mountains

I escaped the Dubai heat for a week to Carinthia, the southernmost state of Austria renowned for its breathtaking beauty featuring over 1,200 lakes and snow-peaked mountain ranges.

Everything here is so vividly bright and beautiful; brilliant blue skies, emerald-green valleys, and lakes so clear and vibrantly turquoise, you can swim and drink from them. By winter, many of the mountain ranges open as ski resorts, but their beauty is surpassed even through the summer, with scenic hiking and biking trails, and a comfortably breezy yet sunny climate that doesn’t surpass the mid-twenty Celsius range.

How to get to Carinthia

Carinthia is the least populated state of Austria and is so down south that it is closer to get to via Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia where we landed on a 6-hour flight on Fly Dubai from Terminal 3, Dubai. From there, we took the scenic realm via road to Klagenfurt, the capital city of Carinthia.

Klagenfurt town center

We stayed at Garner Moser Verdino, a comfortable 4-star IHG property conveniently located in the heart of Klagenfurt, and in walking distance from the town square and the Lindwurm Dragon fountain, an ode to the mythical creature who is believed to have been the reason behind the city’s creation.

Legend has it that this city was built on marshy plains that was plagued by a dragon, and this is why Klagenfurt was known as the ‘wailing crossing’ (Klage means ‘wailing’, and Furt means ‘crossing’). The local Duke built a tower for safety and hired Knights to slay the dragon. They used a bull with a sharp hook inside it as bait, and when the dragon fell prey, it was victoriously slaughtered by the Knights.

Special thanks to Mr. Markus Strutz from the Carinthian tourism board who shared the story of this mythical dragon with us, and gave me this cute dragon keepsake!

The dragon and the tower have since become symbolic for Klagenfurt, and when the skull of a rhinoceros was excavated in the 16th century, it was the legend of the dragon was sealed as a memorial fountain built in the town square in 1583 from a solid piece of slate from the local Kreuzbergl mountain.

The old town of Klagenfurt is quintessentially European with cobbled streets, narrow alleyways, charming little cafes, and stores selling curios, chocolate and other local merchandise.

Other noteworthy monuments of Klagenfurt include a 400 year-old statue of Empress Maria Theresia, the mother of Austria who famously abolished torture, and made it compulsory for children aged 6 and above to get an education, the Golden Goose building which dates back to 1489 and continues to be used as a meeting place for the city council. Not related to the highly coveted sneakers, this building features a striking sculpture of a golden goose at its entrance.

At the centre of the bustling town square of Klagenfurt is the Plague Column, first erected in carved wood in 1681 as a gesture of thanks to the ruing council for minimizing the Black Death toll of Europe by keeping the city closed off. It was later recreated in 1683 with marble with a cross ascending into a crescent symbolizing victory over the Ottomans.

The legend of the Wörtherseemandl

Another sculpture that caught my attention was that of the Wörtherseemandl.

We came across this ancient bronze fountain featuring a staunch little man holding his index finger up in pure reverence. This is the Wörtherseemandl, a mythical Carinthian figure. Legend has it that this little man created Lake Wörthersee, the largest clear-water lake in Carinthia that attracts tourists the world over for its scenic beauty, swimming facilities and water sports.

The story goes, thousands of years ago, a very wealthy city was located where Lake Wörthersee now flows. The inhabitants of this city were so wealthy, they became pompous and lost touch with the church. One Christmas Eve, when the entire population gathered for a festive feast at the town hall, a short, bearded stranger paid them a visit. He put his index finger up in warning, pleading with the congregation to attend Christmas mass, for disobeying would lead to dire consequences. He was laughed at and ridiculed, and deeply insulted, he left the hall only to return at midnight with a small barrel under his arm.

When the crowd began to mock him again, the little man retorted, “If you will not have it otherwise, death and destruction come upon you and your sinful city!” He smashed the the barrel, and masses of water poured out. The banquet hall was suddenly submerged in an endless flow of water that no one could stop. The little man suddenly disappeared, and the entire population drowned.

The water from his barrel completely submerged the city and is known as today’s Lake Wörthersee. The fabled little man is called Wörtherseemandl (which translates to ‘thelittle man ofWörthersee’).

This bronze fountain depicting Wörtherseemandl is a significant monument in the town centre of Klagenfurt, and it is believed that if you hold his upheld finger, make a wish, and throw a coin into the fountain, your wish will be granted.

Lake Wörthersee

Lake Wörthersee is the largest lake in the Carinthia district and listed as one of Austria’s most scenic spots. It boasts of crystal-clear water that is so pure, you can actually drink it in the early parts of the year between January to March before it gets an influx of swimming enthusiasts from across the world.

On our first night in Klagenfurt, we dined at Maria Loretto, a family-owned restaurant boasting of panoramic views of the lake where we witnessed a very magical Carinthian sunset.

The next day, we boarded a Nostalgia Bus to the ferry that took us across Lake Wörthersee to Maria Worth where we enjoyed a scenic walk across nature taking in the beauty of the greenery, mountains and lakes, and even visited a church.

The highlight of our time at Maria Worth was going up the Pyramidenkogel, the world’s tallest wooden lookout tower where the panoramic views of Carinthia were even more breathtakingly beautiful! Best of all, I decided to come sliding down the tower instead of using the lift!

a wellness escape by mountains & lakes – The Tezzy Files