Carinthia, Austria's southernmost region, is a land of tranquillity, enchanting landscapes, beautiful mountains, many rivers, thermal springs and over 1200 lakes, but also history and culture.
And between walks, mountain treks, lake trips and cycling tours, there is no lack of cultural events, museums, shows and entertainment, ideal prerequisites for a family holiday. Would you like to spend a holiday in nature? Then Carinthia is the ideal destination for you
Aktiv Hotel Gargantini is located between two beautiful regions: the Wörthersee region and the Rosental valley...
The Rosental Valley
Located on the sunny side of the Alps and surrounded by numerous bathing lakes, the Carnica region is just a stone's throw from Slovenia and Italy. The Rosental valley is an ideal paradise for nature lovers, hikers and cyclists.
The varied landscape of the Karavanken chain, ranging from gentle hills to the flat valley floor on the banks of the River Drau, offers plenty of fun for the whole family in the midst of lush nature.
You can walk barefoot on Carinthia’s most attractive mountain meadow, the "Märchenwiese" in the magical Bodental valley, or cycle comfortably on the internationally award-winning Drau cycle path. Experience exciting family adventures in the Tscheppaschlucht gorge and the adjacent High Rope Park. You will also find "EXPI", Gotschuchen's experiment house, with over 50 experimental stations. Dive into the past and discover the world of the Celts "Keltenwelt Frög". The "Tierpark Rosegg" zoo, the nostalgic Rosental steam train and the fantastic Museum of Technology and Transport are popular with young and old alike.
Holiday region Wörthersee
Dive into the clear blue waters of Lake Wörthersee!
Come and admire the beautiful green and turquoise waters of the lake - nestled between gentle green hills, Lake Wörthersee is the ideal stage not only for exclusive events but also for those planned for the warm summer months
And to this day Wörthersee has retained all its exclusive charm. Whether you are admiring it from a speedboat or strolling along the promenade in Velden am Wörthersee: with its Casino Velden and the impressive facades of the Schlosshotel, the Wörthersee region is no match for the French Riviera.
Only a few minutes away you can discover the lush hiking trail around Lake Wörthersee with its mixed coniferous forests and the fantastic, well-marked hiking and running trails, which stretch over 400 km and turn the lake into a breathtaking stage. A visit to the grandiose viewing tower 'Pyramidenkogel', the highest point around the lake, is sure to remain an unforgettable experience.
Some areas of interest, leisure and family entertainment in the vicinity of our hotel:
- Celtic Village: right in front of the AKTIV HOTEL, a walk to discover the ancient world of the Celts with an adjoining playground for children;
- Wild animal park: adjacent to the AKTIV HOTEL, which can also be reached on foot, a nature trail where you can get up close to animals and trees of many varieties, from bison to lynx, deer, mouflon, etc. Next to the park is the old villa of the Princes of Liechtenstein with a museum and labyrinth.
- Lake Worthersee: less than 5 minutes by car from the AKTIV HOTEL, Carinthia's largest lake, 15 km long, is the ideal destination for boat trips, walks and swimming in its clear waters in the summer months. For gambling and nightlife lovers there is also the Casino Velden.
- Lake Faakersee, 10 km away: there is a large playground with many attractions for children, the traditional Faak market and the site of the European Bike Week, Europe's largest motorbike rally.
- Finkenstein Medieval Arena: 10 km away, concerts and cultural events
- Landskron Castle: 12 km away, this unique castle offers daily shows with trained eagles and hawks for hunting and a visit to the Affenberg, the mountain of monkeys
- Pyramidenkogel lookout tower: 15 km away, Europe's highest and most beautiful wooden lookout tower with a view of 7 lakes;
- Ossiachersee: 12 km away, boat trips and a visit to Ossiach
- City of Villach: 15 km away, with its historic centre, it is the most beautiful city in Carinthia; museums, tradition and shopping; you can also take a boat trip on the river Drava; its thermal baths are very beautiful, ideal place to bring children.
- Gerlitzen mountain, 15 km away: a cable car takes you to the top - an ideal destination for summer and winter hikes with views of the Ossiachersee
- Dobratsch, the Villach Alp, 20 km away, a mountain road takes you to a beautiful area with breathtaking views where you will also find a botanical garden
- City of Klagenfurt, 25 km away. This is the capital of Carinthia with its city centre and museums, the miniature world of Minimundus, the large reptile house Happ
- Steam train ride to Ferlach, 25 km away
- Waterfalls in the Tscheppaschlucht 27 km up the Loiblbach stream through a canyon in the rock to the traditional Gasthaus "Deutsche Peter" - a unique experience
- the medieval town of Friesach and the beautiful Hochosterwitz Castle, 40 km away
- Obir Bad Eisenkappel caves and trekking to the Obir peaks, 45 km away.
There are also numerous museums of all kinds!
- Treffen mushroom museum, 20 km away
- Villach City Museum (history and tradition), 15 km away
- Weapons and Hunting Museum in Ferlach, 25 km away
- Klagenfurt Museum of History and Science, 25 km away
- Bee Museum in Ferlach, 20 km
- Classic Car Museum in Villach, 15 km away
- Torture Museum at Sommeregg Castle, 45 km away
- Gmund Porsche Museum, 50 km away
- Feld am See Fishing Museum, 30 km away
- Tibetan museum and centre in Huttenberg, interesting museum about the life of H. Harrer, author of "7 years in Tibet", 45 km away.
For children
- the gnome world in Gurktal
- Fairytale park and Dragon's gorge
- Heidi's hut
- Arneitz playground at Faakersee
Sports activities:
- Horse-riding: If you want to spend a riding holiday in Carinthia, you're on a winning horse, because with over 1,000 km of trails, this region has the largest network of interconnected horse-riding trails in Europe, and less than 10 km from the hotel you can go horse-riding in the middle of nature;
- Golf: playing golf in Carinthia means practicing this beautiful sport in the middle of a magnificent landscape surrounded by mountains and lakes; near the hotel there are several golf courses open to all, Velden, Finkenstein, Dellach, Pörtschach
- Mountain biking: Hundreds of kilometres of cycle paths and trails in the middle of nature and along rivers (bikes can be rented near the hotel). The cycle path along the Drau, one of the longest paths in Europe
- Hiking: numerous paths of all difficulties leading to the peaks surrounding our area
- Bathing and water sports, water skiing, kayaking, stand-up paddle in the many lakes in the vicinity of the hotel.
The most interesting thing about Carinthia's holiday destinations is that with the Kärnten Card you have access to more than 100 attractions for a week. We will provide you with the card!
What to do in winter
During the winter in Carinthia you can enjoy many activities, from alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, tobogganing and of course fishing.
Just a few kilometres from the hotel there are many ski lifts and beautiful ski areas (Gerlitzen Alpe, Bodental, Bad Kleinkircheim, Dreilandereck and many others). You can also ice skate on the frozen lakes and enjoy the beautiful cross-country skiing trails that stretch for many kilometres.
Another great alternative is the famous Christmas markets in Villach, Klagenfurt and Velden in the run-up to Christmas. We organise packages of 2 or 3 days.