WHAT'S NEW!? #29 - VILLACH IN AUGUST 2023

The welcome2villach team collects the most important news from Villach's city life every month in a compact "News Story" with links to further information. In August, the 78th Villacher Kirchtag will take place, we also show who is responsible for what in Villach's city marketing, and are happy to share more about solar power for city flats, report on the renovation of the vocational school and free holiday and leisure fun and list which events and happenings you should not miss!  
 

• Kirchtag is'! The 78th Villach Kirchtag takes place from July 30th to August 6th and is the largest traditional festival in all of Austria. The varied program of music, events, folk culture, customs and culinary delights attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over Austria and neighboring countries to the town every year. This year, too, the organizers have some great goodies to offer: The Kirchtag bus will take all visitors home safely. The buses leave after 8 pm, after the regular bus service. The Kirchtags bus is free of charge for all those in possession of a Kirchtags pin-on heart or the Carinthia or Climate Ticket! Speaking of Kirchtags pin hearts: the limited edition and annually redesigned hearts are a popular collector's item!
   
• New team in City Marketing: There are new faces and distribution of tasks in City Marketing Villach, which is the first point of contact for all agendas and activities in the city centre, as well as for all business operators. In addition to the new managing director Pierre Bechler, Eva Maria Lach (customer service, website) and Klaus Krall (marketing and PR) joined the team. 
   
• Solar power for city flats: By 2025, all Villach municipal flats are to be supplied with solar power. This not only brings lower energy costs, but also saves tons of climate-damaging CO2. The project is part of Villach's solar power strategy: namely, by 2030, all of Villach's own public needs are to be covered by solar power. 

• Reconstruction of the vocational school (FBS): It has always been an important concern of the City of Villach to be able to offer high-quality training programs in all areas. At the most recent municipal council meeting, an important decision was now made for the FBS in Tiroler Straße. The school will be extended and rebuilt at a cost of about 60 million euros, and in the future, for example, an apprentices' home will also be incorporated. The earliest date for the start of construction is 2025.
   
• Free leisure time fun for humans and animals: Whether it is free lake access or free basketball - in Villach there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy leisure time activities free of charge and recently also for the four-legged friends. The dog bathing zone at the Silbersee has also recently been opened. It is fenced in towards the car parking lot and bordered on two sides by a hedge. Only between these two hedges is it allowed to let the dog run to the lake. Your dog is also allowed to go into the water there. There are more than 20 playgrounds for families in various parts of the city. Almost all of them have modern playground equipment, shaded areas and drinking fountains. During the summer holidays, the sports fields of the schools are also open to all children, young people and the young at heart. Other free offers include the Green Corners, which have been created in some parts of the city. Here, for example, raised beds, scattered fruit trees and snack fruit are planted to be harvested free of charge.
   
• Events: In August we are not only looking forward to the 78th Villacher Kirchtag, there are also plenty of other events not to be missed. From August 9th the popular summer cinema starts again after the Kirchtag break. On the 9th, 16th, 18th and 23rd concerts take place in the city of Villach as part of the Carinthian Summer. From August 25th, the Postwerk art association will be exhibiting under the motto "Survival" in the Dinzlschloss.