Wörthersee
Encyclopedia
The Wörthersee is an alpine
lake
in the southern Austria
n state of Carinthia
.
The lake is elongated, about 20 km long and 1–2 km wide. It stretches from the Carinthian capital Klagenfurt
in the east to Velden
in the west. It is flanked to the north and south by steep alpine foothills
covered with dense forests, beyond which snow-capped alpine peaks are visible. The lake's water is a distinctive blue-green colour and transparent.
In the early nineteenth century the marshy shores were home only to a handful of poor peasants. The building of the Austrian Southern Railway
(Südbahn), in the middle of the nineteenth century quickly turned the Wörthersee into an exclusive summer retreat for Vienna
's nobility
.
The northern shore is densely built-up. The motorway and railway mainline occupy the narrow space between the steep hills and the shore. Main towns are Krumpendorf
, Pörtschach and Velden
.
The southern shore is quieter and less developed.
In winter, the region is often covered by snow and approximately every 10 years the lake freezes over, attracting numerous ice skaters.
, in recent decades tourism around Lake Wörthersee has suffered from tough competition from package holiday
s to cheaper overseas destinations. As a response a number of local businesses have tried to focus on niches such as high quality tourism, family tourism or golf and horse-riding vacations.
Most tourists visit the Lake in the months of July and August when water temperatures reach 25°C. A large proportion of visitors return every summer and some own or rent holiday homes along the shore. The vast majority of visitors come from Vienna
, northern Germany
and the Netherlands
. The largest Volkswagen
and Audi
car show in Europe is held in the lakeside town of Refnitz (usually May) every year since 1981.
Lake Wörth and its basin in the central Carinthian foothills were largely formed by glaciers during the last ice age
. It is Carinthia's largest lake. The lake is divided into three basins by islands and peninsulas. The western basin stretches from Velden to Pörtschach, the central basin from Pörtschach to Maria Wörth and the eastern basin from Maria Wörth to Klagenfurt. The lake's distributary is the Glanfurt, eventually flowing into the Drau river via the Glan
and Gurk
rivers.
The lake's name originates from its islands (Schlangeninsel
and Kapuzinerinsel; the former islands Maria Wörth and Maria Loretto
are now peninsulas). Until the 19th century the lake was called
"Werdersee", or island lake.
Lake Wörth's fauna is dominated by fish typically found in alpine lakes.
The most common species are the pike
(Esox lucius)
and the common whitefish
(Coregonus lavaretus).
motorway (European Route E66
) from Vienna to Italy passes along the northern side of the lake, as does the B83 Kärntner Straße
highway connecting Klagenfurt with Villach and the Südbahn railway line from Vienna
to Venice
. There is also a cycle path along the northern shore. In summer, passenger boats connect the largest settlements. The number of private speedboats is strictly limited by a quota system to limit the environmental damage and hazard to swimmers.
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the southern Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n state of Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
.
General facts
Klagenfurt
-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
in the east to Velden
Velden am Wörther See
Velden am Wörthersee is a market town in the district of Villach-Land in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Situated at the western shore of the Wörthersee lake it is one of the most popular holiday resorts of Austria....
in the west. It is flanked to the north and south by steep alpine foothills
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
covered with dense forests, beyond which snow-capped alpine peaks are visible. The lake's water is a distinctive blue-green colour and transparent.
In the early nineteenth century the marshy shores were home only to a handful of poor peasants. The building of the Austrian Southern Railway
Austrian Southern Railway
The Austrian Southern Railway was an Austrian railway company established in 1841...
(Südbahn), in the middle of the nineteenth century quickly turned the Wörthersee into an exclusive summer retreat for Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
's nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
.
The northern shore is densely built-up. The motorway and railway mainline occupy the narrow space between the steep hills and the shore. Main towns are Krumpendorf
Krumpendorf
Krumpendorf am Wörther See is a town in the district of Klagenfurt-Land in Carinthia in south central Austria.- External links :* - city website...
, Pörtschach and Velden
Velden am Wörther See
Velden am Wörthersee is a market town in the district of Villach-Land in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Situated at the western shore of the Wörthersee lake it is one of the most popular holiday resorts of Austria....
.
The southern shore is quieter and less developed.
In winter, the region is often covered by snow and approximately every 10 years the lake freezes over, attracting numerous ice skaters.
Tourism
The Mediterranean climate and clean, warm water make the lake a popular tourist destination in summer. Although the region around the lake has been termed Austria's Monte CarloMonte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, in recent decades tourism around Lake Wörthersee has suffered from tough competition from package holiday
Package holiday
A package holiday or package tour consists of transport and accommodation advertised and sold together by a vendor known as a tour operator. Other services may be provided like a rental car, activities or outings during the holiday. Transport can be via charter airline to a foreign country...
s to cheaper overseas destinations. As a response a number of local businesses have tried to focus on niches such as high quality tourism, family tourism or golf and horse-riding vacations.
Most tourists visit the Lake in the months of July and August when water temperatures reach 25°C. A large proportion of visitors return every summer and some own or rent holiday homes along the shore. The vast majority of visitors come from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, northern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The largest Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
car show in Europe is held in the lakeside town of Refnitz (usually May) every year since 1981.
Geography
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. It is Carinthia's largest lake. The lake is divided into three basins by islands and peninsulas. The western basin stretches from Velden to Pörtschach, the central basin from Pörtschach to Maria Wörth and the eastern basin from Maria Wörth to Klagenfurt. The lake's distributary is the Glanfurt, eventually flowing into the Drau river via the Glan
Glan (Gurk)
The Glan is a river in Carinthia, Austria, a right tributary of the Gurk.It rises north of the Wörthersee in the Ossiacher Tauern mountains, then running through Feldkirchen, going northeastwards passing Glanegg Castle until it reaches Sankt Veit where it bends sharply towards south...
and Gurk
Gurk
Gurk may mean:*A river in Carinthia, Austria: Gurk River*A river in Carniola, Slovenia: Krka *A market town in the District of Sankt Veit an der Glan, Carinthia: Gurk...
rivers.
The lake's name originates from its islands (Schlangeninsel
and Kapuzinerinsel; the former islands Maria Wörth and Maria Loretto
are now peninsulas). Until the 19th century the lake was called
"Werdersee", or island lake.
The most common species are the pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
(Esox lucius)
and the common whitefish
Common whitefish
Coregonus lavaretus is a species of freshwater whitefish, in the family Salmonidae. It is the type species of its genus Coregonus.There are widely different concepts about the number of species in the genus Coregonus and the delimitation of the species Coregonus lavaretus.-Lavaret:In a narrow...
(Coregonus lavaretus).
Transportation
The A2 Süd AutobahnAutobahns of Austria
The Austrian autobahns are controlled-access highways in Austria. They are officially called Bundesstraßen A according to the Austrian federal road act...
motorway (European Route E66
International E-road network
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe . The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders...
) from Vienna to Italy passes along the northern side of the lake, as does the B83 Kärntner Straße
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
highway connecting Klagenfurt with Villach and the Südbahn railway line from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. There is also a cycle path along the northern shore. In summer, passenger boats connect the largest settlements. The number of private speedboats is strictly limited by a quota system to limit the environmental damage and hazard to swimmers.