1st DAY: Visit Millstatt Abbey with its marvelous church and the museum with numerous pieces from medieval times and the Romanesque. Afterwards, go to Lake Millstätter See for having a drink in KAP 4613, a bar floating on the lake. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat trip on Lake Millstätter See and a short walk on Domitian pilgrim’s way. In the evening, you could have dinner at one of the partners of the “Reinanken Wirte” cooperation serving delicious fish they catch at Lake Millstätter See every day.
2nd DAY: Today you should explore Lake Wörthersee. You can take a boat to go to the peninsula of Maria Wörth on the south bank of the lake. The two churches on the peninsula welcome you from afar. The bigger one is a famous sanctuary. Both of them bear impressive testimony to Romanesque art. Afterwards, head towards Klagenfurt and have lunch at the Restaurant Maria Loretto. It’s a great place directly situated by Lake Wörthersee with a lovely view of the lake. The capital of Carinthia is a charming city with an attractive pedestrian area surrounded by historic buildings mainly from the Renaissance era. You can tell Italy is not far away. Return to Maria Wörth for dinner. The hotel “Die Linde”will be a great place for enjoying delicious food and amarvellous sunset.
3rd DAY: Today, you will go to Friesach but don’t miss a stop at yet another outstanding Romanesque heritage monument: Gurk Cathedral. Friesach is a small town and it is an impressive reference to former times. Numerous churches and ruins of cloisters are situated in the town and on the surrounding hills. Enjoy the nice view from Petersberg Castle, where you should visit the museum and the church with its famous statue of Saint Mary (Romanesque art). Back down in the center, you shouldn’t miss a visit to Craigher’s, an attractive café which produces very high-quality chocolate and where you can watch the chocolate being made. In the afternoon, go to the area a little way outside the city where a medieval castle is being built with authentic methods, working processes and plans. The castle will not be finished for another 30 years. For dinner you should visit ‘Brauerei Hirt’ in Micheldorf (5 km from Friesach). It’s a private brewery with a restaurant serving delicious regional food and numerous variations of beer.
4th DAY: Today, you could have an excursion to other medieval periods. First, visit the Abbey of Maria Saal. Afterwards, just a few minutes away catch another glimpse of Carinthian history. The “Herzogstuhl” was the place where in former times the Dukes of Carinthia made the laws. Then, have lunch at the comfortable ‘Gasthaus Tatzer’ on the parking area of ‘Burg Hochosterwitz’ before you explore this spectacular castle with 14 gates on the way to the top. In the late afternoon, go up to Magdalensberg, also a historic place,where the Romans and Celts settled. Here, you can see the ruins of their large town. On the top of the hill you will have a lovely view over Carinthia. Why don’t you remain here for dinner? The restaurant is very recommendable.
5th DAY: On the last day, have a look beyond the borders and visit the capital of Slovenia, the city of Laibach / Ljubljana. This interesting city is very lively. The city center is dominated by the castle high above the city and the river Ljubljanica. On both banks numerous bars, restaurants and coffee houses invite you to have a short break, and there are many options for lunch. In the afternoon, you can make a short trip outside Ljubljana to Stična, a cloister ruin from the Romanesque period. On the way back to Lake Wörthersee you can also have a break in Bled, a village within majestic mountains. Bled is famous for its lake, castle and for Kremšnita (cream cake) – a delicious dessert made from eggs, cream and the secret ingredients in the ones served at the Hotel Park. For dinner, you can walk to the castle of Bled with its famous, elegant restaurant.
Download here your printable version of this travel suggestion!