Spittal an der Drau: Porcia Castle, the Drau and the town’s history

Across two floors of Porcia Castle, the Museum of Folk Culture offers “1001 ways” to discover the cultural history of Upper Carinthia. Its attractions include the walk-in Carinthia Panorama “i steh´ drauf!”: a 200-square-metre zoom-in map of Carinthia. The smartphone audio guide is available in German, English, Italian and Slovenian. The museum, large-scale map and audio guide offer different ways to explore the region’s cultural history and its portrayal of Carinthia.

Music, art and architectural history

Founded in 2009, the “Porcia Klassik” cultural project brings music ranging from the Baroque era to the present to the Music Room or the Ancestral Hall at Porcia Castle. The Porcia Comedy Festival was founded in 1961. Another cultural offering is the cultural walking tour of Spittal an der Drau, which provides insights into the town’s cultural life, past and present.

The gallery at Porcia Castle presents contemporary visual art in the 500-year-old columned vault of the Salamanca Cellar, offering a representative cross-section of works. For several years, the municipality has made the Parkschlössl available as an exhibition space for artists and self-taught artists during the summer months. This seasonal use adds another exhibition venue to the art offerings at the castle.

Architectural history can also be read in a variety of features. The “Spittl” was built in the first half of the 16th century and subsequently modified several times. It is a Renaissance building with a two-storey arcaded courtyard and a Neoclassical façade. Construction of the Khevenhüller Palace began in the 1530s as a Renaissance town palace. Thus, a building with later modifications stands alongside a town palace whose construction date is on record.

The Drau, the lake and the Goldeck

The approximately twelve-metre-high Auenturm offers a view over the Drau’s river landscape and its valuable floodplain areas in the Spittaler Feld. Lake Millstatt is in the vicinity of Spittal an der Drau, separated from it only by a small hill. The river landscape viewed from the Auenturm and the nearby lake therefore offer two distinct natural settings to consider when planning your trip.

The Drau Cycle Path follows the Drau to Spittal an der Drau. On the Goldeck, the Five-Peak Tour passes over the Goldeck, Martennock, Staff, Eckwand and Latschur. The Goldeck cable car runs from the valley at 547 metres up to the Goldeck excursion and hiking area at 1,780 metres. The Goldeck Children’s Land also has a summer tubing run. The options described therefore range from a cycling route along the river to a named summit tour and a seasonal activity.

Getting here and your stay

InterCity trains and S-Bahn services stop at Spittal an der Drau/Millstätter See station at frequent intervals. If you plan to travel by train, check the current timetable in advance. The station is also a useful landmark for finding drautal perle: it is a 12-minute walk away.

The wellness area at drautal perle has a whirlpool, a log sauna, a steam salt sauna, an herbal sauna, a Finnish sauna and an infrared cabin. A weekly market is held on Thursdays at the town hall square, where you can sample the goods. If you want to balance markets, culture and scenery during your stay, you’ll find a range of options: the weekly market, cultural attractions, and the routes and viewpoints described above.

Discover more destinations: Weinberg, Katschberghöhe, Berg im Drautal, Bad Kleinkirchheim, Großkirchheim, Eisentratten, Techendorf, Winklern, Weissensee, Teuchl, Steinfeld, Seeboden, Rennweg am Katschberg, Reißeck, Radenthein, Rangersdorf, Obervellach, Oberdrauburg, Mörtschach, Mühldorf, Millstatt, Maltaberg, Mallnitz, Kolbnitz, Döbriach, Irschen, Innerkrems, Heiligenblut am Großglockner, Gmünd in Kärnten, Gatschach, Flattach, Döllach, Dellach im Drautal, Baldramsdorf, Görtschach, Stampfen, Malta, Sappl, Stall, Kleblach-Lind, Pattendorf, Penk, Spittal an der Drau, Obergottesfeld, Pesenthein, Lieserbrücke, Greifenburg, Trebesing, Aschbach, Asten, Lendorf, Pfaffenberg, Oberkolbnitz, Söbriach, Kremsbrücke, Napplach, Sankt Oswald, Egg, Emberg, Sachsenburg, Tschierweg, Außerfragant

Go to the main travel overview: Carinthia.