Klagenfurt
Carinthia's capital sits on the eastern shore of Lake Wörthersee, the warmest large Alpine lake, with Renaissance squares in town and a major lido by the water.
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Klagenfurt am Wörthersee is the capital and largest city of Carinthia, a state in southern Austria near the Slovenian border. It sits on the eastern shore of Lake Wörthersee, the warmest of the large Alpine lakes, at about 450 meters above sea level. The city has about 105,734 residents. It is the cultural center of the Carinthian Slovenes, and the Slovene name for the city is Celovec.
The old town around Alter Platz is the main sightseeing area. Its Renaissance buildings have arcaded courtyards, and the Lindwurmbrunnen fountain of 1593 stands on Neuer Platz. The Carinthian Estates rebuilt the city on a grid plan after 1518, and it became the regional capital. In summer the lake is the draw: lake steamers link the resorts, and the lido on the lake can take about 12,000 bathers on a summer day. Winters are cold and foggy, with about 106 foggy days a year. Allow a day for the old town and an afternoon at the lake.
Klagenfurt in five
- Take the Koralm train from GrazThe Koralm railway makes Graz and Klagenfurt a 42-minute hop, so the pair works as one rail loop through southern Austria.Graz travel guide
- Ask for the Wörthersee Plus Card at check-inGuests in Klagenfurt and the Wörthersee region receive the card free from the first overnight stay, with over 150 benefits. Stays of three nights or more add one free entry to participating pools.Wörthersee Plus Card
- Check the S-Bahn benefit on the cardThe lake tourism site says Plus Card guests ride the S-Bahn Kärnten free. Ask your host which stops and zones the benefit covers before relying on it for a lake day.
- Plan a steamboat trip on the lakeKlagenfurt's tourism site highlights a Wörthersee cruise aboard the last screw-propeller steamboat in Europe. Sailings are seasonal, so confirm the dates first.
- Choose the town or a lake village for your bedTown gives trains and the old town. Lake villages named by the tourism board, such as Velden, Pörtschach and Maria Wörth, give water access and a quieter evening, with buses and the S-Bahn between them.
Things to do in Klagenfurt
See all attractions in Klagenfurt
Need to know
- Airport
- Klagenfurt (KLU), or Graz (GRZ) with the 42-minute Koralm train
- Getting there
- Koralm railway from Graz in 42 minutes; regional trains from Carinthia
- Getting around
- Walk the old town; bus and S-Bahn Kärnten to the lake villages
- Best base
- The old town for trains; a lake village for swimming days
- Time needed
- 1 day as a stop; 2 to 3 days with lake time
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Days with storms
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryPartly cloudy7 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh3°Low-5°Cold, quietJanuaryPartly cloudy
Poor
- High
- 3°
- Low
- -5°
- Precipitation
- 52 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 3
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- FebruaryPartly cloudy8 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh6°Low-3°Cold, dryFebruaryPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 6°
- Low
- -3°
- Precipitation
- 64 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 3
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, dry
- MarchPartly cloudy10 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh10°Low0°Cool, early springMarchPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 10°
- Low
- 0°
- Precipitation
- 65 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, early spring
- AprilPartly cloudy9 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh15°Low4°Mild, blossomAprilPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 79 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, blossom
- MayRain17 rainy daysHigh18°Low8°Warm, greenMayRain
Good
- High
- 18°
- Low
- 8°
- Precipitation
- 128 mm
- Rainy days
- 17
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, green
- JuneRain15 rainy daysHigh25°Low12°Warm, lake seasonJuneRain
Best
- High
- 25°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 121 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, lake season
- JulyRain15 rainy daysHigh26°Low14°Hot, lake daysJulyRain
Best
- High
- 26°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 138 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, lake days
- AugustRain13 rainy days1 day with stormsHigh26°Low14°Hot, lake daysAugustRain
Best
- High
- 26°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 145 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 1
Hot, lake days
- SeptemberRain12 rainy daysHigh21°Low10°Warm, quieterSeptemberRain
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 10°
- Precipitation
- 140 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, quieter
- OctoberPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh15°Low6°Mild, autumn colorOctoberPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 6°
- Precipitation
- 92 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, autumn color
- NovemberPartly cloudy10 rainy days2 snowy daysHigh8°Low1°Cool, foggyNovemberPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 8°
- Low
- 1°
- Precipitation
- 106 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 2
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, foggy
- DecemberPartly cloudy8 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh4°Low-3°Advent marketsDecemberPartly cloudy
Poor
- High
- 4°
- Low
- -3°
- Precipitation
- 74 mm
- Rainy days
- 8
- Snowy days
- 3
- Days with storms
- 0
Advent markets
Average daily high and low in Klagenfurt, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Klagenfurt
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
7
- Feels like
- 6°
- Humidity
- 88%
- Wind
- 4 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 58%
Klagenfurt
11:00 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today8°5°58%Monday: Rain. High 8°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 58%.
- Tue9°6°10%Tuesday: Rain. High 9°, Low 6°. Chance of rain 10%.
- Wed9°4°6%Wednesday: Fog. High 9°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 6%.
- Thu9°1°0%Thursday: Fog. High 9°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri9°2°0%Friday: Fog. High 9°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Sat8°-2°5%Saturday: Fog. High 8°, Low -2°. Chance of rain 5%.
- Sun8°-1°5%Sunday: Fog. High 8°, Low -1°. Chance of rain 5%.
Updated 07:02 PM local time · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Every year
- Sep–OctSteirischer HerbstGraz, a day trip
Day trips by train
- Graz42 minutes by Koralm trainStyria's capital, with its old town and the Schlossberg.Read the guide
- Wörthersee villagesa short ride by bus, S-Bahn or boatVelden, Pörtschach and Maria Wörth are named on the lake tourism site as lakeside stops.
- Hohe Tauern National Parka long drive, best as an overnightThe Carinthian side of the Glockner road ends at Heiligenblut, north-west of the lake.Read the guide
Before you go to Klagenfurt
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Plan around Klagenfurt
Styria's capital, 42 minutes north by train
Read the guideHohe Tauern National ParkGlockner road and glaciers north of Carinthia
Read the guideViennaThe capital, for a longer Austria loop
Read the guideSalzburgBaroque old town on the other side of the Alps
Read the guideTrains in EuropeTickets or a pass for a southern Austria loop
Read the guideAll of AustriaCarinthia in the context of the whole country
Read the guideKlagenfurt FAQ
How do you get from Graz to Klagenfurt?
By train on the Koralm railway, which Graz Tourismus lists at 42 minutes. Both stations are central, so the trip works as a half-day or a stage on a loop through southern Austria.
Is Klagenfurt worth visiting?
Yes for a lake-and-city stop, with an old town, a steamboat on the Wörthersee and lidos nearby. It is smaller than Graz, so one night is enough unless lake time is the point.
Is the Wörthersee Plus Card free?
Yes for guests: the lake tourism board states you receive it free from your first overnight stay in the region, with over 150 benefits.
Should you stay in Klagenfurt or at the lake?
Stay in Klagenfurt if you arrive by train and want the old town on foot. Stay in Velden, Pörtschach or Maria Wörth for lake access, and rely on buses or the S-Bahn Kärnten between them.
How many days do you need in Klagenfurt?
One day covers the old town and a boat trip. Two or three days suit a lake stay with swimming, cycling and a trip to Graz or the Hohe Tauern side.