VILLACH: A CITY OF NEIGHBORHOODS - INNERE STADT

Just like in many cities around the world, the city of Villach is made up of many different neighborhoods and small villages, each with its own characteristics. But when you’re new to a place, or considering moving there, it’s often very difficult to decide where to live - you don’t know if any areas are nicer than others, what the more family-friendly neighborhoods are, or where certain services can be found. That’s why we at Welcome2Villach have decided to do a short series of blogposts that will give you a detailed overview of the different areas of Villach, in order to help you learn where you might choose to live as a family, as a couple, or as you get older. We’ll start by sharing important information about the historic city centre in this first blogpost, and expand outwards from there in the following two posts.
 

INNERE STADT

The Innere Stadt, or city centre, is located right in the middle of downtown Villach, between the main train station to the north and the Kilzer Bridge to the south. The Ossiacher Zeile road borders the city centre to the east, and the railway line to Italy and Slovenia is on the western side. The Drau River flows through this neighborhood dividing the city centre into two parts, one north and one south of the river.

#1 Musikschule | #2 Carinthian International Center | #3 City Museum | #4 Hauptplatz |
#5 Draubrücke | #6 Hans-Gasser-Platz | #7 Villacher Bier Brewery | #8 Kletterhalle Villach

Villach’s city centre is an ideal place to live and work thanks to the various shopping opportunities, great educational and work offerings, public transportation, and a diverse range of recreational areas and parks close to the Drauradweg bike path. It is also one of the most popular neighborhoods for expats in Villach! Among the many opportunities in the city center, you can: learn to play an instrument in the Musikschule (see #1 in map); borrow books or other media from the public library; use the services in the city hall and the Congress Center; see original language movies at Stadtkino; join the Turnverein or the Carinthian International Center (#2); travel from two different train stations; visit the temporary exhibitions in the city Museum (#3); attend a course at BFI or the Volkshochschule; and send mail from either of two post offices. There’s lots to do in the city centre!

If you’re looking for housing, it’s important to know that in the city centre there are vastly more apartments than single-family houses, and as a historic center, buildings are mostly older than in the rest of the city. In terms of educational opportunities, in this area of Villach there are several different types and levels of schools offered for children. There are several pre-schools, including Kindergarten Pestalozzi and Kindergruppe Sonnenstrahl, primary schools include the Khevenhüllerschule, and among the secondary schools are CHS Villach, Polytechnische Schule Villach, and Peraugymnasium. Regarding transportation, the city centre is very well connected through its extensive bus network, not to mention the two train stations. If you live in the city centre and own a car, please note that you will need a private garage or will have to register with the city for permission to drive and park on the streets that are restricted to residents only.

In the city centre there is unique architecture with distinctive charm and a mix of various styles, and tourists and residents alike can admire the beautiful buildings while walking through the large pedestrian zone. Everything in the city centre is easily accessible to those on foot, and throughout the year the city centre of Villach attracts countless visitors and tourists who enjoy shopping and strolling on her streets. 

Overall, the city centre of Villach has a lot to offer families, young people, and senior citizens. And to find out about the rest of this beautiful city, stay tuned for our next blog posts!