Villach, the second largest town in Carinthia, lies near the frontiers with Italy and Yugoslavia in the wide basin of the Drau, which is joined here by the Gail. The Villacher Alpe to the west and the Karawanken chain to the south, together with the Julian Alps to the rear, form a magnificent mountain backdrop. As the center of this mountain
region, the town attracts many visitors on their way to the Carinthian lakes or into Yugoslavia, and the thermal springs draw many people to this popular spa. There was already a bridge and fortified camp here in Roman times, under the name of Bilachinum. In 1007 the town passed into the control of the Bishops of Bamberg; in 1060 it appeared in documents as a market, and in 1240 was named as a town. Maria Theresa purchased it from the bishops in 1759, and it then became part of Austria. Villach is now the most important traffic junction in the Eastern Alps.
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