WHAT'S NEW?! #54 - VILLACH IN SEPTEMBER 2025

The welcome2villach team collects the most important news from around Villach in a compact, monthly “News Story”, with links to more information. In September, Villach celebrates an EU award for urban development, launches its future water supply project, invites visitors to Bikers Welcome and Mobility Week, and offers a wide range of events.

• EU Award for Urban Development: Villach has received the prestigious EU label “Collaborative Integrated Urban Development” for its innovative approach to city planning, placing it among European leaders such as Copenhagen, Barcelona, and Munich. The award recognizes the city’s high-quality and forward-thinking design of urban living spaces.
   
• Future Water Supply Project: On Windische Höhe, the development of new water sources marks a historic step for ensuring safe drinking water for Villach, Paternion, and Weißenstein. By 2028, a storage tank, a drinking water power plant, and the interconnection of the three supply facilities will be completed — construction begins this autumn. As part of the “Wasserschiene Kärnten” initiative, €20 million is being invested to secure water supply for future generations.
   
• Villach Takes Action on Climate Protection: This year, the city introduces a new Climate Protection Award, seeking innovative ideas across generations — from energy efficiency and sustainable mobility to nature conservation projects. Individuals, groups, associations, companies, and school classes are invited to participate. Submissions are open until October 13th. Winners can look forward to €4,000 in prize money and attractive material prizes. In line with this initiative, Villach will join the international Earth Night on September 19th: from 10 p.m., non-essential city lights — such as those at the parish church — will be switched off to raise awareness about light pollution.
   
• New Outdoor Communication Platform at tpv: The new river terrace at tpv Technology Park Villach offers a modern meeting place by the water, with greenery and wooden seating areas for relaxation. The Drau Cycle Path in the tpv area has also been renovated, and renewal now begins for the section “Papyrus – Knoten Seebach”, with a temporary detour during construction. A total of €350,000 is invested in the project, financed two-thirds by the state and one-third by the city of Villach.
   
• New Fire Station for FF St. Ulrich: The volunteer fire department of St. Ulrich, previously housed in Villach’s smallest fire station at just 22 m², will receive a modern temporary facility at the Brückenmeisterei next year, including a garage, sanitary facilities, and a community room. Construction starts this year, with the long-term status of the facility to be decided in the coming years.

• Bikers Welcome in Villach: On Friday, September 5th, Villach’s city center transforms into a haven for culinary and motorcycle enthusiasts. The Nikolaiplatz hosts a street food market with Alpine-Adriatic specialties, while Harley-Davidson presents its first large “Custom Bike Show” at Hauptplatz, Rathausplatz, and other locations. Highlights of Bikers Welcome include the award ceremony for the most beautiful motorcycles starting at 4 p.m., a fashion show at 6:30 p.m., and live music by “Dr. SüdBahn & die SymPartie” from 8 p.m. Not to be missed is also the large Harley Parade of the 27th European Bike Week, which rolls through Villach’s center on Saturday, September 6th, shortly after 12 p.m.
   
• A Week Dedicated to Mobility: From September 16th to 22nd, Villach participates in European Mobility Week with a range of activities promoting eco-friendly transportation. Highlights include a lecture on safe routes to school (Sept. 16th), a Technical Bike Tour with politicians and city officials (Sept. 18th), and a large action day at Hans-Gasser-Platz (Sept. 20th), offering engaging activities for all ages.
   
• Events: In September, Villach’s city center offers even more attractions. The Night Market at Hans-Gasser-Platz invites visitors to browse and relax from 5 p.m. on September 12th. On September 13th, children and teens can try out a variety of sports for free at the Trendsporttag at Wasenboden. Art enthusiasts can enjoy Peter Jellitsch’s exhibition “When you dream it’s not of me” at Galerie Freihausgasse from September 11th, exploring invisible data worlds. On September 23rd, Nina Hader opens her impressive “LOVE LOVE LOVE © Series” at Dinzlschloss at 7 p.m., while the second international Science Slam begins at Kulturhof at 6 p.m., where researchers present their projects in entertaining ways.