A gem in Carinthia
The Millstätter See, covering 13 km², stretches with its elongated shape from Seeboden and Spittal an der Drau in the north-west to Döbriach and Ferndorf in the south-east. The lake is bordered by the mountains of the Nockberge National Park and the Hohe Tauern National Park.
The second largest bathing lake in Carinthia will win you over with its good water quality. It is also one of the warmest lakes, because it is not fed by an inflow but by springs in the lake. In summer the water reaches up to 27 °C, so even small children can splash about freely.
The air here is particularly mild and clean, which makes the area around the lake a climatic health resort.
The name of the lake comes from the village of Millstatt and is said to refer to the Latin „mille statuae“(a thousand statues) that the Carinthian duke Domitian is said to have had thrown into the lake after he adopted Christianity.
There are 8 municipalities around the Millstätter See (Baldramsdorf, Döbriach/Radenthein, Ferndorf, Fresach, Lendorf, Millstatt, Seeboden and Spittal an der Drau), and they shape local life considerably.
Millstätter See in winter: five resorts within half an hour's drive
There is no skiing directly on the lakeshore. The regional tourist office presents five resorts nearby with more than 200 km of pistes: Bad Kleinkirchheim (103 km), Turracher Höhe (43 km), Sportberg Goldeck (30 km), Hochrindl (21 km) and Heidi Alm Skipark Falkert (11 km). The journey there takes around 30 minutes.
Bad Kleinkirchheim has 11 km of blue, 84 km of red and 8 km of black pistes between 1,100 and 2,055 m above sea level; about 97% of the runs have snowmaking. Sportberg Goldeck has 30 km of pistes, 9 lifts and the longest black piste in the Alps – the 8.5 km S1 run with 1,600 metres of vertical.
The region has over 60 km of cross-country trails, among them the Römerloipe 8 km, the Sportloipe 2.5 km, Ebene Reichenau–Gnesau 32 km and the Weitental-Loipe on Turracher Höhe 7.2 km. You can skate on the frozen lakes Turracher See, Brennsee and Afritzer See; on Turracher See at 1,763 m above sea level the ice reaches up to one metre.
Millstätter See in summer: water, mountains and warmth!
The wide range of leisure activities runs from sailing through swimming and golf to cycling.
The many themed hiking trails around the Millstätter See show that hiking here can also be combined with visits to cultural sights. The landscape between the lake and the mountains holds about 500 km of hiking trails: the longest trail, the “Millstätter See Höhensteig”, can be divided into 8 stages and its total walking time is about 13 days.
Are you drawn to the mysterious? The mystical mountain Mirnock „Orte der Kraft“(place of power) is a place with extraordinary energetic properties that show unusual earth vibrations. Such places can be perceived as a pleasant tingling, warmth or cold. The special positive vibrations and radiation have a harmonising effect on people, animals and nature.
Another attractive destination is the “Alpenwildpark” in Feld am See, a paradise for children! On roughly 11 hectares you have direct and safe contact with more than 30 animals such as wild boar, deer, mouflon or ibex. You will also find an African museum, a fish museum and a grizzly world here.
Do you long for a touch of the past? From April to October you can immerse yourself in the Middle Ages at the knights' games at Sommeregg Castle.
As for sports, the area around the Millstätter See is popular with paragliders. The dream of flying is almost as old as the history of mankind, and here you can make that dream come true. The flying school “Flugschule Fly Carinthia Fischer Gerhard” offers paragliding and hang-gliding courses and, for newcomers, tandem flights and courses.
If instead you want to explore the underwater world of the Millstätter See, visit the local diving centres in Millstatt, Döbriach or Seeboden, where they will recommend the finest diving spots or teach you the basics of diving right away.
TIP:
For advanced and very good golfers there is the “Golfclub Millstätter See” golf course at the Millstätter See, which has been a repeated host of the “European Challenge Tour”. You can use the golf school under the training guidance of the well-known golf professional Paul Thompson, who has many years of experience teaching beginners and advanced players.
Accommodation in the destination
A holiday at the Millstätter See? Uniquely beautiful chalets that offer plenty of space for the whole family, apartments, hotels. You can choose all of it from our offer!
Typical cuisine in the destination
You can taste everything that house and farm, kitchen and cellar, high alpine pastures and fields have to offer. Delicious cheeses, juicy roasts, dishes close to Italian cuisine together with local specialities such as “gefüllter Butter” - butter filled with poppy seeds, or alpine cheese from Kaslab’n.