9 Best Sights in Klagenfurt, Carinthia and Graz

The old town square of Klagenfurt, or Alter Platz, is still the center of the city. Brightly colored buildings dating from the 12th century frame this pedestrian meeting area. A Trinity Column representing God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, dating from 1680, now stands in the Alter Platz. These columns were built all over Europe as a thanks to God from the people for having survived the plague that killed nearly 25 million Europeans during the Middle Ages. The brightly colored yellow building is the old town hall.

South of Neuer Platz (take Karfreitstrasse) is the Domkirche, completed as a Protestant church in 1581, given over to the Jesuits and reconsecrated in 1604, and finally declared a cathedral in 1787. The 18th-century side-altar painting of St. Ignatius by Paul Troger, the great Viennese Rococo painter and teacher, is a fine example of the qualities of transparency and light he introduced to painting.

With water temperatures averaging 28°C (82°F) from spring to fall, this lake is a popular spot for sunbathing. Surrounded by gentle mountains, it's a little over 1½ km long (1 mile long) and 1 km wide (½ mile wide), and motorboats are not allowed. To reach the Klopeinersee, take the west Völkermarkt/Tainach exit from the A2 autobahn and follow signs to the lake. It's about a 30-minute drive east of Klagenfurt. For information on lakeside hotels and pensions, as well as hiking and biking in the region, contact Klopeinersee Tourismus.

One of the most notable sights of the city is the Landhaus, with its towers and court with arcaded stairways. It was completed in 1590, and at the time formed a corner of the city wall. The only interior on view is the dramatic Grosser Wappensaal (Great Hall of Heraldry), which contains 665 coats of arms of Carinthia's landed gentry. On the ceiling is a stirring rendition of the Fürstenstein investiture ceremony portrayed by Fromiller, the most important Carinthian painter of the Baroque period. The Gasthaus im Landhaushof, on the ground floor, is well worth a stop for lunch.

From Klagenfurt, bypass the autobahn and instead take Villacher Strasse (Route 83) to the Wörther Lake, Austria's great summer resort area. You'll pass by the entrancing Minimundus, literally "miniature world," with around 150 1:25 scale models. Structures include copies of the White House, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, and the Gur-Emir Mausoleum from Uzbekistan, all built when possible from the original materials. Net proceeds support needy children and families in Carinthia.

This museum displays works by modern and contemporary artists. It pays special attention to avant-garde artists with roots in Carinthia. Maria Lassnig, Arnulf Rainer, and Bruno Gironcoli, some of the heavyweights of post–World War II art, hail from the region. The museum also fosters the young art scene by showing works by emerging artists such as Hans Schabus and Heimo Zobernig.

On the shore of the Wörthersee, a winding 5-km (3-mile) road ascends to the 2,790-foot observation tower, the Pyramidenkogel; take its elevator (or the climb 441 steps) up to its three platforms and you can see out over half of Carinthia. The quickest way down is via the slide (separate ticket required) which promises to have you at ground level within 18 seconds.

Adjacent to Minimundus is the Reptilien Zoo, featuring crocodiles, cobras, rattlesnakes, and several kinds of hairy spiders, as well as colorful fish from the nearby Wörther Lake.

North of Neuer Platz (go along Kramergasse for two blocks, then angle left to the Pfarrplatz) is the parish church of St. Egyd, with its eye-catching totem-pole bronze carving by Austrian avant-garde artist Ernst Fuchs in the second chapel on the right. In the next chapel is the crypt of Julian Green (1900–1998), the noted French-born American novelist whose works include The Closed Garden and The Other One. He perceived the city as a sanctuary of peace in the world and decided he wanted to be buried here.