Worthersee

Worthersee runs about sixteen kilometres west from the edge of Klagenfurt to Velden, and it warms more than any other large lake in Austria, often reaching the mid twenties by late summer. That is why the shore is so built up: villas, hotels and enclosed lidos take most of the bank, and free access points are few. Boats work the length of the lake through the season, which is the best way to see it, and a small church stands on a peninsula at Maria Worth about halfway along. The north shore carries the railway and the main road, while the south side is quieter, greener and slower to drive.

History

The lake is first named as Werdse in a deed of 1143, from the Old High German word for island, after its islands, of which Maria Wörth became a peninsula when the Glanfurt outlet was built in 1770, as did the former island of Maria Loretto. Until the 19th century it was called Werdersee, island lake, but also Klagenfurt Lake or Velden Lake (Wikipedia, Wörthersee).

What's there

• The lidos - fenced bathing complexes with piers, lawns and changing rooms, including a very large one on the Klagenfurt shore.
• The lake boats - scheduled passenger services between Klagenfurt, Maria Worth and Velden, calling at village piers.
• Maria Worth - a small church on a wooded peninsula pushing out into the middle of the lake.
• The south shore road - the quieter bank, with woods coming down to the water and fewer hotels.

When to go

July and August for warm water, and for the crowds that come with it. June and September are the compromise: still swimmable, far less busy, easier parking. Boat services thin out in the shoulder season and stop in winter. Weekday mornings at the lidos are noticeably calmer than weekend afternoons.

Good to know

Most of the shoreline is private or fenced, so a swim usually means paying at a lido. Velden is expensive and self-consciously smart. Summer traffic on the north shore road backs up, and parking near the water is charged and scarce. Anyone expecting a wild alpine lake will find a developed resort strip instead.

Nearby

Klagenfurt is at the east end, and the Pyramidenkogel tower stands on the hills to the south.

Key facts