Surroundings, Maria Saal

The Klagenfurt Kreuzbergl (515m/1,690ft). northwest of the town, is a recreation area with numerous footpaths. At the foot of the hill can be found the interesting Botanic Garden, which specializes in the plants, rocks and minerals of Carinthia. The lookout tower on the hill houses a "People's Observatory".

West of Klagenfurt, on the Wörther See, in the outlying district of Klagenfurt-See, are the municipal swimming pool and boat landing stages. The Europapark is worth a visit for its mini golf course, modern sculptures and Minimundus, a miniature town with models of well-known Austrian and international buildings reduced to 1/25th of their size, as well as railroad and port installations on the same scale. Also of interest are the planetarium and the reptile zoo.

Southeast of Klagenfurt, on the River Glan, lies Ebenthal (427m/1,401ft), with an 18th C. parish church (frescos, Roccoco pulpit) and a castle within a park. The ceiling of the Great Hall of the castle is decorated with paintings by J. F. Fromiller, and in the Family Room hang oil-paintings by Peter Kobler (18th C.). Near Ebenthal rises the Predigerstuhl (713m/2,339ft; one and a quarter hours' climb).

Southwest of Klagenfurt lies Viktring (454m/1,490ft), now part of Klagenfurt, and known for its Cistercian abbey (founded in 1142 and dissolved in 1786), one of the most important abbey buildings in Carinthia. It possesses two beautiful arcaded courtyards and an Early Gothic church with Burgundian pointed vaulting; in the choir can be seen Viktring's main attraction, superb stained glass of c. 1400, depicting the Twelve Apostles and other subjects.

From Willensdorf, north of Maria Saal, a road (6km/4mi) leads to the Magdalensberg (1,060m/3,478ft), an ancient site which attracts many visitors. Here have been excavated the remains of a Celto-Roman settlement of the first century B.C. and the first C. A.D., the oldest Roman settlement north of the Alps. The remains include the forum, villas and workshops, the temple site with the foundations of the temple itself, a senate building, baths and terraced houses. There are also interesting museums displaying marble, wooden and ceramic objects.

1.5km/1mi north of Maria Saal, on the right of the road, stands the ancient Carinthian Ducal Throne (Kärtner Herzogstuhl), surrounded by an iron railing. This double throne, on which the Dukes of Carinthia granted fiefs and gave legal judgments, is crudely constructed of old Roman stones.

From Karnburg and from the main road north of Maria Saal there is a road to the Ulrichsberg (1,015m/3,330ft), known to the Romans as Mons Carantanus which gave its name to Kärnten (Carinthia), the site of a Noric sanctuary. This site was later occupied by a Gothic church (now in ruins), and it is now a memorial to the 1920 plebiscite (when a majority voted to remain part of Austria) and to the dead of both world wars. From the top there are extensive views.

North of Maria Saal the Carinthian Open-Air Museum has been laid out. Old peasant houses from all parts of Carinthia show what life was like in years gone by. In addition there are demonstrations of skilled crafts (blacksmiths, weavers, shoemakers and wood- turners) as well as a rural inn and a bric-à-brac shop.

The town of Ferlach is located south of Klagenfurt. Its Rifle Making Museum will be of interest to armament enthusiasts. Ferlach is known for its rifle making history.