Page 278 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

276  A USTRIA REGION b y REGION

P Neuer Platz
Neuer Platz.
The square is dominated by
Lindwurmbrunnen (Dragon
Fountain), whose winged beast
has become the symbol and
crest of the town. The dragon
was carved from a single block
of stone by Ulrich Vogelsang,
in 1593, while the giant who
eventually saved the town
was added later by Michael
Hönel. The unveiling of this
monument in 1636 was a
great public event.
The Town Hall, formerly
the Palace of the Rosenberg
family, has been the seat of
the municipal authorities
since 1918. Built in 1582 and
altered in 1650, it has an
Market in the historic Old Town of Klagenfurt interesting Renaissance
stairway. Originally outside
Exploring Klagenfurt estates, it was built in 1574 on the town walls surrounding
Klagenfurt lies south of the Glan the site of a former ducal palace Spanheim Castle, it became
river, 30 km (19 miles) from the to designs by Antonio Verda of the centre of the new
Slovenian and 60 km (37 miles) Lugano and Franz Freymann. The Renaissance town.
from the Italian borders. Its Old resulting structure is Klagenfurt’s In 1764, Neuer Platz was
Town, laid out on a rectangular most important secular building the site of the first monument
grid, extends between Hauptplatz, and a Renaissance gem, with to be erected to Maria Theresa
Alter Platz and Neuer Platz, two symmetrically spaced in Austria. The square is lined
4 km (2 miles) from Wörthersee. spires, beyond which is an open on all sides by many 16th- and
The road to the lake runs two-storey, galleried courtyard. 17th-cen tury mansions with
through Europapark and the The domes crowning the two beautiful façades.
Minimundus exhibition. towers and the decorated
elevation date from 1740.
P Landhaus The most beautiful room
Landhaus. Tel (0463) 577570. in the Landhaus, the
Open 9am–4pm Mon–Fri, 9am–2pm Wappensaal (heraldic hall),
Sat. Closed Mon Nov–Mar. & 8 = dates from the same period.
The Landhaus, the present It is almost entirely the work
seat of the Carinthian provincial of Josef Ferdinand Fromiller,
government, stands on the the foremost Carinthian artist
western side of Alter Platz. of the day. The walls of the
Commissioned by the Carinthian hall display hundreds of
Carinthian coats of arms,
while the ceiling paint ing The pretty 17th-century Old Town Hall in Alter Platz
shows the Carinthian
nobles paying homage to R Dom St Peter und Paul
Charles VI; the flat ceiling is Domplatz. Tel (0463) 54950.
made to look vaulted in this Open 7am–7pm daily.
trompe l’oeil. The north wing of Klagenfurt’s cathedral was
the Landhaus houses the built in 1578 as a Protestant
remains of the armoury. church by Klagenfurt’s Mayor,
Many old buildings have Christoph Windisch. In 1604, the
survived in the town centre near- church was taken over by the
by, including the Town Hall with Jesuits, and was elevated to the
a galleried Renaissance courtyard. rank of cathedral in 1787, when
The Trinity Column in Alter the bishopric was transferred
Platz, heart of the shopping from Gurk to Klagenfurt. In
district, dates from 1680; the 1723, following a fire, the late-
crescent and cross were added Gothic interior was rebuilt in
The attractive, galleried courtyard of after the victory over the the Baroque style. The cathedral
the Landhaus Turks (1683). was badly damaged in World
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p299 and p325

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.1)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm