Day 21 - Nov. 3 - Back to Vienna

We left the hotel about 10:15, and drove around the other side of the lake. Woerthersee is so beautiful, and is sometimes called the "Austrian Riviera". Most of the buildings (hotels, apartments, and villas) along the shore are impressive whether they are modern or old. We enjoyed seeing the varying architecture from ultra-modern to late 1800's Baroque, Art Noveau and other styles. The building "boom" for the area began in 1864 when the rail line was opened between Vienna and Trieste. Read that many of the villas are occupied only in summer months.

We drove through the lakeside town of Maria Woerth, site of two famous churches: St. Mary's (from the 9th-century) and the smaller Rosary Church, originally built in 1150.

St. Mary's Church

We went briefly through Klagenfurt, the capital of Carinthia. We passed the university and went through the Neuer Platz (the central square of the city) with its "lindwurm" statue (a kind of dragon that is the symbol of the city). We would have liked to take time to stroll around the area, but the weather was very chilly, parking was difficult, and we didn't want to leave our luggage unattended in the car. There is a British military cemetary in Klagenfurt. We were surprised how pretty some areas of Klagenfurt were.

Ron had hoped to find an attractive spot on the lake for lunch, but that didn't work out. We then headed toward the autobahn to Vienna, but made a detour to look at another lake, Klopeinsee. There we came upon the town of Seelach, which had dozens of large hotels, dance cafes and parks, but it was like a ghost town in November. Not one thing was open and the only living beings we saw were two pedestrians and a dog.

We came upon Voelkersmarkt, a town situated only about 30-miles from the border of Slovenia. Until the early 20th-century, the town was heavily populated with Slovenes, but today their percentage is only 2.6%. You can certainly see the influence in the names of the streets and buildings. We had hoped to try the Altes Brauhaus, but Monday was the restaurant's "ruhetag" (closing day).

Rathaus - Voelkersmarkt

We wandered around the square past the old Rathaus, adorned with flower boxes. Ron saw a busy little gasthaus, Zum Goldenen Ochsen, and noticed that they served cervapcici, a dish he enjoys.

Inside Zum Goldenen Ochsen

Cervapcici originated in the former Yugloslavia, and is popular throughout the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, etc. We first came to like it at a great restaurant in Nurnberg in 1973-74. Minced beef and pork are formed into
sausage-like links, grilled, and served with fries and minced onion. His meal was very tasty and included a large bowl of fine noodle soup and salad. I had a cheese omelet in which the cook must have used a POUND of cheese. I am definitely feeling that pound has latched onto me!

Cervapcici with fries and onions

Ultra-cheesy omelet

Our total bill was 19 Euros (about $22) including beer and wine. One of the least expensive meals we've had on this trip - very enjoyable!

We continued back to Vienna on the autobahn, arriving at the apartment about 6:20 PM. Then we had to find a spot for the car where we could unpack all the bags and get them transported into the building. Once we were finally settled, Ron took the car out to the P&R in Heiligenstadt, and returned on the U-Bahn 4. After an enjoyable weekend in Carinthia we were back in our cozy "home".