Austria / Carinthia / Region Villach / Villach:
Villach – a joy for the heart and more!
Villach is the Carinthian town that displays the greatest Mediterranean
influence. This is not only true of the climate but also primarily of the
architecture and people’s mentality. Hardly surprising when the town
surrounded by lakes and mountains is only a few minutes’ drive from the
Italian border. But it is also only a stone’s throw from Slovenia. Indeed,
the town on the Drau is a perfect example of an Alpine-Adriatic centre.
The people in Villach are really fun loving and however hard they may work
are not averse to a good laugh. They prove this every year at their cabaret
shows, which have earned the town a reputation as Austria’s carnival
stronghold. It’s not just a lively place in the carnival season – there are many
events and street festivals that make Villach a popular destination all year
round, especially among the Italians. And they in turn increase the proverbial
Mediterranean influence. The biggest event on the calendar is the annual
Villach folklore week (31 July to 7 August 2016) with the summer fair as its
highlight. It turns the whole town centre into one big fair ground. The bars and
restaurants start serving outdoors and many of the locals leave their loved
ones on Thursday evening often not returning home until Sunday slightly the
worse for wear.
Villach Congress Centre
The Villach Congress Centre (CCV) was built in 1971 and completely
renovated some years ago. Now housed in a bright red cube, the whole stage
area stands out and can be seen from far and wide. The CCV is located right
in the town centre, on the river bank only a short distance from the main Drau
road bridge.
Congress organisation: if you require support in arranging events or
conferences, including the agreement with the CCV, accommodation at the
hotels of your choice or in providing a social programme, contact Region
Villach Tourismus marketing organisation on +43 / 4242 / 42000 - 53. A one
stop shop for congresses – that is its motto.
Through the centuries
Our ancestors in the Stone Age were the first to settle in the area around
today’s Villach. About 400 BC it was populated by Illyrians and Celts, the
latter founding the first true state on Austrian soil, the kingdom of Noricu m.
Then, around the time of Christ’s birth, the Romans took control of the region
without however using force and absorbed it into the Roman Empire as the
province of Noricum. It was also the Romans who built a road from Aquileia to
the north via Villach, which was called Santicum at that time. Remains of this
old trade route with chariot tracks in the stone can still be seen in Warmbad Villach today. Like all Roman settlements in Carinthia, Santicum was also
destroyed when barbarian tribes invaded and soon forgotten. A Drau bridge
“Uillah” is first mentioned in a deed of gift in 878 AD. The actual name of
“Villach” is found for the first time on a document dated 1240, the year when it
was granted the privileges of a town. As a gateway to the south, it had i ts
heyday from trade and commerce in the 15th and 16th centuries, profiting
from Venice’s free trade and from mining.
Ups and downs. Villach’s fortunes started to wane about 1600 during the
Counter-Reformation. In the middle of the 18th century, Empress Maria
Theresa nevertheless succeeded in buying back the Bamberg lands for the
Habsburgs. Later Napoleon annexed the small town to his Illyrian provinces
before his empire finally also collapsed. When Villach was connected up to
the southern railway network, however, it was given a new lease of life and
soon known as “the town of railway employees” – which has remained to this
day. Two world wars also left their mark on Villach, especially as it was an
important junction and as such a frequent target for the allied forces. After
1945, it was then occupied by the British. Villach, often called the “secret
capital”, has now become Carinthia’s liveliest town thanks to its central
location at the focus of tourism where trade, industry and high tech also
boom.
Tour of the town. The best place to start a stroll through the town is the Drau
bridge, a strategically important crossing over the river for centuries. From it
you can also see the embankments with paths built on both sides of the river
that have become very popular among walkers, cyclists and inline skaters.
Once you have crossed the Drau, you are right in the middle of the old town,
which was closed to traffic and turned into a pedestrian zone years ago. Here
you can also stop off at one of the many inviting bars and restaurants.
The main square, a medieval crossroads, gently curves up to the late Gothic
parish church of St. Jacob’s, which is the town’s most important historic
building. Worth seeing are the high altar with rich Rococo carvings, a larger
than life St. Christopher fresco and a rare stone pulpit dating back to 1555
during Villach’s Protestant epoch. At 94 metres, the tower is the highest
church steeple in the province and after climbing up 239 steps, you will be
rewarded with fantastic views at the top.
On both sides of the square there are tastefully restored middle class houses
from various centuries. The square was laid out in the mid-12th century,
although it did not initially consist of complete rows of houses. It was only in
the course of time that the buildings grew closer together forming the narrow
alley ways, some supported with arches, some built over, that are now one of
the town centre’s distinctive features.
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Post and Paracelsus. Still standing on the main square with a beautiful
Renaissance bay is today’s Hotel Post, which was built around 1500. The
most famous person in history to stay there was Emperor Charles V. In 1552
he took refuge from his Protestant adversary, Prince Moritz of Saxony, in
what was then Christoph Khevenhüller’s town house. One of Villach’s most
attractive courtyards, Paracelsushof, is named after the famous physician and
naturalist, who spent part of his youth here and later always enjoyed returning
to Carinthia.
Villach at the turn of the last century. Also worth walking through is Villach
of the late 1800s, which grew up in the area where the town walls were
knocked down to extend the old centre. The most notable building during this
period was the former Park Hotel, which was the best hotel in town for a lon g
time. Much to the locals’ delight, it was completely renovated and refurbished
a few years ago and is now restored to its former glory. Today the building
houses a café and offices. The old villas in 10.-Oktober-Strasse that were
built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries or the ones in late historicism
and art nouveau styles in Peraustrasse are also very attractive. Here – in the
middle of the Schiller Park – there is a special attraction: Europe’s largest
indoor relief map. It shows the province as a model on a scale of 1:10,000.
On Burgplatz, where farmers’ markets are held every Wednesday and
Saturday morning, you pass the beautifully renovated old Bamberg castle with
a Renaissance courtyard housing a historic exhibition room.
And there’s another market: the Alpine-Adriatic organic farmers’ market is
held every Friday.
Museums and exhibitions. A stroll through the town would not be complete
without taking in a museum. The town museum’s very well presented and
wide-ranging collections preserve the memories of the past and document the
history, art and culture of the Villach area. Exhibits include findings from
Roman times, remains of the former town wall, works of art from the late
Gothic period and a large carved plaque commemorating the death of
Carinthian governor Christoph Khevenhüller in 1557. Famous is the medieval
Villach pillory stone found in the Drau during bridge renovation work in 1959.
Contemporary art is chiefly to be seen in several modern galleries, above all
at the Städtische Galerie in Freihausgasse.
Apart from the various events, the cultural highlight of the year in Villach is
definitely the Carinthian Summer Festival. This classical music festival has
been in existence for 40 years and alongside Salzburg and Bregenz has
gained an excellent reputation in Austria. During the months of July and
August the modern Congress Centre in Villach hosts major symphonies,
music theatre for children and literary gems, while in the splendid Baroque
abbey church in Ossiach there are concerts and in particular performances of
what has become the festival’s hallmark: church opera.
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Information and booking:
Villach Tourismus GmbH
Töbringer Straße 1 • 9523 Villach-Landskron, Österreich
Tel.: +43 / (0)4242 / 42000 – 56 • Fax DW: 42
E-Mail: meissnitzer@region-villach.at • www.region-villach.at
You can find our digital picture archive at www.region-villach.at!
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