WHAT'S NEW?! #49 - VILLACH IN APRIL 2025

The welcome2villach team collects the most important news from around Villach in a compact, monthly “News Story”, with links to more information. In April, there will be updates on open spaces, population growth, and the photovoltaic offensive, as well as attractive voucher promotions, the Easter market, and the traditional start of the cycling season.

• "Mehr-Wert-Spring" - Shopping is extra rewarding: From April 1st to 19th, 2025, customers in Villach's downtown shops and restaurants will receive up to 25% of their bill in the form of Villach vouchers. A total of 100,000 euros is available to strengthen local retail. Simply upload your receipt on villach.at/fruehlingsaktion after shopping and secure vouchers. These can be redeemed until July 31st, 2025, at participating businesses.
   
• Villach continues to grow: In 2024, the city experienced a population growth of 0.2%, bringing the population to 65,755 people. For the past ten years, Villach has been growing steadily by an average of 400 people per year, making it one of the rising cities in the region.
   
• Lowest vacancy rate in Carinthia: According to the Lower Austrian institute "Standort+Markt," which compares the economic situation of commerce in Austrian cities, Villach has the lowest vacancy rate in Carinthia, with only 7.5% vacant properties. This places the city in the middle of the pack nationwide, indicating a positive economic development.
   
• "Living Room" program opens with the Easter market: The Easter Market is a symbol of spring in Villach. The traditional market starts on April 10th, offering visitors handcrafted products, regional delicacies, and Easter decorations. At the same time, the "Living Room" program begins in the downtown area, featuring concerts, fashion shows, art, and culinary highlights to create a lively atmosphere. A special highlight is the Easter egg collection event, taking place from April 14th to 19th. Shoppers who make a purchase of at least 25 euros in one of the 25 participating stores will receive an Easter egg. Once three different Easter eggs are collected, participants will be rewarded with a 10-euro spring bonus in the form of a Villach voucher. More information can be found here.

• Four new solar energy hectares go online: An important project as part of the Villach photovoltaic offensive is the "Sonnenpark Zauchen," which generates power for approximately 1,000 households. The 4-hectare "Agri-PV facility," which combines agricultural land use with solar energy generation, is the largest municipal facility in Carinthia. Thanks to this and all other roof spaces, the city is on track to achieve about 50% of its solar power target.
   
• Start of the cycling season: Villach is starting the cycling season, once again, with a used bike auction on April 4th (3-5 p.m.) to raise awareness for sustainability and serve social purposes. Another highlight of the season is the cycling and leisure event "Velovista," which takes place at the end of May and invites both locals and visitors to enjoy cycling.
   
• Health Days in Villach: On May 9th and 10th, the Villach Health Days will take place at the Bambergsaal. Visitors can look forward to lectures by experts, free health checks, and valuable tips on preventive care.
   
• Events: In April, Villach offers a variety of musical events for locals and guests, in addition to the Easter market. On April 7th, multi-talent Katharina Straßer & Band will perform an exciting evening of Austrian pop music at the CCV. On April 11th, the band Garish will bring their unique sounds to Kulturhof:Villach. Another highlight follows on April 13th when the EMV Stadtkapelle invites you to the traditional spring concert with their performance "The Sound of Musical."