WHAT’S NEW!? #18 - VILLACH IN SEPTEMBER 2022

The welcome2villach team collects the most important news from around Villach in a compact, monthly “News Story”, with links to more information. In September, the City of Villach will introduce its climate plan for the coming months, we’ll look at the results from the large public transportation survey, we’ll celebrate 50 years of the sewage treatment plant, we’ll take a look at free recreational activities, and we are looking forward to European Bike Week, the Kulturhof:Festival, and much more!

• Villach’s Climate Plan: The City of Villach is one of the pioneers when it comes to environmentally-friendly and climate conscious action: Climate Alliance city, Fair Trade city, the most energy-efficient city in Austria, and even the European “Climate Star” prize as energy champion - there aren’t many awards that Villach has not yet received. In order to be able to continue to overcome the challenges around climate change, the City is now presenting its climate plan. The measures are divided into four main areas: transportation (expansion of public transportation, models for sharing cars and e-scooters), energy (well-developed district heating network, photovoltaic systems on public buildings, optimization around lighting), land use (ecologically smart apartments with green areas, construction of a climate active neighborhood, efforts to convey vacant private buildings in the city center to project developers), and proportion of green space (amount of forest remains high at 55%, “green corners” throughout the city, the “green axis” from the main train station to the Stadtpark).
   
• Dobratsch Nature Park as a success story: For 20 years, Dobratsch has been Carinthia’s first nature park and a total success. Gentle use of Villach’s local mountain also includes a sophisticated concept for traffic management. The nature park bus takes you up the mountain in an environmentally-friendly way, and all guests can ride for free during the winter holidays. The educational mission of the nature park works. On one hand, visitors can take part in hikes with rangers, where they can learn interesting facts about the environment, nature, and the mountain (a lot of information is new even for experienced Villach residents). On the other hand, the interest of young people is great for the park - Nature Park partner schools in Pogöriach and Vassach, as well as the Völkendorf Nature Park Kindergarten, bring the park into the curriculum for young children.
   
• The results of the large public transportation survey are in: Around 500 people took part in the public transportation survey of the city and Dr. Richard. The results show that the city was right on the mark by expanding the city bus schedules. “Most of the residents of Villach want exactly the things that we introduced as a first step beginning in mid-July, and that we expect to expand more already starting this fall,” says Mayor Günther Albel.

• The sewage treatment plant is turning 50 and invites you to the anniversary celebration: For decades, the wastewater from Villach as well as from nine surrounding towns has been treated and cleaned here. In the mid-1990s the plant was expanded for the first time to accommodate the needs of around 200,000 residents. The next step came this year and has already been completed: through further expansion measures, the capacity of the sewage treatment plant has been increased to 250,000. To mark the anniversary, all interested residents are invited to an open house on September 16 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., to get to know the modern company. Beginning at 10 a.m. there will be tours, a specialist exhibition, a prize competition, and a snack with drinks, and at 2 p.m. the anniversary ceremony will start. An hourly shuttle service from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. will bring visitors from the Draubodenweg parking lot, CCV, St. Magdalener Straße (at the central cemetery) to the sewage treatment plant and back again.
   
• The new school year is starting: In the city’s preschools and schools, Villach offers optimal conditions for the best kind of modern education. In addition to the Mini Education Lab, which is being created in Technology Park Villach, there is now a child protection concept, and in Kindergartens and after-school care centers the focus continues to be on high-quality, organic food. In addition, after-school programs in schools have been reorganized: a new group is being established in the Landskron and Vassach elementary schools, as well as in the Landskron middle school; and after-school care will be extended to 5:20 p.m. in the Lind, St. Martin, Fellach, Maria Gail, and Pogöriach elementary schools. Furthermore, all of Villach’s schools will now be supplied with more powerful internet, thanks to a fiber optic connection.
   
• Free recreational activities in Villach: Whether swimming for free, free shuttle buses, spacious playgrounds or sports facilities, it’s important to the City of Villach that reasonable and entertaining recreational activities are also affordable or free of charge.
   
• Things are happening in Villach’s Alpen Arena: The summer season will last through the end of October, and until then there will be numerous exciting sporting events. These include the National Roller Skiing Cup on September 9, men’s and women’s FIS Ski Jumping Competitions on September 10-11, the Austria Cup Cycling Race on the roller skiing track on September 17-18, and the Nordic Combined Alpine Cup on September 24-25. An overview of other events can be found here.
   
• Events in September:European Bike Week is happening around Faaker See from September 6-11; the Rhine Philharmonic State Orchestra will pay a visit to the Congress Center Villach on September 27; and on September 2-3 the Kulturhof:Festival will again bring exciting acts to the city on the Drau.