Holidays in and around Villach, Austria
A city full of life, humour – and a monkey mountain
Lovely and unique – this is the best way to describe Villach. Visitors love the fun atmosphere, mountains, lakes, grandiose Alpe-Adria southern flair and a city that radiates the Mediterranean lifestyle. Plus, Villach is Austria’s carnival central – so you're bound to experience plenty of fun and great humour!
Discovering unmistakable local highlights is just as much part of the perfect holiday in Villach as the carnival party spirit. And what would Villach be without its many sweet surprises? Here you might just see men in tartan kilts – this ensemble has achieved cult status here.
The TOP 6 activities
Holidays near Villach
1
Landskron Castle and monkey mountain
Experience living history at the castle. You’ll also find a restaurant with the motto, “seduced by pleasure”!
2
Adler-Arena with birds of prey shows
The birds of prey and owl park are definitely worth a visit.
3
Paragliding school
Fly high above the Gerlitzen Alpe – a spectacular experience!
4
Cycling the Alpe-Adria-trail
Explore the beautiful landscape by bike. You can even cycle all the way to Italy.
5
Villach fair
A must-see – Villach is in a league of its own on this day!
6
Villach old town
Enjoy an evening stroll along romantic narrow streets and alleys.
Exploring Villach
A city with history and lovely places to enjoy
Villach’s old town is a lively town centre. Charming narrow streets lead to beautiful squares. Historic buildings are among the architectural show-stoppers. Lovely stores and public art decorate the city. And the Drau is alive: you’ll find lovely places to relax along the river, all with great views of the city. The shores of the Drau are popular for their events. Get a unique view and memorable impressions on a boat tour: parks designed with care, cosy pub gardens, restaurants and bistros that show off the city’s Mediterranean touch are best explored by boat.
The Villach fair
A very special time in villach
The party really gets started in Villach each August: the Villacher Kirchtag, or Villach Fair, is a mainstay in the city. The motto? “You MUST go to the Villacher Kirtåg!” The the largest and most popular traditional event in the country, it has taken place every first Saturday in August since 1936. This is the place to have fun, feast, dance – with over a hundred events and 450,000 visitors.
Landskron caslte
Sweeping views and playful monkeys
No matter where you go in Villach, you always have a view of the impressive Landskron Castle. That is true at the Hotel eduCARE, too, where the castle is reflected on our facade. Every visitor to Carinthia should pay a visit to the castle – for its history, yes, but did you know that monkeys live there, too? At the “Abenteuer Affenberg”, or Monkey Mountain, to be more precise. Over 160 Japanese macaques live here in the wild – in an appropriate habitat, scientifically supervised and full of the famous Carinthian lust for life.
Andreas Buchacher, host
“Even Jane Goodall, the famous primate researcher, has visited our funny little monkeys. Don’t miss them!”
