Pörtschach
Pörtschach am Wörthersee is a city in the Wörthersee region of Carinthia (Kärnten), Austria.
Get in
Pörtschach can be easily reached by train. Pörtschach has one 1 railway station, right at the centre of the city. It has daily connections to Vienna. You might also notice that the Austrian train system uses Pörtschach and Pörtschach am Wörthersee interchangeably.
Get around
Pörtschach is such a small city that by far the most of it can be reached by foot.
See
The views of the local lake, Wörther See, and the Alps beyond are the main sight. You can see them from high points, from the banks of the lake and from boats on the lake.
You can also see many elegant villas that have views of the lake by walking around town.
Finally, there is a local parish church with stained glass windows.
Do
- 1 World Bodypainting Festival. 10 AM to 2 AM. The world's biggest and most famous body painting festival. Held on a weekend in early July. About a hundred artists and models from all around the world, plus thousands of visitors. Provides great opportunities for art photography. Also includes live music by various bands, street food and bars. 55 € for a 3-day pass.
- 2 Lake Wörthersee. Go swimming in the lake Wörthersee, right south of the city centre. The water is extremely clean and clear, and very warm in the middle of the summer.
Note that pretty much the entire shore of the lake Wörthersee is private property, because of the dense population of Austria. This means that in practice, you have to be a guest of a lakeside hotel ("Seehotel" in German) to actually get to the lake shore, and even then you can only visit your own hotel's property. Your hotel will tell you where its share of the lake shore is, and provide you with a key if one is necessary. It is advised to bring your own swimming costume and towel.
The lake itself is public property, so you can swim anywhere you like. Just note not to trespass on private properties at the shore.
When swimming far from the shore, watch out for speedboats, as these are common nearer the centre of the lake.
Buy
Eat
Drink
- 1 Café Bar 188, Hauptstraße 188, office@cafe-bar-188.at. 3 PM to 4 AM in winter, 11 AM to 4 AM in summer. A spacious, trendy and comfortable bar right in the middle of the city. Also functions as pretty much the only night club in Pörtschach. Has a spacious terrace. Hosts various events almost all year round. Beer about 3.30 €.
- 2 Schwarze Luft, Hauptstraße 177, ☏ +43 664 3418656. A small, no-frills pub located right in the centre of Pörtschach. One of the very few establishments in Pörtschach to stay open after midnight. Good choices in beer and other drinks, but food only comes in the way of snacks. Beer 3.70 €.
Sleep
- 1 Ambassador, Moosburger Straße 51, ☏ +43-660-4215208, gottfried.samitz@aon.at. A large and comfortable hotel in central Pörtschach, but a bit far away from the lake shore. Note that to get to the hotel, you have to walk through thick columns of trees and bushes. Rooms starting from 62 € / night.
- 2 Hotel Balance, Winklernerstraße 68, ☏ +43 4272 2479, office@balancehotel.at. A luxurious hotel concentrating on the well-being of the mind and the body. Various opportunities for relaxation, exercise and treatment available on-site. The rooms are very spacious and stylishly decorated. Of course, the prices reflect this. Prices are given per person - double rooms starting from 176 € (88 € / person).
- Werzer's Hotels am Wörthersee, Werzerpromenade 8, Pörtschach Austria, ☏ +43 4272-22310. 4-star spa resorts in three different parts of the Wörthersee: Pörtschach, Techelsberg and Velden.
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