Spittal an der Drau offers a variety of reasons to visit: Renaissance architecture and historic furnishings, contemporary art, museums, and riverside paths and experiences. Children can enjoy the MuKi holiday programme during the summer holidays and free opportunities for exercise in the town park during winter. Checking the season helps you choose: the MuKi programme takes place during the summer holidays, while the toboggan hill and ice rink in the town park are winter activities.
Renaissance Buildings and Art
Porcia Castle brings together several cultural attractions. As a Renaissance palazzo, it has a three-storey arcaded courtyard, which now provides a setting for numerous cultural events. The castle gallery presents contemporary visual art in the 500-year-old vaulted columned hall of the Salamanca Cellar. This building thus combines historic architecture with a contemporary focus on art.
The parish church of “Maria Verkündigung” also offers specific details about the history of its furnishings: it contains Ortenburg stone reliefs from the 14th century, a portal stone bearing the Salamanca-Ortenburg coat of arms from the 16th century, and a Pietà from the 15th century. The dates therefore span the 14th to the 16th centuries, making it possible to compare the individual works chronologically.
Arcades are a recurring architectural feature. The KhevenhĂĽller Town Palace (Town Hall) is a three-storey Renaissance building with arcades. The Spittl, meanwhile, is a former hospice in the style of a Renaissance palace, with an arcaded courtyard. Together with the arcaded courtyard at Porcia Castle, these buildings show how the same design feature appears both on a building and within a courtyard.
Museum and Summer Holiday Programme
The Museum of Folk Culture offers a smartphone audio guide for its themed sections in four languages: German, English, Italian and Slovenian. Choosing a language can help you plan your museum visit. For visitors interested in a range of topics, the audio guide offers a way to accompany their tour.
The MuKi holiday programme at the Museum of Folk Culture is designed for the summer holidays. It combines creativity, play and culture, and teaches children about history in an age-appropriate way. This offers a different perspective from historic buildings or art: here, history is explored through playful and creative activities. As the programme takes place during the summer holidays, check the specific dates in advance.
Outdoor Activities and Riverside Experiences
In winter, the town park in Spittal has a toboggan hill and an ice rink. Both offer free opportunities for children and teenagers to be active. These are distinctly seasonal attractions for a winter visit; the other cultural and artistic highlights described here are not tied to a particular season.
The Drau Cycle Path runs along the Drau to the cultural town of Spittal, making it an option for cyclists. Before setting off, it is worth checking the latest route conditions. DrAUENland near Spittal offers walkers and cyclists a nature trail and a waterside recreation area. When planning, you can choose between a cycling route along the river and a nature trail with a place to relax.
Drautal Perle adds a sports and leisure pool in Spittal an der Drau, with aquatic attractions and a wellness area. Facilities include a whirlpool, a log sauna, steam and brine, herbal and Finnish saunas, and an infrared cabin. The aquatic and wellness facilities offer a different focus from the cycling route and nature trail. Check the current facilities before your visit, as operating details may change.
Discover more destinations: ReiĂźeck, Winklern, Sappl, Teuchl, Berg im Drautal, Penk, Maltaberg, MĂĽhldorf.
Return to the main travel overview: Spittal an der Drau.
