Italian (IT) 
THERAL SPAS AND MOUNTAINS IN AUSTRIA
The attraction of the holiday region in the south of Austria is not a question of either - or, but merges both aspects – untouched nature and relaxing spa & wellness activities; thermal spa pleasures and alpine mountain experience and both local hospitality . The two elements are hereby always complementary, i.e. they do not impress guests individually, but merge forming an overall guest experience. Find your personal holidays delights in Bad Kleinkirchheim and discover the beauty and variety of Kärnten’s Nockberge Mountains together with your loved ones, as family or on your own!
THE HOLIDAY REGION BAD KLEINKIRCHHEIM
- Situation on the south side of the Alps amidst the Nockberge Mountains biosphere park and near Lake Millstätter See
- Located at altitudes between 1,050 and 2,055 metres above sea level
- All-season, appealing blend of nature, spa & wellness, sports, activity and recreation
- Alpine and Nordic skiing, snow-shoe hiking, tobogganing and many other attractions in winter
- Alpine spa & wellness: From the pistes straight to the thermal spas of Therme Römerbad and St. Kathrein
- Mountain biking, hiking, golf, tennis, sailing, wind surfing and many other attractions in summer
- 1,000 kilometres of marked and groomed hiking trails with cable car facilities that comfortably lift you to the summits
- More than 100 kilometres of varied pistes and descents, 60 kilometres of winter hiking trails, 8 kilometres of cross-country trails including connection to 45 kilometres of trails to Gnesau/Reichenau
If you wish to spend a pleasant, fun and relaxing holiday with your family, your friends or your partner, the fabulous landscape of Carinthia’s mountains will be perfect for you.
Carinthia (in German language Kärnten, in Slovenian Koroška) is the southernmost Austrian state among the nine. The alpine scenery offered by Carinthia will leave you breathless. Carinthia is sun, blue sky and the opportunity to go for long walks and outdoor excursions in the green uncontaminated nature; furthermore, you will find 200 clean bathing lakes for having a dip or practicing several water sports in the fresh air of the mountains.
Here in Carinthia, you can find any sort of activity, for having fun and enjoying your holiday: it’s up to you! Are you looking for adventure, sport or well-deserved rest? The area is internationally renowned especially for its amazing lakes and the presence of the main river of the region, the Drau.
Geography
The region of Carinthia is a basin located on the Alps, in which the Carnic Alps make up the Southern border to Italy (with Veneto and Fiuli Venezia Giulia regions) and Slovenia. The Tauern mountain range with Mount Grossglockner separates it from the northern state of Salzburg. To the North-East and East beyond the Packsattel mountain pass is the state of Styria, whereas in the West Carinthia creates a continuous valley with the Eastern Tyrol.
The main cities of the region are Klagenfurt, the capital, and another quite important city called Villach. Such cities are both economically linked.
Languages
In the majority, the population of Carinthia is German mother tongue, but there is still the presence of a local dialect. There is also a small minority who speaks Slovenian and different Slovenian dialects from Carinthia (15,000 – 40,000 people) who are concentrated in the South-East of the region.
The History
In the past, this region was populated by Celtic Carinthian populations, from which the region takes its name (as a matter of fact, a part of the region is in Italy with the name Carnia).
In the past, the Duchy of Carinthia was part of the Holy Roman Empire until 1806, the year of the beginning of its decadence, and subsequently it became an area belonging to the Asburgic Empire. With the decadence of the empire, after the First World War and the Yugoslav attempt to annex the region by force in 1919, a plebiscite in the Southern areas of the Land, which took place on October 10th 1920 under the control of the Society of Nations, ratified that Carinthia belonged to Austria. In 1945, at the end of the 2nd World War, for the second time Yugoslavs tried to annex the Southern part of the region, but they had to renounce.
Climate in Carinthia
The continental climate of Carinthia has hot and quite humid summers and long, harsh winters. In recent years, there have been exceptionally dry winters. In fall and winter time, usually there is the typical phenomenon of inversion, which can lead to the absence of wind and the presence of thick fog, while on the hills and mountains heights we usually find a pale sun.
Main Sights
In Carinthia, you have a wide range of activities to do and also a lot of wonderful places to visit, where you can discover everything about the culture of the region.
For instance, the main cities of the region are very popular among visitors: in Klagenfurt (placed on Wörth lake) you can find several castles, beautiful churches and abbeys, whereas Villach, crossed by the Drau river, offers many churches and noteworthy squares.
Remember that a stay in Carinthia would not be complete without a visit to the wonderful lakes of the region. Among the others, we remind you the Wörther See (the largest lake in Carinthia with blue water and one of the warmest lakes in the Alps, perfect for water sports), the Ossiacher See, the Millstättersee (the deepest in the region, 141 m deep) and the Faaker See.
The skiing area of Nassfeld/Hermagor, a 1350-meters-high alpine pass linking Italy to Austria, is endowed with 30 modern cableways and ski lifts and 110 km of ski runs for each difficulty level. Here, it is possible to find walking trails, cross country skiing runs, natural ice surfaces and enlightened runs for sleds, curling fields and paths for sleds carried by horses.
Bad Kleinkirchheim is a beautiful ski resort also famous for its amazing thermal baths, such as the Therme St. Kathrein and the Thermal Römerbad.
In the skiing area of Heiligenblut – Großglockner (1,301 – 2,902 m high), you will find the green uncontaminated nature, the discretion and warmth of the peasants’ culture and you will enjoy 55-km-long runs for winter sports.
The wonderful National Park Nockberge is placed on mountains mainly made up of Gurktaler Alpen’s rock, which are more ancient than the other mountain ranges surrounding the area. The Nockberge mountains offer its visitors the chance to practice several activities, with an amazing landscape made up of woods, hill countries, alpine meadows and rock climbing areas.
Finally, other main sights you will have the chance to visit are: the cathedral of Gurk, the monastery of Sankt Paul im Lavanttal and the Fortress of Hochosterwitz.
