What You Need To Know

Villach s the seventh-largest city in Austria and the second-largest in the federal state of Carinthia. It represents an important traffic junction for southern Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. Together with other Alpine towns Villach engages in the Alpine Town of the Year Association for the implementation of the Alpine Convention to achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc. In 1997, Villach was the first town to be awarded Alpine Town of the Year.
Villach is a city on the Drava River in the Austrian province of Carinthia, near the Italian and Slovenian borders. It’s known as a gateway to nearby lakes Faak and Ossiach, as well as the Villach Alps. On the main square, St. Jakob’s Church steeple has sweeping views. Nearby in Schillerpark, the Relief von Kärnten is a giant 3D scale model of Carinthia. On the outskirts, Warmbad-Villach has modern thermal baths.

Population: 61,221(2016)
Area: 52.09 mi²

Currency

The unit of currency in Austria is the Euro (€), which is divided into 100 cents. Foreign visitors can exchange their currency at banks and exchange bureaus, as well as in ATMs. Euro Notes (Bills) are available in denominations of 5,10,20,50,100 and 500 Euros, and coins in 1 and 2 Euros and 1,2,5,10, 20 and 50 Cents.

Climate

In Villach, the climate is warm and temperate. Villach is a city with a significant rainfall. Even in the driest month there is a lot of rain. According to Köppen and Geiger, this climate is classified as Cfb. The temperature here averages 8.6 °C. In a year, the average rainfall is 1220 mm.

Language

The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Bavarian group. Carinthian Slovene dialects, which predominated in the southern part of the region up to the first half of the 20th century, are now spoken by a small minority.

Transport

Villach has no domestic or international airport. If you are travelling by plane you have to go to Klagenfurt (40 kilometres from Villach) which has an airport.
Villach is a quite small town, so it is easy to get around on foot. Taxis can be found near the railway station and in the centre of the city near Hauptplatz. Federal buses go to the surrounding area from the local Busbahnhof (busterminal,located a few minutes away from the railway station). Local busline no.10 (operated by a company called Kowatsch) goes around the historic city centre. Getting around by car can be tiring since parking space is rare during weekdays and traffic jams at business hours are very common. During weekdays parking fees are charged in most areas around the centre of the city.

Safety

Villach, like most Austrian cities, is safe to wander around. There will be occasional drunk people during festivities, but police visibility is evident. It is advisable to take precautionary measures when traveling, similarly to traveling to other European cities.