WHAT'S NEW?! #56 - VILLACH IN NOVEMBER 2025

The welcome2villach team collects the most important news from around Villach in a compact, monthly “News Story”, with links to more information. In November, Villach celebrates the opening of the new Marcher headquarters and its recognition as Carinthia’s most bike-active city, implements new allocation guidelines for municipal housing, prepares the renovation of the former Auen landfill, participates in international initiatives, and kicks off the Villach Advent season.

• Sustainable development instead of legacy waste: The former Auen landfill, located between Infineonstraße and the Gail River, which has held around 400,000 cubic meters of waste since World War II, will undergo a comprehensive cleanup starting in 2026. The federal government, the state of Carinthia, the City of Villach, and Infineon will share the costs, totaling approximately €70 million. After proper disposal and remediation of the sealed landfill, the site will be sold to Infineon and repurposed as an important development area for Carinthia.
   
• Marcher headquarters shines in new splendor: After about 30 months of renovation, the modernized headquarters of Fleischwerke Marcher in Villach was officially opened. Covering a total of 10,000 m², the building now features new work and production areas as well as a striking office tower – an architectural highlight whose design symbolizes the marbling of a steak. During the opening ceremony, company CEO Norbert Marcher received the City of Villach’s honorary medal.
   
• Stricter allocation guidelines for municipal housing in Villach: The City of Villach has tightened its criteria for municipal housing. In the future, asylum seekers and third-country nationals must demonstrate significantly better German language skills (B1 instead of the previous A2) when applying for housing. Longer residence or employment periods are also required: five years of primary residence in Villach or alternatively five continuous years of employment in the city. Voluntary engagement, for example with emergency services, will be positively considered in housing allocation. The “Harmonious Living in Villach” training remains mandatory.
   
• Neighborhood walks for a safer Villach: On November 13th, the City of Villach, together with the police, invites residents to the first neighborhood walk in the city center. The approximately 75-minute tour offers citizens the chance to speak directly with city and police representatives and jointly identify potentially unsafe areas after dark. The goal is to strengthen Villach residents’ sense of security and collect concrete suggestions for improvement. Additional neighborhood walks are planned for all Villach districts in the future.

• Villach named Carinthia’s most bike-active city again: For the third year in a row, Villach was recognized as the most bike-active city in Carinthia in the “municipalities over 15,000 residents” category during the “Kärnten radelt” campaign. A total of 425 participants covered more than 430,000 kilometers by bike – a strong testament to Villach’s commitment to sustainable mobility and active living.
   
• Princes’ Pair Secret Revealed: On November 8th, at 11:11 a.m., the new Fasching princely couple and the children’s princely couple will be officially presented, giving a first taste of the upcoming carnival season. From 9:30 a.m., visitors can enjoy a colorful program for all ages, with live music by the VIFA-Tones and highlights from the children’s program.
   
• Villach Advent begins on November 14th: From mid-November, Villach’s city center transforms into a festive Advent experience with four “squares of Christmas anticipation”: the Market Advent around the parish church, the culinary Hut Advent at the main square, the Art Advent at Nikolaiplatz, and the ice-skating rink at Rathausplatz. Families can look forward to numerous children’s activities, including the traditional children’s parade, pony rides, cookie baking, and a carousel. A special highlight is the Krampus run on November 28th. Villach residents can also use vouchers from the current city newspaper for bus or train rides or one hour of free parking when visiting the Christmas market.
   
• 16 Days Against Violence Toward Women and Girls: From late November to December 10th, Villach hosts various events as part of the international “Orange the World” campaign – 16 Days Against Violence Toward Women and Girls. The program includes the traveling exhibition “Carrot and Stick,” a candlelight march, readings, and a cinema night. The goal is to raise awareness of violence against women and girls as a structural societal issue. The program is complemented by self-defense courses on November 28th and 29th.

• Events: On November 5th, Baroque meets Tango at the Congress Center sees Vivaldi’s Baroque Four Seasons meet Piazzolla’s fiery tango rhythms. The following day, November 6th, the Galerie Freihausgasse opens an exhibition by the artist Caroline, showcasing imaginative figures from the subconscious. On November 8th, Philipp Hochmair presents a dynamic spoken-word and music event, Schiller Ballads Rave, at the CCV, before Swan Lake is reinterpreted at the CCV on November 11th. Music lovers can enjoy Lukas Lauermann’s impressive cello soundscapes at Kulturhof:villach on November 14th. The cultural November concludes on November 24th with the opening of the exhibition “Frau im Bild” (Woman in the Picture) at Dinzlschloss, featuring a performance by Karin Kerschbaumer and Tamina Haslauer; the exhibition runs until December 23rd.