Meta title: Visiting Southern Austria
Meta description: A school tour to the south of Austria is an excellent chance to explore Carinthia, Lake Wörthersee and Landskron Castle. Read on for more on these.
Meta keyword: School tour
Visiting southern Austria
There are few better places to consider visiting on a school tour than the lands of Austria. While you are travelling there are some places that you simply must see before returning home. Be sure to check out the natural beauty of Lake Wörthersee, the towering Landskron Castle and the entire state of Carinthia. Austria is situated in the heart of Europe, just to the north-east of Italy. A school tour to the country will show you why the country has one of the highest standards of living and give you an insight into its rich and interesting history. The capital city is Vienna; a city that many associate with music and the cultural scene, but one of the real treats of Austria is heading south.
Lake Wörthersee
In the heart of Austria’s Carinthia region sits Lake Wörthersee, a place of stunning natural beauty that is a perfect place to begin or end a school trip to this part of the country. Before you begin your exploration of the castles, towns and history, stop by this narrow and long body of water, which is flanked on the south and north by dense and steep wooded hills. In the distance you can see the Alps with their snow-caps and the distinctive blue-green colour of the waters will mesmerise you. Once the railway lines were opened up to the area in the nineteenth century Lake Wörthersee became a popular destination for the rich and famous. It is great in both summer and winter, where the waters get up to twenty-five degrees Celsius and can even freeze over, respectively.
Landskron Castle
One of the most impressive ruins that you will come across on a school tour in Carinthia are the ruins of the Landskron Castle, which is located just north of the Villach. First mentioned in 878 in a deed that discussed the estate as a whole, the castle itself was first mentioned in 1351. Built in the fourteenth century, and then rebuilt by Christoph Khevenhüller in a Renaissance style in the 1500s, there have been some disputations over who actually owned the castle throughout the years. In 1812, a fire tore through the castle and it fell into ruins after the owners neglected to rebuild it. But, in 1953, the remains were conserved and today there is even a restaurant in the castle ruins.
Carinthia
Also known as Kärnten, Carinthia is the southernmost state in the country. The history of the region dates back to well before the Duchy was formed in 745 A.D. In this state, the Alps rise and fall into lakes and the stunning natural beauty is one of the most important draws for those on a school tour to the area. In Carinthia one thing that you will notice is the juxtaposition of the modern towns and cities like Villach and Klagenfurt, with those of the medieval towns such as Gmünd and Friesach. Be sure to take a bit of time to visit the Gmünd Castle, which sits above the town and dates back to the mid-thirteenth century. Also, pop into the town of Sankt Veit an der Glan and see Hochosterwitz Castle, which is one of the most beloved in the country.