For many travelers, Austria is strongly associated with the pompous Vienna, cozy Innsbruck and the chocolate-musical Salzburg. And, of course, with skiing and ski resorts. Such names as Sölden, Ischgl, Kitzbühel, Mayrhofen have long been familiar to lovers of winter holidays in the mountains. But believe me, you have not seen much in Austria, if you have not visited Carinthia.
Carinthia conveniently settled in the very south of Austria, occupying an area that allows it to be considered the fifth federal state in Austria. The capital, concurrently the largest city is Klagenfurt. Do not think that this is a provincial backwater - Klagenfurt even claimed to host the 2006 Winter Olympics, and in 2008 held three matches of the European Football Championship.
The motto of Carinthia is “Life in joy”! And there is something to be happy here in both winter and summer. And in these gray autumn days, let's dream about the bright sun, crisp snow, light frost and good mood. And Carinthia is ready to offer a lot to make your vacation a wonderful one. So what awaits us in this southern Austrian region?
In winter, Carinthia is, of course, a paradise for lovers of skiing and snowboarding. There are 25 ski resorts in Carinthia, and the total length of marked trails is more than 900 km. Here is also the highest point in Austria, the Glosglockner mountain with a giant glacier, so skiing is available from December to April. Due to the mild climate and the proximity of the Mediterranean Sea - snow falls here a meter long fluffy blanket, and more than 2,000 hours of sunshine a year guarantee bright and joyful days on the slopes or flat ski trails.
One of the most popular resorts is Nassfeld, which is only an hour away from Klagenfurt airport (which, by the way, in winter ski charters from Moscow fly), so you can forget about many hours and tedious transfers. Nassfeld is not only very popular among the Austrians themselves, but also one of the 10 best Austrian resorts. And knowing Austrian pedantry in relation to everything related to skiing, anyone who comes to the resort can be sure that in the morning they will be waiting for perfectly prepared slopes, the lifts will work like a clock, the strudel will be aromatic, and the mulled wine will be hot!
Key facts about Nassfeld
- 110 km of marked trails
- 30 modern lifts
- 25 cafes and restaurants right on the slopes
- 3 children's zones and a children's fan park with a slop line
- Freeride areas and a fan park with figures for slope style and jibbing
- 80 km cross country ski tracks
And another resort deserves close attention of tourists - this is Bad Kleinkirchheim (Bad Kleinkirchheim). The highlight of the resort in its natural terms. The warm springs of Bad Kleinkirchheim have been known for a long time, and now there are two large, modern thermal complexes in the resort where you can not only pamper your tired body with spa treatments, baths, hammams, but also enjoy a glass of champagne in the outdoor pools, enjoying the snow-covered scenery right in the warm embrace of healing terms.
Key facts about the resort of Bad Kleinkirchheim - 104 km of marked trails, of which 18 km are blue, 78 are red, 8 km are black
- 26 modern lifts
- 8 km cross country ski tracks
- 2 thermal complexes - Römerbad and St. Kathrein
- Wi-Fi at major lift stations
- Children under 12 ride for 1 euro per day
Do not forget that under the law, which is valid in some Austrian provinces (including Carinthia), skiers and snowboarders under the age of 14 are required to wear a helmet on a slope. The single ski pass of Carinthia and East Tyrol provides access to thirty ski areas, from Heiligenblut to Sillian, from Nassfeld to Matrei - 877 kilometers of prepared pistes, 276 lifts, a six-day ski pass will cost € 206 for adults and € 103 for children under 14 years.
Carinthia is located on the borders with Italy and Slovenia. Here, even the second official language is Slovenian, to the famous Slovenian ski resort Kranjska Gora no more than 60 km (1.5 hours by bus), and to Venice less than 300 km by autobahn or about 4 hours by high-speed train. Therefore, both winter and summer in Carinthia can be very diverse.
Leisure
In Carinthia there are many lakes, namely 1200, more than two hundred of which are warm, suitable for swimming. The lake region, in which mountain and valley, large and small lakes are clean and transparent, beckon with their beauty and provide an opportunity to relax from city noise. In summer, the water warms up in places up to 28 ° C, so that a summer vacation will not do without swimming. Plus hiking, mountain biking, lake cruises, horseback riding, warm springs and baths, fishing and rafting on mountain rivers of varying intensity.