My first post is dedicated to my homeland: I was born and raised in a small village in Carinthia (Austria). I should rather call it a hamlet as it is a collection of houses with no more than 200 inhabitants. There are no shops and no church. Carinthia (german: Kärnten) is Austria’s southernmost state and it borders with Italy and Slovenia. It is situated within the Eastern Alps and it is noted for its mountains and lakes. In comparison to other regions, there is not that much tourism going on in the Carinthian Alps. It is quite easy to find a quiet place to relax.
I am a water-lover, therefore, it should not be surprising that according to me the best thing about Carinthia is the fact that there are about 200 swimming lakes. There are a few well-known bigger lakes that can get crowded in the summer, however, there are also lots of small less visited lakes all over the area.
I’d like to point out a village called Feld am See which literally means ‘field by the lake’. If you look at the pictures you will see where the name comes from 🙂
Feld am See is a beautiful small village. The place is very quiet. There are a couple of hotels, shops, and restaurants. The best place to eat is probably the Gasthaus Wasserfall (Waterfall Guesthouse) which is located on the Waterfall Street. They serve tasty regional and international food and yes, there is also a quite spectacular waterfall a stone’s throw away from the restaurant. However, if you don’t know the place exists, you won’t probably find it as it is located at the edge of the village and kind of hidden in the woods. The owner is Austrian but he seems to love traveling. I recall seeing a Venezuelan flag hanging from the balcony and there was paella on the menu.
About 5 minutes drive from the village (but you could also walk there) is another beautiful small village called Afritz which has its own lake, the Afritzer See.
The place is great to go swimming in summer. The hotels have private beaches but there are also public areas where you can access the lakes for free and place your towel on the lawn. The area is also perfect for hiking. If you climb up the hill a little, you’ll be able to enjoy amazing views of the lakes.
Besides that, there are also old wooden traditional houses and stables to see.
There are many great spots in the Alps but Feld am See is with no doubt a very special one amongst them.
