Winter holidays in Carinthia
Carinthia is a true winter holiday paradise. While skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, tobogganing or ice skating during the day, you can enjoy the romantic side of your winter holiday in the evening. Not only with a stop at one of the cozy alpine huts in the ski resorts, but also at the numerous Advent markets and customs events that are offered all over the country. For example, at the atmospheric Advent market in Villach or at the famous Velden Advent on Lake Wörthersee, where you can also admire the huge, floating Advent wreath up close on an advent tour by the lake.
Winter hiking with your dog
Does your dog love to run around in the snow? Perfect! If it has freshly snowed, the hiking trails around our house like to present themselves as a winter wonderland. Then it’s time to take a winter walk between snow-covered fields and the rippling Nötschbach. You will also find many other winter hiking trails in the vicinity.
Enjoy the picturesque winter landscape on a relaxing hike with your dog in the beautiful, unspoilt Gailtal valley or in the wooded Val Saisera in Italy. Would you prefer to go higher up and discover breathtaking viewpoints in a white winter landscape? On our local mountain, the Dobratsch, you can hike to the summit on cleared winter paths, from where you have an unobstructed view of the snow-covered mountain peaks all around. Afterwards, you can enjoy a glass of mulled wine or a cup of hot chocolate in the cosy mountain hut. If you prefer something a little more adventurous, you can take a special mountain hike through the Bleiberger Valley to a clearing with deckchairs and a view of our local mountain, the Dobratsch.
Skiing: Nassfeld, Gerlitzen, Dreiländereck
It is just under 20 minutes by car from your holiday home in Saak to the Nassfeld ski paradise, one of the top 10 ski areas in Austria, with 30 mountain railways and lifts on around 110 kilometers of slopes. You are even faster at the Dreiländereck, one of the most popular family ski areas in Carinthia, which connects Austria, Italy and Slovenia. And the Gerlitzen Alpe, high above Lake Ossiach, is only about 25 minutes away. Incidentally, you can rent skis, snowboards and boots in all three ski areas and book a ski course.
The ski lift Hrast (in Feistritz an der Gail) is virtually within sight of your holiday home, an ideal practice and training lift for beginners. Every Friday – during the Christmas and Carinthian semester holidays also on Tuesdays – night skiing is the order of the day: Then the slopes at the Hrast ski lift are illuminated until 10 p.m. using floodlights.
Active off the slopes
High up in the snow-covered Carinthian mountains you will also find the most beautiful ski touring and toboggan runs. The Villacher’s local mountain, the Dobratsch, is a special gem. To protect the sensitive nature reserve, ski operations were stopped here years ago. However, there are still guided snowshoe hikes up to the summit house. The Villacher Alpenarena at the foot of the Dobratsch is particularly popular with cross-country skiers. On perfectly groomed trails you can do your laps in the snow – from Monday to Saturday even until 8 p.m. (floodlights).
If you want it even more sporty, you can strap on cross-country skis at Nassfeld or on one of the cross-country trails in the valley, or go on a ski tour with your dog at the border triangle, Dobratsch, Gerlitzen or Nassfeld! Would you like to enjoy a little more southern flair even in winter? Then take a ski trip to Monte Lussari or Sella Nevea (Italy) or to the Slovenian Kranjska Gora.
Ice skating on Weissensee
The Weissensee has cult status in the international ice-skating scene and, with almost 6.5 km², offers the largest constantly freezing, prepared natural ice surface in Europe. Also legendary: the alternative Dutch 11-city tour, which attracts around 5,000 ice-skating fans from the Netherlands to Carinthia every year.
Would you like to get to know winter from its most diverse side? A holiday in Ferienhaus Saak in the Lower Gail Valley offers you the perfect mix of exercise, fun and enjoyment. We would be happy to provide you with more information about the various leisure activities.
The idyllic Lake Presseggersee and the ice-skating paradise Weissensee are particularly popular with all ice skaters. Carinthia’s highest bathing lake (and also the purest bathing lake in the Alps) reliably forms a thick ice sheet every year. No wonder that the Dutch championships and the alternative Dutch 11-city tour have been held here for many years.
Erlebniscard Region Villach
From November to March, you can enjoy a variety of winter adventures during your stay at Ferienhaus Saak with the Erlebnis CARD. In our region Villach – Faaker See – Ossiacher See there are guided ski tours, snowshoe hikes, cross-country skiing courses and much more.