Discover Paternion: Architectural History, Art and the Drau

If, when choosing your hotel destination, you would like to consider history and art alongside activities on the Drau, Paternion offers several specific points of interest. Buildings and archaeological evidence tell stories of different eras; the cycle path, ferry and fishing add further options to consider when planning your trip.

Architectural History and Historic Traces

Paternion Parish Church was built in the Gothic style around 1350 and extended in the Baroque style in 1765. It is dedicated to Saint Paternianus. The church also contains Roman gravestones and a votive altar to Mithras, the Persian god of light. Medieval architectural history and evidence from Roman times thus share a common historical context.

The Plazotta House in Paternion is a two-storey Renaissance building. During renovation work in 1989, a sgraffito frieze dated 1585 was uncovered on its main façade. It depicts scenes from the Old and New Testaments in a Reformation-influenced visual style. The building and its façade decorations thus offer different insights into the architecture and religious imagery of their time.

The market fountain also brings a specific work of art together with the town's history: Franz Ehrenhöfer made the fountain from white marble, and Anna Plazotta donated it for the market square. A stone fairy holding a bunch of keys sits atop a small tower crowned with battlements. The choice of material, the donor and the fountain's unusual motif are different aspects to look out for when viewing this structure.

Around 400 AD, the Romans built a fortified complex on Dueler Hill. The foundations of an Early Christian pillar basilica can still be seen there. These two features point to different historical uses of the same hill. Paternion Castle is also a listed historic building.

Art in Different Settings

Haus Grünspan in Feffernitz is housed in a former stable building and serves as a venue for contemporary art. The building's former use and its present-day function offer a different perspective from the historic buildings in the townscape.

The Himmelstreppe in Pöllan is a 21-step work of art near the village of Feistritz an der Drau. Its steps appear to lead into empty space. This illusion of continuing onward makes the staircase a distinctive artistic feature of Paternion's cultural landscape.

Drau Cycle Path, Ferry and Activities

In the municipality of Paternion, the Drau Cycle Path passes through an unspoilt floodplain landscape. The market towns of Paternion and Weißenstein restored the Lansach–Feffernitz ferry as part of a tourism project on the Drau Cycle Path R1 and connected it to the long-distance cycle route. In doing so, they also revived a centuries-old tradition.

Depending on the weather, the ferry operates during the summer months, often until September. Take this seasonal and weather-dependent service into account when planning, and check before setting off whether the ferry is scheduled to run during your visit. This makes the ferry a separate planning consideration alongside the route itself.

Visitors with a fishing guest card can fish along about 10 kilometres of the Drau in Paternion. The outdoor swimming pool in Paternion is open during the summer months. The two activities have different requirements: a guest card is relevant for fishing, while the swimming pool operates seasonally. If you include these activities in your travel plans, check the respective conditions in advance.

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Discover more destinations: Arriach, Fahrendorf, Weißenstein, Oberfederaun, Sankt Jakob Im Rosental, Goritschach, Treffen Am Ossiacher See, Stockenboi

Go to the main travel overview: Villach.