Guides
Villach on the Drava — Travel Tips & Apartments
Wake up by the river, swim in a lake, wind down in the thermal baths — and the old town is right across the water.
Villach sits where Carinthia turns Italian and Slovenian towards the south. The Drava splits the city: on one bank the old town crowds around the main square and the tower of St Jakob's parish church, on the other the promenade runs along the water. Anyone who has stood there knows the colour of the Drava — turquoise-green when the sun is on it. On the horizon stand the Karawanks. Our five apartments are on exactly that promenade, right by the river, with the old town in sight on the opposite bank. This guide tells you what that means day to day — including what argues against the location.
Who this location suits
- Guests who want to set off on foot or by bike straight along the river — the Drava Cycle Path runs past the building
- Couples and solo travellers: all five units are open-plan studios
- Travellers without a car, or willing to walk a few minutes to a car park — there is no parking at the building
What you can experience
This is backed up, not guessed. Opening times and prices are best read from the provider, they change.
Water & wellnessKärntenTherme Warmbad
11,000 square metres on four levels: a sports pool, slides, an outdoor area and a large sauna world with a hammam. From the main station by train in two stops.
kaerntentherme.com
Water & wellnessLake Faak
The fifth-largest lake in Carinthia: clear water, an island in the middle, up to about 28 degrees in high summer. The lido in Drobollach has free entry, with a slide, during the supervised season.
villach.at
Nature & activityDobratsch & Villacher Alpenstrasse
A panoramic road with seven hairpins climbing 1,200 metres to the Rosstratte at around 1,730 metres, at the top the Rote Wand skywalk and an alpine garden with around 800 plant species.
villacher-alpenstrasse.at
Winter & AdventVillach Advent
Market Advent at the parish church, hut Advent on the main square, art Advent on Nikolaiplatz and the ice rink on Rathausplatz (2026: from 13 November).
villacheradvent.at
And more
- Culture & old town
Hauptplatz & old town
The heart of the city on the other bank of the Drava: main square, lanes and cafés. A signposted walk covers about 2.4 kilometres through the old town, roughly three hours with stops.
visitvillach.at - Culture & old town
St Jakob's parish tower
At 94 metres the tallest church tower in Carinthia: 239 steps to the viewing platform, with views out to the Dobratsch and the Karawanks. Seasonal, closed in winter.
villach.at - Culture & old town
Villach Municipal Museum
History, art and culture of the region in an old townhouse on Widmanngasse, plus a Roman stone collection in the courtyard. Good for an afternoon when the weather does not play along.
visitvillach.at - Culture & old town
Villacher Kirchtag
A week from late July to early August when the old town turns into a festival: Carinthian food, live music, rides (2026: the 81st edition, 26 July to 2 August).
visitvillach.at - Nature & activity
Drava Cycle Path
The cycle path runs right past our building: hop on and ride up or down the river, also easy with children.
kaernten.at - Water & wellness
Lake Ossiach
By boat from landing stage to landing stage: Landskron, Annenheim, Ossiach, Bodensdorf. Season from May to the end of October, in autumn only at weekends and public holidays.
ossiachersee-schifffahrt.at - Nature & activity
Gerlitzen Alpe
From Annenheim the Kanzelbahn takes about ten minutes to 1,440 metres, the summit is at 1,911 metres, plus around 147 kilometres of hiking trails. Operation depends on weather and season.
gerlitzen.com - With kids
Landskron Castle: monkey mountain & eagle arena
Around 180 Japanese macaques on the Affenberg (guided visits only) and a bird-of-prey show at the eagle arena. Also reachable by boat across Lake Ossiach. Seasonal.
burg-landskron.at - Day trip
Italy & Slovenia
Tarvisio lies just across the border, with the Fusine lakes beneath Mangart — two lakes you can walk or cycle around. You reach Kranjska Gora via the Wurzen Pass or the Karawanks tunnel.
- Food & drink
Carinthian pasta, Reindling & markets
Kärntner Nudeln, Reindling and a cold-cuts platter — best fresh from the weekly market in the old town. Plus fish from the Carinthian lakes.
villach.at - Winter & Advent
Skiing & winter
Skiing on the Gerlitzen Alpe or at the Dreiländereck, tobogganing in the Dobratsch nature park, ice skating on Lake Aichwald — and then into the thermal baths.
visitvillach.at
The Drava and the promenade
The footpath and cycle path along the Drava — part of the Drava Cycle Path — runs right past the building.
The water is only a few metres away, and the row of old-town houses stands visibly on the opposite bank, with the bridge in between. From the building you can see the church tower of St Jakob and, on a clear day, the mountain panorama of the Karawanks behind it. That is the real reason to stay here: you are on the river and still at the city.
The old town on the other bank
Villach's old town lies opposite, across the bridge.
The main square, the restaurants and the surrounding lanes are reachable on foot from the promenade — it is about 490 metres to Hauptplatz, roughly six minutes. And you can see where you are going from the building, which makes orientation easy.
Where our apartments are
Five units in one building on the Drava promenade, converted in 2026 from former commercial ground-floor space into serviced apartments.
