With its façades in shades of yellow, ochre and rose, the historic centre is devoured like an Italian ice cream. It can easily be covered on foot in 30 to 40 minutes (it is an entirely pedestrian precinct), but it is delightful: an extremely well-preserved complex of great architectural unity.

 

This small masterpiece is the result of a disaster: the town was completely razed to the ground by an earthquake and fire in the 16th century, and rebuilt in Renaissance style by Italian architects. The result is grid pattern town planning and over 50 arcaded courtyards with a very Mediterranean feel, many of them open to the public.

 

 

The other statue with a haughty bearing is of none other than Empress Maria Theresa, and dates from 1873. At the west side of the square, the Rathaus (town hall) has watched over the destiny of the town since 1580; this is where you will find the Tourist Office.

 

Boasting cafes and shops, it is nevertheless on Alter Platz, on the site of the old mediaeval square, that the locals come in search of a little liveliness. It is lined with beautiful houses and colourful palaces, including the old Rathaus (1600).

 

The Trinity Column, erected in 1689, commemorates the great plague of 1679. Later on, a cross dominating a crescent was added to the top of it to recall the victory of the Viennese over the Turks.

 

With its terraces and palm trees reinforcing the southern character, the Alterplatz is the ideal place to have a break and enjoy an ice cream or cappuccino.

 

 

 

 

The main must-see monument is the Landaus (1590), an impressive building recognisable by its two towers and arcaded courtyard.

 

The seat of the government of Carinthia is particularly remarkable for its Groβer Wappensaal, a state room whose walls are adorned with 665 coats of arms and the ceiling with a magnificent trompe l’oeil fresco. The other interesting feature of the Landhaus, and no mean one at that, is that here you can sample traditional cuisine at the restaurant that occupies the ground floor, and make the most of a beautiful terrace between Italian-style arcades.

 

You will find it harder to spot the St Peter and Paul Cathedral (Dom), set in a complex of modern, rather uninteresting buildings. The Baroque-style interior is dripping with marble, stucco and gilding and is really worth a look.

 

 

The house where one of the most important writers of the 20th century was born stands opposite the station, 5 minutes from the fan zone that will be set up on the site of the Exhibition Centre for the UEFA matches.

 

Robert Musil spent only the first year of his life in this house, but this is the only museum that is dedicated to him. Here you will find a number of personal items: manuscripts, his typewriter, original editions of his works, clothes, his death mask, etc.

 

Let’s not forget that the very sporty Musil discovered the technique of the crawl when holidaying on the shores of Lake Wörthersee, and subsequently devoted intensive training to this stroke.

 

 

In the summer months most Austrian, Italian and German tourists who go to Klagenfurt don’t go there for its heritage but for its lake: Wörthersee.

 

Following the First World War, the Austrians having lost Trieste – their only opening onto the sea – Lake Wörthersee became their Riviera, as it were. But this negative explanation does not take into account the specific features of this charming alpine lake, which some Italian holidaymakers seem to prefer to the Adriatic.

 

 

 

It’s hard to imagine that in winter, when the temperature generally falls to between minus 15 and minus 20°, it is, on the other hand, not rare for Lake Wörthersee to be completely frozen over – to the great delight of skaters.

 

 

 

Although, strictly speaking, Klagenfurt does not front onto the lake, the town centre is only about 4 km away. So nothing could be simpler than getting there by bicycle or boat. The tourist office hires out bicycles, with the option of leaving them in different places.

 

Since the town is linked to the lake by a canal (the Lendkanal) it is also possible to get there by boat. By bicycle or on foot, the safest way to reach the lake via cycle paths and footpaths is to follow the banks of the canal. You will pass through an attractive residential district along shaded banks.

 

The Lendkanal emerges at the Europapark, a landscaped park covering 22 hectares at the lakeside, with a campsite, a beach with facilities (the Stranbad), a marina and even an attraction for children, Minimundus, where over 170 monuments from all over the world are represented at a scale of 1/25.

 

Klagenfurt is expecting around 120,000 people to attend each of the three UEFA matches. Since the newly built stadium has a capacity of 32,000 seats, there are likely to be quite a few fans in the streets at match time.

 

The council has provided for several “fan zones” to accommodate these supporters, who will be mainly Austrian, German, Croatian, Slovenian, Polish and Italian.

 

 

The biggest one, which will be located on the site of Klagenfurt’s Exhibition Centre (Messe), 5 minutes from the station and a 10-minute walk from the town centre, can accommodate 25,000 people and will be equipped with a 60 m² giant screen.