Villach

Coat of Arms	Map
File:Villach CoA.png Coat of Arms of the City of Villach
General information
Federal State:	Carinthia
Bezirk:	Villach (Statutarstadt)
Area:	134.89 km²
Population:	57,612 (2002)
Population density:	428/km²
Elevation:	501 m
Postal code:	A-9500
Area code:	+43 4242
Location:	46°37′30″N 13°50′03″E
Community Identification Number:	20201
Address of the City Hall:	Rathausplatz 1 A-9500 Villach
Website:	http://www.villach.at
e-mail:	service@villach.at
Politics
Mayor:	Helmut Manzenreiter (SPÖ)
Map: Villach in Carinthia

Villach (Slovenian Beljak) is the second largest city in Carinthia in the south of Austria, on the river Drau (Slovenian Drave) . It currently has 57,646 inhabitants.

History

The oldest human traces found in Villach date back to 3500 BC. A lot of Roman artefacts were found there. Villach got its first mayor in the 16th century. On January 25, 1348 an earthquake destroyed a big part of Villach followed by another earthquake in 1690. There were also several fires in Villach which destroyed a lot of buildings. During the time of Napoleon's reign Villach was a part of France. It was reconquered in 1813.

Geography

View across the river Drau towards the south

In the surroundings of Villach there are several lakes:

• Lake Ossiach (Ossiacher See)
• Lake Faak (Faaker See)

Villach is also surrounded by the mountains of the Alps which are used for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. It is located half an hour by train or car from the border to Italy or Slovenia.

Festivals

There are several festivals throughout the year:

• the carnival in Villach (it starts on November 11 and ends on March 4)
• the arts and crafts festival (with self made goods)
• the streets-art festival (with performances of artist and singers)
• the church day
• performances at a stage along the Drave

Notable citizens

• Herwig Putzi
• Bruno Gironcoli
• Paul Watzlawick

External link

• Villach