Level of difficulty 1 |  Gastronomy 1 |  Length 1,4 km |  Time 30 minutes

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On the outskirts of Villach lies the idyllic and sun-drenched Lake Magdalenensee, which is approximately 14 hectares in size and lies in a shallow hollow. The crystal clear, turquoise water invites you to take a little exploration tour, including cooling off in between.

General information

• KärntenCard
• Magdalensee Wikipedia
• Villach tourist information
• Carinthia tourist information
• Paddling Town
• Climate
• Wind, waves, weather

Navigation rules

Bathers, fishing boats and rowing boats always have priority.

Dangers and risks

None

Directions

In case you come from Villach by car, take St. Magdalener Straße east and after 1.5 km go straight over the roundabout. After another 400 m, turn left at the level of the sports field (on the right) and after another 400 m turn left again into Peter-Melcher-Straße. After the railway underpass, turn left again onto Höhenweg Street and from there turn left one last time onto the lake promenade.

However, it is time-consuming to reach this location using public transport, because the journey is difficult as you have to walk long distances to the lake.

National and international bus, train and flight connections can be found via the comparison portals Omio, Busbud as well as RailEurope. If you arrive by plane, you will either land in Klagenfurt or Ljubljana - these are the two closest airports in the region.

Parking

There are only two parking spaces right next to the public outdoor bath. The road leading there is one lane and turning can be difficult unless a private driveway is open. At the junction of the streets Höhenweg and Seepromenade, about 300m before the outdoor bath, there is an additional parking area for a few cars on the side of the road. However, there are often cars parked along Höhenweg Street.

You can also park your car on Peter-Melcher-Straße at the level of the small bridge over the branch of the lake and get in directly from there.

Swimming

Lake Magdalenensee is an insider tip for all those who want to swim without time pressure and away from mass tourism. Although almost everything around the lake is in private hands, there is a free public bath and an access point from the lake promenade. The lake is fed from groundwater and therefore has no tributaries. This is probably why it has so little current and is very warm (up to 25° C). The shores are grassy and gravel-free everywhere, making them ideal for families with children.

Tour

From the small public outdoor bath around the lake.

Length

1,4 km

Time

30 minutes

Start and landing

On the south bank via the public outdoor bath.

SUP rental

Draupaddelweg
Dahlienweg 14, 9161 Maria Rain
Phone +43 (0)463 2032 30100

Fels & Wasser
Flurweg 20, 9524 Villach
Phone +43 (0)650 6161327

Click&Paddle Faak
Self-service machine at the reed meander
Discount code “SUPAtlas” for 20% discount
Bachstraße, 9583 Faak

SUP2GETHER
Mobile SUP rental
Am Birkengrund 26, 9073 Klagenfurt
Phone +43 (0)463 20323020

Hidden natural gem for connoisseurs

Lake Magdalenensee is a well-hidden insider tip in Villach's district of St. Magdalen and is ideal for a little exploration tour in between. Please don't get confused, because the locals also call it Magdalen Lake or Lake Magdalersee. It is all the same approximately 14 hectare body of water with a maximum depth of 5.2 m and a shoreline of approximately 1.5 km.

We decide to get in via the friendly public bath on the south bank and are lucky that one of the few parking spaces is available. The outdoor bath is very small and familiar and it is mainly frequented by locals, who mostly come by bike. There is free Wi-Fi, changing rooms and sanitary facilities as well as play facilities for children. The meadow offers enough space to inflate our SUPs and we can temporarily store our bags in the beach buffet. A look at the drinks menu tells us that time must have stood still here, because really fair prices round off the small selection of refreshments.

The water is shallow and crystal clear and we start our tour towards the west, past the thick reeds of the south bank and always with our eyes on the wonderful underwater world. Through the clear, calm water we see beautiful carpets of plants and schools of fish passing under our boards. Catfish, amur carp, tench and perch share the lake with other fish species. An offer that some fishermen are happy to accept and go out in their rowing boat to try their luck. After all, in 1996, a twenty-year-old carp weighing a record 26 kg and measuring 1.3 m was pulled from the lake.

Although the lake is heavily built up except for the southern bank, the small huts and private houses fit perfectly into the overall picture and there are no architectural eyesores standing out. We continue paddling towards the west bank and stop briefly at the outflow of the lake, which flows under a small bridge. There we watch two girls in their courageous attempt to glide across the lake while both standing on the same board. They made a virtue of necessity because unfortunately they had forgotten the second board at home. Thanks to the lack of wind and the calm water, you can definitely try it out here. The two definitely had fun.

We push our SUPs towards the north bank, past small private beaches and can't believe our eyes and ears when we see a big summer party on a jetty. Dozens of people in the water and on land are laughing and watching a stand-up paddler - male - in high heels as he laboriously and wobbly tries to get around a pedal boat as quickly as possible and get back to land.

The whole thing is meticulously graded and commented on by a moderator for the entertainment of the audience. We ask some folks: Villa Mayer is organizing this event for the second time. Their High Heel Stand Up Paddle Contest at the beginning of June and can already boast a field of around 20 motivated recreational athletes. Of course a woman won. She probably had more experience with the footwear than her male colleagues. We happily accept the invitation to stay for a drink and watch the award ceremony.

Later we paddle back to the entry point over the nice east bank. The music is lost in the light evening breeze and we enjoy the low evening sun as it caresses not only the lake but also the Karavanks bordering Slovenia. Some of the houses here are built directly on the water and do not particularly block the sun's rays. At the outdoor pool we cool off in the pleasantly warm water, pack up our equipment and look forward to a crispy fried chicken at the inn Gasthof Hopf around the corner.

You can find this and many other SUP tours on Carinthian lakes in the SUP Guide Carinthia.