They are called Türkis, Gold, Drau, Pink and Grasgrün. All have an open-plan studio layout with a separate bathroom, a kitchenette with two hotplates and a fridge, a round dining table and blackout blinds. In the same building is the Rio Lounge, a movement and yoga room — classes run in the evening and are quiet; if you would like to use it, arrange that directly with the operator.
What is not included here
So you do not plan around the wrong assumptions: the five units have no washing machine, no dishwasher, no oven and no microwave, no air conditioning, and neither balcony nor terrace.
They are compact studios by the river, not fully equipped long-stay flats. For a few nights in Villach that is exactly right; for a month with laundry and cooking you should know this beforehand.
Lakes, mountains and two borders
Villach is a good base: Lake Faak and Lake Ossiach are nearby, Lake Wörthersee to the east.
To the south, Italy and Slovenia are not far — Tarvisio on the Italian side, Kranjska Gora on the Slovenian one. We do not quote journey times; they depend on route and season. The point is that these work as a day trip.
When is the best time to visit?
Spring
The Drava Cycle Path fills up again; from early May the boats run on Lake Ossiach, and the supervised swimming season begins at Lake Faak.
Summer
Lake Faak, Lake Ossiach, Landskron — and from late July to early August the Villacher Kirchtag, a week of old-town festival.
Autumn
Hiking weather on the Gerlitzen and the Dobratsch, the Affenberg until early November, the eagle arena until the end of October, and at the end of the month the All Saints market (2026: 30 October to 2 November).
Winter
Villach Advent runs from mid-November to New Year's Eve (2026: from 13 November), the ice rink on Rathausplatz until the end of February. Plus skiing on the Gerlitzen or at the Dreiländereck — then into the thermal baths.
Facts at a glance
- To the city centre
- Old town on the opposite bank of the Drava, across the bridge — about 490 m (6 min) on foot to Hauptplatz
- Nearest station
- Villach Hauptbahnhof (main station) — about 410 m (5 min) on foot
- Airport transfer
- Klagenfurt Airport: no direct bus. Take bus line 4 or the S1 to Klagenfurt main station, then the train to Villach — IC/Railjet hourly in about 25 min, regional trains in 33–37 min.
- Public transport
- Villach Markthalle stop about 125 m away (several city bus lines), the main station is the hub. To KärntenTherme Warmbad: line 6 from the main station (about 12 min) or the S2 train.
- Parking
- No parking at the building. Guests use the free Willroider car park or spaces along the promenade.
- Groceries & pharmacy
- Billa on Bahnhofplatz about 250 m, Interspar on Ringmauergasse about 390 m
- pharmacies: Engel Apotheke (Bahnhofstraße) about 200 m, Kreis Apotheke on Hauptplatz about 310 m — all as the crow flies
More on getting there and parking
Getting there & around
Villach is connected to long-distance rail via its main station, about 410 metres from the building, roughly five minutes on foot. City buses run within Villach, the nearest stop is in the facts box. You do not need transport for the old town — it is opposite, across the bridge.
Parking
Important, because it is often expected otherwise: there are no guest parking spaces at the building. The underground garage and the spaces at the building are not available to guests. If you come by car, you park free of charge at the Willroider car park or in the spaces along the promenade. How long the walk takes depends on where you find a space, so we do not give a fixed number.
Apartments in this area
Draupromenade · Türkis
Largest apartment, view of the Drau
Draupromenade · Villach
Draupromenade · Gold
Window seat overlooking the Drau
Draupromenade · Villach
Draupromenade · Drau
Bed by the panoramic window
Draupromenade · Villach
Draupromenade · Pink
Window nook with chestnut-tree view
Draupromenade · Villach
Draupromenade · Grasgrün
Two sofa beds, all in one room
Draupromenade · Villach
Frequently asked questions
How does the city tax work in Villach?
In Carinthia the city tax is a pass-through charge per person per night, not a percentage of the price as in Vienna. Villach has two seasonal rates: €2.70 per person per night from June to September and from December to March, and €2.20 from April to May and from October to November. Carinthia is moving to a statewide visitor levy on 1 November 2026. That is why you always see the amount that applies to your travel dates as a separate line in the booking before you pay.
Can I park at the building?
No. The parking spaces and the underground garage at the building are not available to guests — that is the most common misunderstanding at this address. You park free of charge at the Willroider car park or along the promenade. If you are arriving by car, plan for the short walk.
What is not included in the apartments?
There is no washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, oven, microwave or air conditioning, and no balcony, terrace or garden. What you do get is a kitchenette with two hotplates and a fridge, a Nespresso machine, cookware, a dining table, a wardrobe, blackout blinds and a separate bathroom with a shower.
How do I get to the old town?
On foot across the bridge — the old town is on the opposite bank of the Drava and is visible from the building. It is about 490 metres to Hauptplatz, roughly six minutes.
Can I book directly with you?
Yes, all five apartments are bookable directly here. Before you pay you see the full breakdown, including the city tax as a separate line.