The balcony of Berghaus Seeblick looking out over the Brennsee and the Gegendtal valley

Area · the cities

Villach, Klagenfurt and Ljubljana

Three cities for culture and shopping, half an hour, fifty minutes and a good hour and a half from Feld am See

Feld am See is a village, and on a rainy day or a rest day a city can be the plan. Villach is half an hour away, with the tallest church tower in Carinthia, a weekly market and the Atrio shopping centre. Klagenfurt, the capital of Carinthia, is fifty minutes away, with the Lindwurm, the Landhaus and the Benediktinermarkt. And Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a good hour and a half away: a car-free old town below a castle. All three are a day out, and in the evening you are back at the lake for dinner.

Carinthia, Austria

Villach

24 km, half an hour by car

The nearest city, on the river Drau, with a compact centre around the Hauptplatz: baroque facades, arcaded courtyards and the parish church of St. Jakob, whose tower you can climb from May to October. Villach calls itself Austria's carnival city (from 11 November) and celebrates the Kirchtag around the first Saturday in August, a week of festivities in the old town. For shopping, choose the streets around the Hauptplatz or the Atrio on the southern edge of the city, right by the motorway.

Culture

The Hauptplatz and the courtyards of the old town
Climb the Stadtpfarrturm: 239 steps, € 6, family ticket € 10
Museum der Stadt Villach
Villacher Kirchtag in early August, Villacher Advent from 13 November with an ice rink on the Rathausplatz

Shopping

Weekly market on the Burgplatz, Wednesday and Saturday until 1 pm
Shops in the centre around the Hauptplatz
Atrio: Mon–Fri 9 am to 7.30 pm, Saturday 9 am to 6 pm

Stadtpfarrturm: 94 metres, the tallest church tower in Carinthia, 239 steps
weekly market Wednesday and Saturday, 7 am to 1 pm, Burgplatz
Atrio: around 90 shops, 2,000 free parking spaces
Villacher Advent 13 November to 31 December 2026

Carinthia, Austria

Klagenfurt

56 km, about 50 minutes by car

The capital of Carinthia, with the Lindwurm on the Neuer Platz at its centre and around it the Alter Platz, the Landhaus with its hall of coats of arms, the cathedral and the Stadttheater. With children, combine the city with Minimundus on Lake Wörthersee: 166 buildings at a scale of 1:25. For the market, pick Thursday or Saturday, when farmers from all over Carinthia and from Friuli and Slovenia sell at the Benediktinermarkt.

Culture

Lindwurm, Neuer Platz and Alter Platz
Landhaus with the Wappensaal
Stadttheater Klagenfurt
Minimundus on Lake Wörthersee, 27 March to 1 November
Christmas market on the Neuer Platz, daily 10 am to 7 pm

Shopping

Benediktinermarkt, Thursday and Saturday until 1 pm
City Arkaden on the Heuplatz: Mon–Fri 9 am to 7.30 pm, Saturday 9 am to 6 pm
The streets between Alter Platz and Neuer Platz

capital of Carinthia, on Lake Wörthersee
Wappensaal in the Landhaus with 665 coats of arms
Benediktinermarkt Thursday and Saturday, 6.30 am to 1 pm
Christmas market 14 November to 24 December 2026

Slovenia

Ljubljana

115 km, a good hour and a half via Villach and the Karawanks Tunnel

The capital of Slovenia, and the only one of the three across the border: through the Karawanks Tunnel and you are there. The centre is car-free and compact: the Triple Bridge and the market halls by the architect Plečnik, the Dragon Bridge, the riverside terraces along the Ljubljanica, and above it all the castle, reached by funicular. For the day you need an ID card or passport, euros and the Slovenian e-vignette; the tunnel is paid separately at the toll station.

Culture

Ljubljana Castle with funicular, viewing tower and Museum of Puppetry
Triple Bridge, Dragon Bridge and the banks of the Ljubljanica
Tivoli Park
Ljubljana Card for museums and public transport

Shopping

Central market: Mon–Fri until 4 pm, Saturday until 2 pm, closed Sunday
Boutiques in the old town
BTC City: over 450 shops, Mon–Sat 9 am to 8 pm, with the Atlantis water park

car-free centre, one of the largest pedestrian zones in the EU
castle with funicular: € 19 including the return ride, family € 46
Plečnik's central market, Monday to Saturday
tunnel toll € 9 per trip, Slovenian weekly vignette € 16

Good to know

Sunday is for culture, not for shopping

In Austria and in Ljubljana, shops are closed on Sundays, and so are the markets. Plan shopping for Saturday or a weekday; the castle, the museums and the terraces are for Sunday.
Villach has the region's main railway station. If you would rather do one of the three without the car, drive to Villach and take the train from there to Klagenfurt or Ljubljana.
For Slovenia: buy the e-vignette online before you join the motorway (weekly vignette € 16 for a car); the Karawanks Tunnel costs € 9 per trip at the toll station. Slovenia uses the euro.
In Advent, Villach (from 13 November) and Klagenfurt (from 14 November) are both worth an afternoon; Villach has an ice rink on the Rathausplatz.

Sources: villach.at, visitklagenfurt.at, asfinag.at and evinjeta.dars.si.

Frequently asked questions about the cities

Which city is closest?+

Villach: 24 kilometres and half an hour by car. Klagenfurt is 56 kilometres away, about 50 minutes. Ljubljana is 115 kilometres away, a good hour and a half via Villach and the Karawanks Tunnel.

What do I need for a day in Ljubljana?+

An ID card or passport, the Slovenian e-vignette for the motorway (weekly vignette € 16 for a car, available online) and € 9 toll for the Karawanks Tunnel per trip. Slovenia uses the euro. Allow a good hour and a half of driving each way.

Are the shops open on Sunday?+

No. In Austria, shops are closed on Sundays, and in Ljubljana that also applies to BTC City and the central market. Sunday is a day for the castle, the museums and the terraces; plan shopping for Saturday or a weekday.

When are the markets?+

Villach: Wednesday and Saturday from 7 am to 1 pm on the Burgplatz. Klagenfurt: Benediktinermarkt on Thursday and Saturday from 6.30 am to 1 pm. Ljubljana: the central market from Monday to Saturday, closed on Sunday.

Does it work with children?+

Villach: the tower of the parish church (239 steps) and, in Advent, the ice rink on the Rathausplatz. Klagenfurt: Minimundus on Lake Wörthersee, 166 buildings at a scale of 1:25. Ljubljana: the funicular to the castle, the Museum of Puppetry in the castle and the Dragon Bridge.

Can I go without a car?+

From Feld am See, the car is the practical option. If you want to do one city without the car, drive to Villach: trains run from the station there to Klagenfurt and to Ljubljana.

Sleep by the lake, the city half an hour away?

Three apartments on the Brennsee, from € 115 per night.

Check availability

Figures: villach.at and visitvillach.at (Villach), SES (Atrio), klagenfurt.at, visitklagenfurt.at, city-arkaden-klagenfurt.at and minimundus.at (Klagenfurt), visitljubljana.com, ljubljanskigrad.si, lpt.si and btc-city.com (Ljubljana), asfinag.at and evinjeta.dars.si (toll and vignette), consulted on 19 September 2026. Driving times calculated from Erlachweg 8 on 19 September 2026. Prices and times are those of the operators; no rights can be derived from them.