we definitely recommend to purchase a Kärnten card for the summer or winter. This is a pass that provides you with many discounts on all kinds of activities in the area:www.Kaerntencard.at/sommer/wochenkarten.
Winter activities
- The ski area is only 150 meters away on foot. There is a ski school, ski rental and a catering facility in the valley station near the chair lift: www.3laendereck.at.
- It is a relatively small ski area, with 17 km of slopes that are interconnected by 7 lifts. Very nice and family-friendly, but at the same time also a skiing area with lots of variation in the slopes.
- There are 6 blue, 4 red and 3 black runs.
- On top of the mountain you will find a restaurant and a number of small kneipes (bars) where you can settle down for a bit and a sip. One of these is the Mitterehütte, from where you can go down with the toboggan run. This 8.5 km descent that takes you down on your sledge via slopes and mountain paths is an experience you absolutely don’t want to miss!
- There is also plenty of opportunity for cross-country skiing on the 10 km long Seltschach trail, with start and finish at the valley station.
- There is also a children’s area in the valley station. Ski lessons and snow fun for the little ones.
- In addition, if you have a ski pass for at least 4 days, you can also ski in Tarvisio, Italy and in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.
- Carinthia itself also has a wide range of ski areas, with many kilometers of groomed slopes and untouched slopes. The most modern snow cannons are used everywhere, so even if Mother Nature doesn’t provide, you can still go skiing from November until well into spring. Two areas we can recommend are:
- Ice skating on the Weissensee also comes highly recommended, this is done by many Dutch people every year!
- Do you want to relax after a day full of intense activity? What could be better than going to a wellness center? A very extensive wellness area is the Kärnten Therme Warmbad-Villach, but many hotels also offer the opportunity to use their wellness facilities. E.g. at Ramada Resort in Kranjska Gora, and at Villach Thermenhotel in Karawankenhof.
Spring, summer and autumn activities
Between april/may and november, there is an absolute deluge of activites, attractions and sights available for you, and well within reach of our holiday house.
A few suggestions:
- www.karinthie.com
- The official tourism portal www.touren.kaernten.at/nl/tours
Watersports on the mountain lakes
A myriad of lakes with stunning colors and lovely warm water for swimming and a variety of water sports lie at your disposal:
- Presegger See
- Warm lake, temperatures around 28° Celcius.
- Many playing areas for children.
- Nice slow trail to walk through the reed borders with surprising views (6 km or part of it).
- Faaker See
- Many nice beaches including Erlebnisbad Gemeinde Wernberg.
- You can take beautiful bike rides, a number of walking routes. Various small-scale zoos, including Tierpark Rosegg, where all kinds of animals roam freely, and Abenteur Affenberg, are great fun for the little ones.
- You can also visit a klettergarten, there are bauern markets, you can take a boat trip, kayak, or visit Landskron Castle with a bird of prey show (eagles!).
- Ossiacher See
- Superbly warm for swimming or take a lake cruise.
- Quaint villages and various attractions in the area..
- Wörther See
- Many water sports opportunities such as swimming, diving, water skiing, parasailing, wakeboarding, banana boat, etc.
Lake cruises
Zoos
- Animal park, Castle and Labyrinth Rosegg (Rosegg)
- Happ Reptile Zoo (Klagenfurt)
- Abenteur Affenberg (Landskron)
- Burg Landskron, kasteel met roofvogelshow (Landskron)
- Reptile Zoo Nockalm (Patergassen)
Panoramic routes
- Villacher Alpenstrasse
- Nockalmstrasse
- GrossGlockner
- Goldeck Panoramaroute
- Panoramaroute Vršič right across the border with Slovenia, at Krasnjka Gora
Going on an adventure
- Take the Millenium Express to Outdoorpark Nassfeld with among other things summer tobogganing “Pendolino“ (Nassfeld).
- Hochhinauf, Taborhöhe, climbing and archery for all ages(Faakersee)
- Kayak Centrum Faak, canooing and rafting, courses also (Faakersee)
- Kletterwald,climbing with plateaus and rope bridges between the trees. From 6 years old (Ossiachersee)
- Tscheppaschlucht Waldseilpark, course from 4 years old (Ferlach)
- Canooing, rafting, tubing at Rafting Carnica (Nötsch, close to Arnoldstein)
- Paddling on the Drau (Villach, Wasenboden, Rosegg)
- Geopark Karawanken with the Obir dripstone caves (Bad Eisenkappel)
- Theme park Kärnter Erlebnispark (Hermagor)
Explore and discover
- Planetarium (Klagenfurt)
- Minimundus, the world in minitiature form (Klagenfurt)
- Terry Mystica, mining museum (Bad Bleiberg)
- Fahrzeugmuseum (Villach)
- Taf-Timer Automuseum (Villach)
- Chop yourself to riches in the gem mines of Granatium! (Radenthein)
- Keltenwelt, historical museum aboput the Celts (Frög-Rosegg)
Golf in the Villach area
Check for example www.leadingcourses.com to find local golf courses.
Walking and hiking
There are many options for walking tours. For all ages and ranging from a wonderful, relaxing walk to very intensive tours for the experienced hiker, with overnight stays along the way for multi-day tours. You will find a wide choice available right from Arnoldstein and the Dreiländereck. Suggestions:
- www.bijzonderplekje.nl/oostenrijk-wandelen-in-karinthie/
- www.indebergen.nl walking and golf
- www.wandelen.karinthie.com
Cycling and mountainbiking
Carinthia is littered with cycling and mountain bike routes, you can explore endless new paths through wild nature or go on a cycling tour with the family to your heart’s content! A few links with routes and useful tips: