This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Villach.
Villach is a small Austrian city with a population just under sixty thousand, which makes it the second-largest of the state Carintia. It is significant because it represents a major traffic junction in the Alpe-Adria region. The city has a long history, but there are actually not many relevant historical attractions. You can visit one of the many churches, ruined castle Landskron, museum of antique vehicles (Villacher Fahrzeugmuseum) and city museum, but that is about it for the historical sights of Villach. While you are visiting you also might want to check out Villacher Alpenstraßen and the Dobratsch mountain, where you will also find Alpine Garden; huge relief model of Carintia (Relief von Kärnten); Kärnten Therme and a large shopping mall Atrio.
Unfortunately besides the mentioned attractions there is not much to do in Villach, but luckily several of them are waiting for you in the nearby area. Especially worth visiting are Klagenfurt (the capital of Carintia) and its beautiful Wörthersee lake, as well as lakes Ossiach and Faak. It is noteworthy that the city is located less than thirty minutes from Italy and Slovenia, so you can easily take a trip to one of those two neighbouring countries from there.
While the city might come out as a little dull during the year, it's actually quite stunning in the winter. Like most of the Austrian cities, it shines the brightest during Advent, when you can visit a small but nice Christmas market, ice skating rinks, or simply admire the gorgeous decorations and snowy mountain views.
Your Villach hostel options are pretty limited. However, you can find one or two pleasant and reasonably priced hostels for your stay, and since Villach does not exactly suffer from the tourist crush, your chances of getting a dorm to sleep are pretty good any time of the year.
Written by local enthusiast for Villach hostels
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