Carinthia’s third-largest lake lies directly below the Gerlitzen. Here we let the Ossiachersee apartment, the Gerlitze apartment and the Bali Premium mobile home – quietly located, with a balcony and views of mountains and water.
One bedroom with a 1.80 m double bed, living area with sofa and TV
Details on request – we advise you personally
Details on request – we advise you personally
The four seasons differ markedly here. Choose when you are coming.
The valley station is in Annenheim, straight into the ski area.
The shore path is walkable in winter too and usually free of snow.
In cold winters some bays freeze over – please observe local safety notices.
Austria's best-known carnival, at the end of February.
Thermal water a few minutes away.
Villach, Feldkirchen and the villages around the lake.
Lidos and public lake access points all around the shore.
The route around the lake is largely flat and family-friendly.
Hire and courses at several points on the shore.
From a flat boardwalk over the moor to the climb up the Gerlitzen.
Carinthischer Sommer at Ossiach Abbey, the Landskron castle arena, the Villach Kirchtag.
Monkey mountain, eagle arena, show mines, Minimundus.
In March both fit into one day: skiing up on the Gerlitzen, sitting in the sun by the lake. Ten minutes of cable car lies between them.
Twenty-five flat kilometres around the lake. In April you have it almost to yourself; in July you share it.
The restored wetland at the eastern shore is a spring stopover for migrating birds. You can watch them from the Tiebel estuary trail without binoculars.
The lake warms slowly. In May the brave go in; in June everyone else follows.
At 501 metres the year starts well before the mountains. While snow still lies above, everything is in bloom here.
The short, deliberately unhurried walking routes around the lake are at their best in spring – cool enough to walk, warm enough to sit.
In September the lake is often warmer than the air. Swimming usually works until the end of the month, in good years longer.
In early September the whole region gets considerably louder. If you want quiet, plan before or after.
In autumn the abbey and its surroundings host stalls and exhibitions. Not a fairground – more a long afternoon.
From mid-September the loop grows quiet. The wine taverns are still open and the car parks are empty again.
When you can see nothing in the morning, take the Kanzelbahn. Above 1,000 metres the fog ends.
Autumn air is clear. From the promenade you can see the Julian Alps, which vanish in the summer haze.
Sights, attractions and experiences – sorted by distance, from the doorstep to a full day out.
Carinthia's third-largest lake, framed by the Gerlitzen to the north and the Ossiach Tauern to the south. In high summer the water reaches pleasant swimming temperatures.
The circular route runs almost entirely level along the shore, linking Annenheim, Sattendorf, Bodensdorf, Steindorf and Ossiach.
Public lidos can be found in St. Andrä, Bodensdorf, Steindorf and Annenheim among others – some with lawns, diving boards and a kiosk.
Sailing, windsurfing, stand-up paddling, pedalos and electric boats – hire stations are spread around the lake.
From Annenheim, Carinthia's oldest cable car runs up to 1,440 m, and the summit lift continues to 1,911 m. From lake to panorama in a good half hour.
The castle ruin stands on a rocky cone roughly 135 metres above the lake. In the eagle arena, eagles, falcons, vultures and owls take to the air; there is a terrace and restaurant as well.
Japanese macaques live here in a large stretch of forest which visitors walk through with a guide – a destination that also attracts researchers.
The former Benedictine abbey with its baroque church sits on the southern shore. In summer it is the main venue of the Carinthischer Sommer music festival.
A restored wetland with boardwalks and viewing points: birds, beavers, bats and butterflies. Flat and quiet.
Above the northern shore the Finsterbach drops over several steps – a shaded walk that is welcome on hot days.
The best-known work of contemporary Carinthian architecture by Günther Domenig, listed since 2012. Open to visitors between May and October.
Old town, main square, weekly market, the Villach carnival and the Warmbad thermal spa – the city lies at the western end of the lake.
Thermal water straight from the mountain – the dependable plan for rainy days.
Austria's southernmost bathing lake, known for its turquoise water, against the backdrop of the Mittagskogel.
A small town with a historic centre to the north, plus quiet cycle routes through the Tiebel valley.
The regional capital with Minimundus, the Lindwurm fountain, the lido and the lake promenade.
Two show mines in the mountain above Villach – entry on the pit railway and a slide into the tunnel.
From the three-country corner, Tarvisio, the Predil Pass and Kranjska Gora are all comfortably doable in a day.
An events ground right by the water, with water-ski shows after dark in summer.
The lake from the water: in summer the boats connect the villages around the shore and combine well with a bike ride.
Several operators around the lake; beginners’ courses take place right on the water.
Five minutes’ walk from the centre of Ossiach: over 150 exercises plus treehouses and a 500-metre adventure walkway among the trees.
Barely visible from a distance – only the pavilion above gives it away. A quiet crag away from the lakeside promenade.
Lake Ossiach hardly ever freezes over. The small Aichwaldsee, by contrast, is considered the most reliably frozen lake in the region – for skating in winter.
One of Austria’s major music festivals since 1969: classical, jazz and crossover in the abbey church and at other venues around the lake.
One of Europe’s largest motorcycle gatherings, held every September. If you prefer things quiet, plan your stay outside that week.
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These places belong to the region – useful when you are planning or looking for an address.
Our sister company Luxalps lets whole chalets in Austria and Bavaria – same personal service, same direct booking, different scenery.
Lake Ossiach is Carinthia’s third-largest lake: eleven kilometres long, around 25 kilometres of shoreline, up to 26 degrees in high summer. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment at Lake Ossiach is usually looking for exactly that – short walks to the water and no drive home over the mountain road in the evening.
We have three units here at 501 metres: the Ossiachersee apartment with 63 square metres for two people, a balcony with mountain and lake views, a bathtub and separate WC; plus the Gerlitze apartment and the Bali Premium mobile home. None is a holiday house by the lake in the classic sense – but you stay closer to the shore than most houses allow.
A flat cycle path runs right around the lake and combines well with a trip on the MS Ossiach or MS Gerlitze. In winter the lake usually stays ice-free, but the Gerlitzen Alpe is ten minutes away – up by cable car, down by piste. Villach, with its station and motorway junction, lies at the western end; Feldkirchen to the north.
Lake Ossiach hardly ever freezes and reaches up to 26 degrees in high summer. The two facts are connected: the climate here is milder than the altitude suggests, because the Ossiacher Tauern to the south and the Gerlitzen to the north keep the wind out.
In spring you are three weeks ahead of the mountains. While snow still lies above, the loop around the lake is already rideable – 25 kilometres, flat, and in April almost without oncoming traffic. Migrating birds stop at the Bleistätter Moor on the eastern shore.
In summer everything happens on and in the water. Sailing, windsurfing, stand-up paddling, wakeboarding, plus lidos and shallow shoreline at Ossiach and Bodensdorf for families with small children. When it gets too busy, take the Kanzelbahn up – it is ten degrees cooler and considerably emptier.
In autumn the water holds its warmth longer than the air. Swimming usually works until the end of September. Then it grows quiet: the cycle path returns to the locals, the air clears, and from the promenade you can see the Julian Alps that vanish in the summer haze. One exception is the European Bike Week in early September, when the whole region gets noticeably louder.
In winter the lake stays open, but the Gerlitzen is ten minutes away. You live by the water and ski anyway. For skating, people move to the nearby Aichwaldsee – considered the most reliably frozen lake in the region.
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