KCT Editions · Chapter III
Around Wörthersee
Pörtschach am Wörthersee, Carinthia, Austria
The region
A lake, a few villages, and room to wander.
Wörthersee is the largest lake in Carinthia.
The lake is about 16.5 km long and up to about 85 m deep, set among forested hills. Resort towns line its northern shore, and in July and August the surface water can reach around 25 °C.
Pörtschach, where Das Balance stands, is one of those towns. It became a summer resort in the nineteenth century, and the composer Johannes Brahms spent three summers there, from 1877 to 1879.
This page is a guide to the region, not a program. Take what you like, and leave the rest. No excursion is compulsory.
How to read this page
Two different things
The Edition itself
The 8 days and 7 nights at Das Balance, the meals, the bar, the hosted evenings, the Shabbat meals, and the hotel’s spa and pools. The full list is on Prices & Planning.
Flights and airport transfers are not included. Excursions are optional and separately priced unless expressly included; if KCT offers one, it will be announced and clearly marked.
What the region offers
Everything below is public information about the region. None of it is organized, booked or included by KCT, and none of it is compulsory.
Please check opening times, availability and prices locally before you go.
The lake
On the water
Wörthersee is a bathing lake, and summer is its season. Water sports on the lake include sailing, stand up paddling and kayaking. In summer, passenger boats connect its largest settlements.
Photographs: official Das Balance images.
On foot and by bicycle
The Wörthersee circular hiking trail is about 55 km long. It is hilly and mostly wooded, and the hotel’s own site describes it as a two day, demanding route. Shorter walks start in the villages along the shore.
A cycle path runs along the northern shore of the lake, for an easy ride between the villages.
Villages and places
Around the lake
Pörtschach
A resort town on the northern shore, with a lakeside promenade and villas in the local Wörthersee style from the late nineteenth century.
Velden
A resort town at the western end of the lake, known as one of Austria’s most popular holiday places, with its own promenade.
Maria Wörth
A village on a peninsula on the southern shore. Its church of Saints Primus and Felician stands on the highest point and is a pilgrimage site.
Klagenfurt
The capital of Carinthia, at the eastern end of the lake and about 14 km from Pörtschach.
Pyramidenkogel
A hill of 851 m south of the lake, near Maria Wörth, with an observation tower and wide views.
Maiernigg
The composer Gustav Mahler worked in a small hut here. It is now a small museum.
Further afield
Day trips
Carinthia lies where Austria, Italy and Slovenia meet. The hotel’s own site notes that Venice and Trieste can be reached in about two hours by car, and Ljubljana’s airport is about 70 km south of Klagenfurt.
The Carinthian hills and lakes beyond Wörthersee are also within easy reach. Please plan any outing around Shabbat, when Friday-night dinner and the Shabbat meals are at the hotel. On other days, a takeaway lunch is available for exploring on your own.
Getting there
Travel information
Public information to help you plan. Flights and airport transfers are not part of the package, and details of any KCT transfers will follow.
By air
Klagenfurt Airport (KLU) is a small regional airport near Klagenfurt. Ljubljana Airport in Slovenia is about 70 km south of Klagenfurt, and a coach connects the two airports.
Which airlines fly to Klagenfurt changes by season. Please check current schedules.
By rail and road
The Südbahn railway line from Vienna to Venice runs along the northern shore, and Pörtschach has had a station since 1864. Suburban trains link Klagenfurt Airport with the villages along the lake.
The A2 Süd Autobahn runs along the northern side of the lake.
Pörtschach station is about a 10-minute walk from the hotel.
Driving to the hotel
The hotel’s own directions: from the main road in Pörtschach, turn at the BALANCE sign onto Gaisrückenstraße and follow the signs for about 350 m to Winklerner Straße 68. Coming from Villach, follow the main road through town until you see the BALANCE sign, rather than your GPS.
Outdoor parking at the hotel is free. The underground garage is €15 per day, reserved in advance, and there are two EV charging points at €0.80 per kWh; please bring your own charging cable.
Arrival details
Check-in from 2:00 PM; checkout by 11:00 AM. Early check-in and late checkout: subject to availability; not guaranteed. Flights and airport transfers are not included.
The hotel’s own programs
In its regular season the hotel mentions activities such as bicycles and guided programs. Availability during our week will be shared when known. They are not part of what KCT includes.
Public sources: Wikipedia entries for Wörthersee, Pörtschach am Wörthersee, Maria Wörth, Velden am Wörther See, Pyramidenkogel and Klagenfurt Airport, and the hotel’s own website. Please check current details before you travel.
KCT Editions
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Planned with Avicam from the first conversation.