Villach radiates a certain “dolce vita” feel and guarantees an all-in-one city, mountain and lake trip.

Villach is the seventh-largest city in Austria and the second-largest in the federal state of Carinthia. It is an important traffic junction for southern Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. As of January 2018, the population is 61,887.

Together with other Alpine towns Villach engages in the Alpine Town of the Year Association for the implementation of the Alpine Convention to achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc. In 1997, Villach was the first town to be awarded Alpine Town of the Year.

City government

The city government of Villach (Stadtsenat) consists of seven members. It is chaired by the mayor, who is directly elected by the people. The other members—two vice-mayors and four town councillors—are appointed by the municipal council, with party affiliations according to the election results.

• Mayor Günther Albel, SPÖ
• First vice-mayor Mag. Dr. Petra Oberrauner, SPÖ
• Second vice-mayor Mag. Gerda Sandriesser, SPÖ
• Councillor Mag. Peter F. Weidinger, ÖVP
• Councillor Erwin Baumann, FPÖ
• Councillor Mag. Harald Sobe, SPÖ
• Councillor Katharina Spanring, ÖVP

In the March 2015 elections, Günther Albel was elected with 55.46 per cent of the votes cast.

Festivals

There are several festivals throughout the year:

• The carnival in Villach (which starts on November 11 and ends on March 4)
• The arts and crafts festival (with self made goods)
• Villacher Fasching or Mardi Gras
• The streets-art festival (displays performances of artists and singers)
• The “Villacher Kirchtag” (a festival spanning a whole week in summer and ends on August’s first Saturday.)
• Performances on a floating stage on the Drau River