Velden am Wörther See (Slovenian Vrba na Koroškem) is a market
town and a legally recognized climatic health resort with 9025
inhabitants (as of January 1, 2020) in the Villach-Land district in
Carinthia. The place is one of the best known and most popular
tourist destinations in Austria.
The oldest written mention
of Velden comes from the year 1150. The name is derived from Velben
(pasture).
Since the 12th century, the Velden area belonged
to the Hohenwart Lordship and Castle, which over the centuries
belonged to the Counts of Ortenburg and Cilli, the Millstatt Order
of St. George and the Habsburgs. In 1545, the Khevenhüller acquired
rule over Landskron and Velden. The independent rule of Velden from
1603 passed into the possession of the Counts of Dietrichstein in
the course of the Counter-Reformation in 1629.
When the rule
was dissolved by the municipal law of March 17, 1849, the municipal
territory comprised the cadastral communities of Velden, Augsdorf,
Duel, Lind Emmersdorf, Kerschdorf, Köstenberg and Sand. On January
1, 1850, these communities became the independent large community of
Velden, which changed its size several times in the 19th and 20th
centuries. When the municipal structure in Carinthia was reorganized
in 1972/73, the municipality was reduced to roughly the size of
1850.
In 1853 the liner shipping started with the paddle
steamer "Maria-Wörth". Eleven years later, the Wörthersee was
connected to the railway network through the extension of the
Drautalbahn (now called Südbahn) from Klagenfurt to Villach. In the
same year, 1864, with the opening of the first bathing establishment
in Velden, which was soon followed by others, the development of the
spa began.
On March 13, 1881, a major fire broke out, which
destroyed the old rural Velden and contributed to the fact that
Velden was developed into a villa health resort before the beginning
of the bathing season.
The community has had the suffix "am
Wörther See" since 1893, Velden has been a market town since May 2,
1947.
On March 18, 2017, the local council unanimously
decided to stop construction for two years in order to put a stop to
the further construction of "blocks" on or near the lake. The
endeavor is to preserve free access to the lake and the already
polluted place and landscape for locals and tourists. A development
plan is to be drawn up by November 2018 that will create more open
spaces and green spaces, especially in the bank area.
Attractions
Velden Castle, known from the film series "Ein
Schloss am Wörthersee" with Roy Black.
Activities
Water
sports, bike tours, hiking, motorcycling, golf, running, jogging,
Nordic walking
Auriga Spa offers wellness treatments with
natural and organic products that are tailored to the phases of the
moon.