Villach, Austria Travel Guide. Foodie Stopover on the Trail of Wolfgang Puck

Villach Things to Do

The church in the citypark is protestant and was built in neo gothic style from 1901-1903. Behind the church you will find a park with a garden. Also in the city park you will find a large children's playground.

The church of the holy cross was built from 1726. The benediction of the church was in 1744 and the inauguration in 1751. The church is built in baroque style.

Until the end of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy the church was very popular with pilgrims and later for weddings. Since WW2 it is one of the parish churches of Villach.

The church is situated in the Perau part of town which used to be an independent village once upon a time. Today it's still walking distance from the old town.

The Nikolai church is situated between the railway station and the old town.

The church is in neo-gothic style and dates back to 1896. The Nikolai church is a monastery and parish church looked after by the Franciscans.

You will also find the statue of Franz of Assisi on the Nikolai square.

Excellent Hotel in Villach

Located in the heart of Villach's shopping area, the Hauptplatz, a pedestrian street, the Romantik Hotel Post is an ideal location. If you are driving, you will have difficulties finding it intially because you cannot "drive by it" since the street does not have cars, but parking nearby should be manageable.

It is a calm, cozy hotel with spacious rooms, friendly, helpful service, and an amazing free breakfast that serves fresh fruits, vegetables, excellent coffee, cerals, yogurts, meats, cheeses, and there is even a person who will cook you eggs and she did a marvelous job. It was the best breakfast of my 3 week trip.

The rooms are tricky because there is a double door. Your key will not be able to open the first door, but done panic. Just pull it open and you see the second door which your keys will fit into. Watch out for the tricky drop1/8th of a step that is common in Austria. I always get tricked by it and stumble.

The room is very spacious and the check out time is at noon. If you can, eat breakfast early so that you can walk about Villach. The stores open at 9am and the city wakes up pretty quickly. At night, after 9pm, a few bars, Mcdonalds, and two internet cafes will be open.

If you train to Villach, from the Central train station, you will have to walk away from the station towards the street that curves towards the river, once you cross the bridge, y ou'll be at the Hauptplatz and just look on the left for the words "Romantik Post." It's about a 5-10 minute walk.

Villach is a refreshing city with shy, friendly people. It's the perfect resting spot city, a city with things to do and people, but not the hustle and bustle touristy busy-ness that is associated with typical tourist destinations.

For 100Euros, I was quite happy with what I got.

Unique Quality: The breakfast! I loved the fresh eggs they made for me. The person who worked there was prepared to make me an omellette with anything I wanted on it. I settled for two excellent overeasy eggs made as if I was in a very fancy hotel.

The quiet homey feel to it made it a very comfortable stay.

Directions: About a 5-10 minute walk from the Central Train station. Cross the Bridge, pass the McDonalds and you'll be there.

Restaurant Kasino: Gasthof Kasino

The restaurant Kasino belongs to the Gasthof Kasino where I stayed for a night.

The restaurant offers the usual local fare and has regulars eating there. There were also locals coming to have their beer. I sat in the Gaststube of the Gasthof to have dinner. There was also another hall which had an Asian tour group for dinner. Then they have a third hall where they have the buffet breakfast.

I found the place comfortable like being in a big living room and found myself chatting to some other Swiss guests etc. I was twice visited by the small resident (?) dog.

Favorite Dish: I opted for the Viennese Schnitzel with French fries. It was just a bit too big for me to manage. It cost Euro 9.50. I had various drinks like tea and soft drinks which were between Euro 2.10 and 2.80.



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