WHAT'S NEW!? #21 - VILLACH IN DECEMBER 2022

The welcome2villach team collects the most important news from around Villach in a compact, monthly “News Story”, with links to more information. In December there will be innovations in bus transport, the new "lighthouse" safety concept in the event of a blackout will be presented by the city, and film lovers can look forward to the K3 film festival.

• The new schedule and route plan for Villach’s bus services (“Bus:si”) will start on December 11th. After the successful introduction of the half-hourly service in July, the travel times are now being further adjusted and the bus lines redesigned to make the connections even more efficient. As some lines will run differently due to the innovations and some stops will no longer be served, it is important to find out more about the changes! More detailed information on the new bus service can be obtained on the information day on December 7th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hans-Gasser-Platz, in the new bus office (Hans-Gasser-Platz 9, Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tue until 6 p.m.) , on villach.at or via the wegfinder app.
   
• Villach presents a new security concept in the event of a blackout, which was tested in the course of a large-scale exercise together with the state of Carinthia and the city of Klagenfurt. In addition to the Villach fire stations as the first point of contact for information, there are five "lighthouses" distributed throughout the city (see photo). These provide drinking water, medical care, a public toilet, waste disposal facilities, and emergency phone calls for those who need help.

• For a better compatibility of family and work, families will also receive support from the new Carinthian Child Education and Care Act (KBBG) for next year, as a supplement to the kindergarten offensive of the city of Villach. At the beginning of the 2023/2024 kindergarten year, the new law will come into force, which provides for improved opening hours, smaller groups, and the abolition of parental contributions.
   
• Villach is getting greener: Last month, the first trees were planted according to the "sponge city principle" in front of the registry office in Villach's city centre. An area of 6x6 meters is excavated for each tree in order to provide the trees with an ideal substructure and drainage. This is installed to direct surface and roof water to the root area. This allows the trees to grow better and absorb up to ten times more water, which means that they provide better shade, cool through evaporation, and offer protection from heavy rain. In the spring, more sponge city trees will be planted on the main square.
   
• Winter can come!: The municipal farm is ready for the cold season and works with the support of private contractors according to a precise operational plan. Around 200 people and 65 vehicles are working to keep 420 km of roads, 250 km of sidewalks, and 26,000 m2 of pedestrian zones free of snow and ice. The snow clearing fleet asks everyone to comply with the winter service obligations and asks house owners to regularly clear the sidewalks and streets along their own property of snow and ice.

• The three-year European research project “Matilde”, which looked at how migration affects rural areas, came to an end in November. In the course of the international final conference, the balance was drawn: International immigration is an important factor for the social and economic development of Villach. You can read more about the project here.
   
• In addition to the new exhibition "Visual Transformation" (vernissage: December 15th) in the Freihausgasse gallery and various events in the course of Advent in Villach (Krampus run on December 2nd, Harry Prünster customs reading on December 3rd, farmer's Advent on December 18th, etc.), the 15th edition of the K3 film festival will take place in December Villach! From December 14th to 18th, more than 30 short and long films from the Alps-Adriatic region will be presented in Villach, including the Slovenian Oscar nominee “ORCHESTER”.