Carinthia

Carinthia's lakes are its signature, and in summer they are the warmest swimmable Alpine lakes in Europe — clear, turquoise water reaching pleasant bathing temperatures against a backdrop of green mountains. The largest and most famous is the Wörthersee, a long, glamorous lake whose shores hold the lively resort towns of Velden (with its grand casino and waterfront) and Pörtschach, and the capital Klagenfurt — its waters busy with swimmers, sailing boats and lakeside promenades, lidos and cafés through the warm months. To the north, the deep Millstätter See is calmer and ringed by mountains; the small, vividly turquoise Faaker See sits beneath the pyramid of the Mittagskogel; the Ossiacher See is a watersports hub; and the high, protected Weissensee is one of the purest lakes in the Alps, beloved for its clear water and, in winter, its vast natural ice-skating surface. Swimming, sailing, paddleboarding and simply relaxing on the lake jetties is the essence of a Carinthian summer — the reason the state is called the 'Austrian Riviera'.

Beyond the lakes, Carinthia is grand mountain country. Its northern and western borders rise into the Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria's largest protected area, crowned by the Grossglockner — at 3,798 metres the highest mountain in Austria, standing on the Carinthian-Salzburg border. The famous Grossglockner High Alpine Road, a masterpiece of 1930s engineering, switchbacks up to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe viewpoint facing the peak and the Pasterze glacier — one of Europe's most spectacular mountain drives, open in the warmer months and lined with marmots, alpine flowers and panoramas. Elsewhere, the gentler, rounded Nockberge offer accessible hiking and a scenic ridge road, the Karawanken and Carnic Alps line the southern frontier with Slovenia and Italy, and waterfalls, gorges and high pastures fill the valleys. In winter, the mountains turn to skiing — Bad Kleinkirchheim pairs slopes with its renowned thermal spas, Nassfeld straddles the Italian border, and the Weissensee freezes for skating — making Carinthia a year-round mountain destination as well as a summer lake one.

Carinthia's towns and culture carry a distinctive southern, sun-warmed character, with Italian and Slovenian influences from across the nearby borders. The state capital, Klagenfurt, sits at the eastern tip of the Wörthersee — a pleasant city with a handsome arcaded Renaissance old town, the central Neuer Platz with its emblematic Lindwurm (a winged-dragon fountain that is the city's symbol), and, on its edge, the much-loved Minimundus park of miniature world landmarks and the Wörthersee beaches. Villach, the second city near the Italian border, is known for its old town, its thermal spa and its huge summer carnival (Kirchtag) and Fasching celebrations. The food reflects the borderlands — Carinthian Kasnudeln (a local filled pasta), influences of Italian and Slovenian cooking, and lakeside fish — and the relaxed pace, abundant sunshine and lake-and-mountain setting give the whole region an easygoing, holiday feel. With its blend of warm lakes, high mountains and Mediterranean flair, Carinthia is one of Austria's most relaxing and scenic corners.