After the Wörthersee Marathon: Velden

The Route: Klagenfurt → Velden (boat or train) → Klagenfurt Logistics: The autumn boat season ran the Klagenfurt to Velden line daily in 2026. A regional railway also links the north-shore towns. Confirm both timetables for your dates. Marathon Month: September Duration: 1 night

Klagenfurt ──(boat along the lake, or regional train via the north shore)──> Velden
     ▲                                                                          │
     └─────────────────────(same route back next day)───────────────────────────┘

At about the halfway point the marathon reaches Velden, the western end of the lake, and the half marathon finishes there. If you ran the full distance you went through without stopping, probably at a pace that left no room for the scenery. This trip lets you arrive properly. The town is one of the better-known holiday resorts in Austria, with about 9,000 residents, a lakeside promenade and a casino.

September in Velden: the high season has ended and the days are mild. Klagenfurt Airport's September normals (1991 to 2020) give a daily maximum of 20.8°C and a minimum of 10.0°C, and Velden, at the far end of the lake, should feel much the same. The autumn boat timetable in 2026 began on the Monday after the race, so on the Monday the sailings may have just changed over. Confirm with Wörthersee Schifffahrt.

Getting there

Take the boat from Klagenfurt if it is running. The Klagenfurt to Velden line in 2026 stopped at Krumpendorf, Reifnitz, Maria Wörth, Pörtschach and Velden. The published timetable does not give the sailing time, so ask at the landing before you board and choose between a long, slow crossing and the train. The regional railway links the north-shore towns, and its timetable is at oebb.at. Either way, travel light.

Night one: Velden

The Seepromenade and the Seecorso promenade run along the water and are the natural place for a recovery walk. Keep it to a gentle half hour. Schloss Velden is a Renaissance manor built from 1585 and rebuilt as a hotel in 1892, and was used as a filming location for the television series Ein Schloß am Wörthersee. You can look at it from the outside without paying for a room.

Villa Gessenharter and the town hall are also worth a look on the same short walk. Nothing here is a strenuous attraction, and that is the point of the stay.

Where to stay

Hotel Ogris am See is a family-run design hotel on the lakeside. Seehotel Europa is another lakeside option in Velden. Check availability and breakfast hours directly, and ask about luggage storage if you check out before your train or boat.

Where to eat

Velden's waterfront has restaurants of the sort that thrive in a resort town. The season has wound down, so telephone ahead for opening days and book for the evening. Your hotel will know which places stay open outside the summer.

Getting home