IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS IN CARINTHIA
Snow has already fallen on some of the mountain peaks and the air is crisp…. winter is here and so is the Christmas season!
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” sings Andy Williams, which you can hear these days in malls, on the radio, and as you walk through the Christmas markets in many towns.
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS IN VILLACH
The Villach Christmas Market is the first to open in Carinthia this year and its lights twinkle from November 18 until the end of the year. With hot chocolate, mulled wine, or children's punch you can enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the pre-Christmas season. At Villach's "Kunst Advent" and "Genuss Advent" you can find all kinds of beautiful and tasty things. All information about the Villach Advent and the opening hours can be found here.
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS THE KLAGENFURT CHRISTMAS MARKET
If you've already experienced Villach's Christmas Market and want to see something new, be sure to visit Klagenfurt's Christmas Market, open from November 19 to December 24. This festive event offers live music, handmade crafts, delicious food - and of course mulled wine and punch!
On December 30, be sure to come to Klagenfurt for "Bauernsilvester," when the Carinthian peasantry gathers to celebrate with Carinthian New Year's customs, regional delicacies, schnapps to warm you up, live music, and fun games! This event starts at 6 pm at the Neuer Platz in Klagenfurt - don't miss it!
WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND: WÖRTHERSEE
If you want to feel like you're in "A Christmas Carol," it's best to visit the Christmas markets around Lake Wörthersee, where a huge Christmas wreath with four giant candles is installed on the lake. This impressive floating Advent wreath can be admired at the market in Velden starting November 25, the markets in Pörtschach, Maria Wörth, and at Pyramidenkogel which is opened on the same day (Maria Wörth on November 26).
If you want to see the region in a different and incomparable way, be sure to take a boat trip on Lake Wörthersee to experience the beauty of the Christmas season.
IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR IN THE LIGHT PARK OF DOMÄNE LILIENBERG
Anyone who wants to be enchanted by extraordinary Christmas lights should visit the Advent magic and magical light park of the Domäne Lilienberg from November 24th to December 23rd. The leisurely tour with a fairytale backdrop of lights, can be discovered every Thursday to Sunday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on a one-and-a-half-hour walk, is a source of enthusiasm for young and old. In the vineyard, 14 Advent huts also invite you to linger.
LET IT SNOW ON THE PEAKS!
If you want to make sure that there is snow when you visit a Christmas market, you should visit the Winter Wonderland, the Christmas market in Bad Kleinkirchheim. On Saturdays from November 26 to December 18, the spa town is transformed into a romantic winter village. Enjoy the Advent market around the St. Kathrein family spa and immerse yourself in a joyful world full of regional delicacies, traditional handicrafts, and Christmas music.
An enchanting open-air Christmas experience is offered by the Katschberg Advent Trail, an extraordinary Christmas event high up in the mountains. On foot or by horse-drawn sleigh, the 2.5 kilometers are covered to the Pritzhütte, the start of the Advent Trail. The Advent Trail itself is a two-kilometer lantern-lit winter wonderland with music, warm drinks, Christmas treats, crafts and places to warm up. Visit this market from Nov. 25 to Dec. 25, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 8 p.m. (Excluding 12/24!) If you want to experience a horse-drawn sleigh ride, be sure to call ahead and make a reservation!
Another Advent highlight is the Christmas market on the Petzen. At 1,700 m above sea level, Austria's highest Christmas market promises dreamy views of the snowy winter landscape - with chestnuts, mulled wine, and the scent of incense. On three Saturdays and one Friday in Advent (December 3rd, 9th, 10th and 17th) the gondola takes you from 2 p.m. to the festively decorated huts, where regional specialties, traditional handicrafts, and musical entertainment get visitors in the right mood for the upcoming Christmas celebration.
The Christmas season on the Simonhöhe is also introduced in an atmospheric way. The traditional Advent market takes place every weekend in December and at the Immaculate Conception (December 3rd-4th, 8th, 10th-11th and 17th-18th). Visitors can look forward to chestnut and mulled wine stands as well as an entertaining supporting program with live music.
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Traditions between the mountains and lakes - that is Advent in Carinthia. We wish you a relaxing and joyful pre-Christmas season and lots of fun discovering the diverse Christmas markets throughout the province!