Villach rewards visitors who take their time with the old town before escaping to the lakes and mountains. The pedestrian zone around the Hauptplatz has a lived-in feel rather than a tourist-polished one — the parish church of St Jakob anchors the square, its tower offering the best view over the city and the surrounding alps. South of the city centre, the Warmbad thermal springs have been drawing visitors since Roman times and remain one of the finest spa complexes in Carinthia.
The Villacher Alpenstrasse climbs to the Dobratsch plateau, and Landskron Castle rises on a hill to the northeast with eagles circling overhead. In winter, the carnival season brings the famous Villacher Fasching, one of the most raucous pre-Lent celebrations in Austria.