Family
Summer 2015
Family holidays in Carinthia
Smiling faces, shining eyes
Exciting attractions, carefree bathing fun and magical experiences in a natural setting. This is what family holidays in Carinthia are made of. The sunny south of Austria promises unforgettable days for adults and children. And all in the heart of an unspoilt natural landscape with bathing lakes of warm, drinking-quality water, set against a picturesque mountain backdrop, enwrapped in the splendidly mild climate of the Alps-Adriatic region. Carinthia also offers a large number of accommodation providers who specialise in catering for families. A holiday on a farm will also make your children’s eyes sparkle!
Climbing high on the Pyramidenkogel observation tower
An unforgettable 360 degree panoramic view over the whole of Carinthia and beyond can be enjoyed from the Pyramidenkogel on Lake Wörthersee. Three platforms guarantee a breathtaking view extending from the Hohe Tauern in the north, to the picturesque lake valleys, to the neighbouring countries of Italy and Slovenia in the south. Just riding up in the glazed panorama lift offers beautiful views, while more energetic visitors can also climb up the 441 steps of the tower. And with the highest roofed slide in Europe, the tower offers adventurous fun for children (minimum height 130 cm), whizzing them down (52 metres difference in altitude) into the valley – and on to the next adventure!
Experience something new every day in Carinthia’s natural landscape
What could be better than exploring the rich green meadows and peaks of Carinthia’s mountain landscape on a warm, sunny summer’s day? On the Turracher Höhe, however, yet another attraction awaits adventurous young mountaineers. With the Nocky Flitzer, you can whizz down 1.6 kilometres of racy bends and wave tracks from the mountain station to the valley bottom. There is plenty of fun to be had too in the “Nockys Almzeit” adventure park with “Nocky”, the inquisitive mountain hare. Attractions like the “Himmelszeiger”, a climbing tower with the so called “AlmZeit” clock, the “sound fence”, and the “river of time”, a sparkling water playground, provide discovery play in an unspoilt natural landscape.
Other outdoor destinations in Carinthia include the Tscheppaschlucht gorge in Ferlach with its forest rope course, the Aqua Trail and the rock labyrinth at Nassfeld, the Katschberg with geocaching, archery and mascot walk, the Lieser-Malta Valley with its “fairytale walk”, Lake Millstätter See with exciting treasure hunts on Captain Barbossa’s pirate ship, and Lake Klopeiner See with its “forest experience world” and the new Flow Country Trail, a downhill park for up and coming mountain bikers.
An exciting journey into the Middle Ages
If you have ever wanted to know what it must have been like to see a real castle being built, you should pay a visit to the castle building project at Friesach, where a genuine hill castle is being built over an area of 4000 square metres. The unique feature of this project is that the castle is being built entirely in accordance with the methods and techniques of the master craftsmen of the mediaeval era. The only tools at the disposal of our industrious workers are those that were in use in the Middle Ages. Modern machinery and noisy engines are not to be found on this building site, just the natural power of humans and animals. It will therefore be several years before the castle will be ready for occupation, but you can see the work in progress and discover all kinds of fascinating facts on this extensive site. It is full of small huts and workplaces, from which the sounds of constant hammering, beating and sawing emerge. From this year onwards younger visitors to the site can enjoy special guided tours with Frizzy the master builder and mascot, who has plenty of hidden secrets to share with children who are curious about castles. With this companion, there will be no chance of getting bored: with hobby horse races, amulet grinding, stilt walking, games of dice, helmet making and master builder competitions, Frizzy provides fun for everyone.
And what if we get a rainy day?
There is plenty to do in Carinthia even on the odd rainy day. If the sun does decide not to shine, there is the Kärnten Therme spa in Villach with a wide range of water fun attractions. This extensive attraction has something for everyone. There are two tube slides for splashing through, one 86 metres and the other 75 metres long. With tube rafting in the “Crazy River”, you can be catapulted uphill on the twists and turns of the stainless steel torrent. A wave slide completes the package of fun activities. A new feature, the only one of its kind in Austria, is “mermaiding”. Young water nymphs can make their dream come true by donning a shimmering “mermaid’s tail” and learning to swim with it, just like Ariel the Little Mermaid. Nestling among the gentle Nockberge hills, the Römerbad spa at Bad Kleinkirchheim also offers bathing fun for the whole family. On rainy days you can also experience a journey through time inside Carinthia’s mountains, instead of on them. At the Terra Mystica mine, which is open to the public, you can discover the mysterious world of mining, and at the Granatium in Radenthein you can try your hand at hewing a fine garnet stone from the rock.
Also worth a visit are the Obir stalactite caves in Bad Eisenkappel with their 800 metres of underground discovery park.
For budding mountain climbers, the extensive indoor climbing wall at the Wahaha Paradise will provide that “up high” experience.
Kärnten Card
Families will find the Kärnten Card extremely useful, since it means they can visit over 100 attractions in Carinthia as often as they like. Fantastic reductions are also available from over 60 bonus partners. Valid from 12 April to 26 October 2015. www.kaerntencard.at
Press contact Kärnten Werbung GmbH
Mag. Ute Zaworka
Völkermarkter Ring 21 - 23, A-9020 Klagenfurt
Tel. 0043(0)463-3000-46, Fax. 0043(0)463-3000-60
, www.presse.kaernten.at
You can find pictures for your Carinthia story in the media archive:
www.media.kaernten.at