Going on vacation to the Austrian region of Carinthia is a wonderful experience, to try both in summer and in winter. The Tourist Card allows you to discover all the attractions of the place and to vacation just like the locals.
The beautiful region Carinthia, in south of Austria: snow in winter, very sunny in summer; mountains, lakes, interesting towns, typical villages and… spas! It is also very close to our borders and easily reachable from Friuli Venezia Giulia. I have been there many times, both summer and winter, and have often taken advantage of the advantages of the Kärnten Card, the tourist map of Carinthia.
The Carinthian tourist card: how it works
This card has existed since the late 90s when we, in Italy, were just starting to talk about it and it can always be purchased directly at the hotel where you are staying, as well as at tourist offices and, of course, online. It takes a week, two weeks or five weeks, in one summer version or three, seven, fourteen days in the winter version. But even within the summer season there are sub-seasons, cheaper as we move away from the period June / September. This card is therefore extremely flexible and extremely useful.
All inclusive
It includes a lot of attractions, but when I say a lot, trust me, there are so many and scattered throughout Carinthian region, which makes you see a lot. It includes very useful services such as the ski lifts to take a stretch of walk, go up with the mountain bike or on skis, and also some real MUST SEEs such as the 3000 meters of the Grossglockner glacier, one of the destinations that I recommend.
Not just the mountains
But Carinthia is not only synonymous with mountains, in summer it is hot and there are lakes and a beautiful one seaside tradition, also testified by the numerous water adventure parks which can be accessed with the card. Navigation on two large lakes in the area, Ossiacher See and Millstätter See is included.
To reach some high and panoramic points there are alpine roads that require a toll: the card includes them.
Then there are museums, planetariums, mines, distilleries… I can't list them all.
In the winter version, however, the entrances to the wonderful spas of which Carinthia is so rich. There is nothing more beautiful than bathing in warm water surrounded by snow. The spas you can access are those of the establishment St. Katrein in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Villach Carinthian Thermal Baths, the indoor swimming pool of Klagenfurt, the municipal swimming pool of Mallnitz and the water park of Spittal.
Services for children
La Kärnten Card is child friendly, which up to 6 years do not pay, and over 6 years enjoy a reduced price. For the little ones, KäCa has been provided, the mascot puppet that distinguishes all the activities suitable for them. KäCa is also the protagonist of the children's catalog, who are able to choose from among the attractions the one that interests them most. At the information or ticket office of each destination as children, stickers are distributed which can be attached to the brochure to win a prize. And the catalog, guess what, is very rich: from animal museums to car museums, from adventure parks to pools with slides, from natural caves to waterfalls, from reptile exhibitions to those on ibex. Children love theme parks: Heidi's was very fashionable a few years ago (I don't know if Heidi's cartoon is still popular with Italian children today!)
Why buy the Carinthian Tourist Card
The Kärnten Card is worth it: without a shadow of a doubt if you have children, but also if we are only adults. Especially in summer it is a stimulus to move from the place where we have chosen to take the holiday to get to know new places. It gives the opportunity to have sometimes naive experiences, sometimes researched on new things. It brings us closer to the way of vacationing of the Austrians and Germans, which consists in the enhancement of even small but typical things. A way of promoting from which we have a lot to learn.
Photo credits Kärnten Card
