Spittal an der Drau is located in Upper Carinthia, directly on the Tauern Railway line from Salzburg to Villach. If you’re arriving by train, you can disembark at Spittal-Millstättersee station. If you prefer to travel by car, you can reach Spittal from Salzburg via the Tauern Motorway A10. The landmark of Spittal is Schloss Porcia, one of the most beautiful Renaissance castles north of the Alps. However, the name of the city, Spittal, derives from the “Spittl,” a nursing home founded in 1191 by Count Otto II of Ortenburg and his brother. Since then, Spittal has had a consistently diverse history and serves as the main town of the second-largest district in Austria, Spittal.
The house by the Lieser River is located on the southern slope of Wolfsberg, which forms the northern boundary of the Drau Valley and separates it from Lake Millstatt. South of the Drau River lies Goldeck, the local mountain of Spittal, reaching a height of 2,139 meters. In winter, Goldeck offers sunny skiing opportunities, while in summer, it serves as a beautiful starting point for hikes.
Peintenstraße is a dead-end road on the eastern bank of the Lieser River. There is no through traffic and no noise from the traffic on the federal road west of the Lieser. Only the gentle sound of the Lieser River can be heard. Here, you will find the peace and tranquility needed to relax. There are plenty of activities to do in and around Spittal. Lake Millstatt is nearby and easily accessible by car or on foot, while Goldeck, on the south side of the Drau River, is accessible via cable car. Within a 30-45 minute radius, you can find skiing and hiking areas such as Katschberg, Innerkrems, Kleinkirchheim, St. Oswald, and Mallnitz. There are also other lakes in the vicinity, such as Wörthersee, Weißensee, Ossiachersee, Faaker See, and Keutschacher See, as well as larger cities like Villach, Klagenfurt, Tarvis (Italy), and Hermagor.
Spittal offers cultural highlights every summer with the Porcia Comedy Plays, which are part of the Carinthian cultural program. The Carinthian Summer in Ossiach and Villach, the Wörthersee Classics Festival in Klagenfurt, and the Millstätter Guitar Festival are also highly regarded cultural events in the region.
