Surroundings

Kötschach

The holiday villa lies snugly in the center of Kötschach-Mauthen, in Carinthia, Austria, and many activities and facilities are in walking distance: wonderful indoor and outdoor swimming paradise Aquarena (with a gorgeous mountain view!) and gravel tennis courts.

In town, you will find several supermarkets for your daily groceries, a couple of fine bakeries, local shops and a number of restaurants that will give you an appetite! A pharmacy and doctor’s post are also available.

Skiing

The skiing slopes lie directly adjourning the holiday villa, and are ideally suited for beginners and small children. More challenging skiing facilities are very close by, such as Nassfeld, Hochstein and Zettersfeld.

And don’t forget your ice skates! The Weissensee is quite nearby, and the annual scene for the “alternative Elfstedentoch” (a traditional replacement race for the famous Dutch 200 kilometer “Elfstedentocht” skating race, which requires more ice than the Dutch usually get. The Weissensee is also a lot of fun to visit in the summer.

Gailtal, Carinthia

Kötschach-Mauthen lies in the beautiful Gailtal (Gail valley), the Gail river twists and turns through the village. The river is a great source of amusement! Barbecueing by the river bed is a tremendous amount of fun, and allowed, as long as you clean up properly after yourself. Of course you can also go rafting (in summer, several tours a week are organized from Kötschach-Mauthen) or horseriding along the river banks.

The town also functions as a nice hub to several interesting villages and towns in the vicinity. Why not go cycling to Villach along the Gail river banks!

Carinthia, Austria

Carinthia is the southernmost province of Austria. The higher ski areas Nassfeld and Zettersfeld are snow-sure and – due to the almost Mediterranean climate – it is blissful in summer in terms of temperature and the many hours of sunshine.

Restaurants

• At Bauernhofs, treat yourself to a Haus Jause – this is an inbetween meal with a large choice of cheeses/hams/bread and assorted delicacies from the area and the farm itself.
• Delikat Genusshandwerk (restaurant on Kotschach Mauthen’s main street, highly recommendable. Open between 10AM and 7PM, also perfect for take out food).
• Restaurant Engel (adjacent to the church).
• Restaurant Reiter (a little beyond the Spar supermarket).
• Restaurant Erlenhof (right across the Gail river).

Cities

• Villach – Nice town around an hour’s drive from Villa Sonnata. Villach is especially pleasant to visit in summer, when the streets are littered with terraces to relax and have a drink or a bite to eat. Taking a boat out on the Drau river is also highly recommended! Interesting shops, good restaurants and parking is very well arranged.
• Klagenfurt – a 90 minute drive.
• Lienz – Lienz is half an hour by car from Villa Sonnata. It has so much sunshine, even palm trees find a foothold here. Lienz is full of surprises, an absolute must to visit!
  Tobogganing, a climbing park, paragliding, a beautiful town with lovely shops and terraces, Schloss Bruck.
  For the best italian ice cream in town, go to Il Gelato (Messinggasse 6), recognizable from afar by the giant colorful ice cone on the patio. Looking for the best cappuccino? Drop by Mocafé (Kärtnerstrasse 10) for a lovely hand-roasted cup.
• Tarvisio – Italy – a 60 minute drive.