Klagenfurt am Wörthersee is the capital of Carinthia and an example of diversity of cultures. In architecture and cuisine you can find there influences of Carinthia, Italy and Slovenia. What can surprise you in this Alpine town with southern temperament?
Klagenfurt, located in southern Austria by the turquoise lake Wörthersee, is called the pearl of Renaissance. It is cause it owes the most beautiful and known squares, courtyards and buildings of the Old Town (Innere Stadt), lke Neuer Platz or Alter Platz, to Italian architects of that époque. Among monuments most prominent are the cathedral of Saints Paul and Peter (Klagenfurter Dom), the town hall (Rathaus Klagenfurt), the church Johanneskirche and Haus zur Goldenen Gan, dated to the 15th century the oldest town house in the city. It is worth also to see the fountain Lindworm with stone dragon, that is one of the symbol of the city.
Lovers of culture should go to the Museum of Modern Art, the State Museum with excavation from Roman times, as well as to the Museum Diocesan and to an exhibition to Landhausgalerie. People preferring active leisure won’t complain for boredom, staying by the warmest lake in the Alpes. You can spend there time lazing around on very well prepared beach, swim or rent equipment to do water sports. In the neighbourhood of the city there are also plenty of bike routes, as well as touristic ones in the Karawanken mountains. For runners there is an attractive rout of half marathon.
Local cuisine can be tasted, among others, in restaurants by boulevards of Alter Platz, Kramergasse and Wiener Gasse. Among typical dishes we can name different type of sausages, cheeses (for e.g. Gelundener creme spezial), rissoles and noodles (for e.g. Kasnudeln with cheese). The perfect spots for such feast are, typical for the Alpes, inns. Tt is worth to go, for instance, to Bierhaus zum Augustin, Gasthaus im Landhaushof or Gasthaus Wispelhof. Among desserts reign strudel with apples or Reindling (pie with cinnamon and raisins), which can be bought in, among others, Der Bäcker Legat. Lovers of Adriatic cuisine without problems will find many Italians restaurants, for instance Osteria Veneta Klagenfurt or Osteria Panta Rhei.
