Velden Am Wörthersee

Velden stands on the western shore of the Wörthersee, where the lake narrows toward the outflow at Velden bay. The setting is one of the most scenic in Carinthia: calm turquoise water in front, the Karawanken range along the southern horizon and forested hills behind. The village is spread along a long shoreline, and from the centre you reach the water within a minute or two on foot.

The place became fashionable in the late nineteenth century. The opening of the Südbahn railway to nearby Villach, and a new road along the lake, drew Viennese society, and wealthy families built villas with wooden balconies, boat houses and gardens. The Wörthersee became known for a relaxed, glamorous summer style, and Velden has kept that image, helped by a television series of the 1990s that was filmed at the lakeside castle.

Schloss Velden, a Renaissance building on a small peninsula, was rebuilt in the nineteenth century and has been a hotel for many decades. Its white towers and the terrace by the water are the best-known view of Velden, and the casino, a short walk along the promenade, adds to the resort atmosphere. The castle and many hotels are private businesses, so the best way to see them is from the promenade or from a boat. A modest Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary, the Pfarrkirche Velden, stands in the older part of the village and is open for quiet visits.

The lake is the main attraction. The public Strandbad at Velden has lawns, a long beach and a lido area where families spend summer days, and many hotels run their own platforms. Sailing, windsurfing, stand-up paddling, rowing and wakeboarding are all offered by local schools, and boat trips run on the lake between the towns on its shores, with rental boats available at several landing stages. The Wörthersee is among the warmer Alpine lakes, with water around 25 degrees Celsius in July and August, and swimming is comfortable from June to September.

Beyond the waterfront, there is plenty to do. Cycling routes follow the shore and climb through the woods to hamlets and viewpoints, and the walk or ride along the lake to Pörtschach takes about an hour and a half. Golf is a speciality: courses such as Velden-Köstenberg lie in the hills behind the town, with views over the lake. The nearby Faaker See, a smaller and quieter lake, and the city of Villach, with its thermal spa and old town, are short drives away.

The European Bike Week, held every September at the Faaker See area, gathers tens of thousands of motorcyclists for a week of rides, shows and concerts, and Velden is one of the towns that fills up. If you want a quiet stay, avoid that week; if you like motorcycles, it is a spectacle. Other events include summer concerts on the promenade, a lakeside fireworks display in some seasons and an Advent market.

Food is Carinthian with a lake accent. Whitefish and pike-perch from the Wörthersee appear on terrace menus, with Kärntner Kasnudeln, Reindling and coffee with cake as everyday fare. Many hotel restaurants are quite upmarket, so prices are higher than in inland villages.

The best time to visit is from June to early September for swimming and evenings by the water. May and late September are calmer, and autumn mist on the lake can be lovely, though many seasonal businesses close in October. Winter is quiet.

Getting there is easy. Villach has a main railway station about 15 kilometres away, with buses and a regional train line serving the lake's northern shore, and Klagenfurt airport is about 25 minutes by road. By car, the A2 motorway passes nearby, and parking in the centre is limited in summer. Many visitors arrive by boat from other lake towns, and the lake path is flat enough for bicycles.