Villach Alpine Road

To enjoy all the beauty of this wonderful route, you need to have private transport. If you are not traveling by car, you can rent it and ride along this picturesque route, stopping in the most beautiful places and taking stunning photos. Physically prepared tourists can overcome this route by bicycle. Or you can also take the local bus, but you may miss some of the attractions.

The road leads to the highest mountain in the region of Carinthia, the Dobratsch. It begins in the city of Villach, and its length is 16.5 km. All along the road, there are parking lots with viewing platforms, so you can take a couple of photos with a view of the picturesque places. The route passes through the Julian Alps, a massif named after Julius Caesar. The mountains divide three countries: Austria, Slovenia, and Italy.

The Alpine route should have appeared in the 19th century. Moreover, because of the large slope of 12 degrees, the option of building a lift was considered. However, after calculating the budget, the Austrians came to the conclusion that the route will cost less.

After the First World War, the road construction concept was revised. It was supposed to become not only a tourist route but also a strategic object.

The most beautiful place on the highway is the observation deck "Red wall". The view there is breathtaking! From a height of 1483 meters, the eyes of astonished travelers can see a mountain fault formed in 1348 as a result of a landslide and earthquake. Above the cliff, there is a small garden with more than 900 species of Alpine flora. You can get into it by paying only 4 euros. There is also another very interesting place: a park of landscape sculptures made of natural stone.

Each section of the road is beautiful in its own way. If you have enough time for this journey, then feel free to go on the road for adventures and wonderful shots!