ÖSTERREICH	AUSTRIA
Bundesland: Kärnten	Carinthia
Bezirk: Villach-Land

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Velden am Wörther See is situated on the western end of the lake Wörthersee and is Carinthia's most fashionable spa town. In Roman times a road station called Tasinementum existed in this area. The earliest mentioning in a document dates back to 1150 (in Latin, campus). The development of a spa town began in the 19th century which also brought great improvements for the oeconomic life. The first shipping line on the Wörthersee opened in 1853, the railway line from Klagenfurt to Villach was opened in 1864. The first public bathing facility opened one year later. The old rural village was destroyed by a large fire in 1881 and was rebuilt as a modern spa. The gambling casino of Velden, a major tourist attraction, was opened in 1922.

The castle Schloss Velden [near left, no. 559] was built in Renaissance style in 1590 for Baron Batholomäus Khevenhüller, Imperial Count since 1593. The portal in early baroque style dates from 1603. At the end of the 16th century Velden castle was a meeting place for the aristocracy of that time. In 1891 it was transformed into a hotel. From 1952 it was used as a setting for numerous films and television series. The hotel was closed in 1989. In 1990 the castle was bought by the film actor Gunter Sachs who renovated the building. The hotel was reopened by an American hotel chain in 2007.