Things To Do in Velden
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Velden Attractions
Naturally, the big attraction here is watersports, ranging from swimming in the warm alpine lake to surfing. The long swimming season begins May 1 and continues until the end of October. Instruction is available for all water activities. The most respected watersports outfitter in Velden is Segelschule und Surfschule Berger, Seecorso 40, Velden (tel. 04274/2691). They rent equipment -- Windsurfers, small boats, and canoes or kayaks -- and give instruction. Many resort hotels have tennis courts, and you can also play golf at an 18-hole course 6km (4 miles) from Velden in a hilly landscape.
Most guests spend their time playing in the lake during the day and dancing the night away. Five o'clock tea dances are popular, and you can also trip the light fantastic to the orchestral music on the lake terraces. Summer festivals are often staged in Velden, and balls and beauty contests keep the resort's patrons amused. Contact the tourist office for more information about events and schedules. Also, this is a fine area for taking scenic country drives.
Velden Shopping
Despite its relatively small size, Velden has some cosmopolitan shopping options. Its boutiques reflect trends in Vienna, Paris, and, to some extent, Milan. The main shopping thoroughfare is Am Corso (the end of Am Corso closest to the lake is called See Corso); in addition to being the address of several of the town's bars and nightclubs, it's home to the best shops. For sporting goods of every conceivable type, stop in Kretschman. If you're searching for glamorous evening gowns, head for Tschebull, Am Corso 21 (tel. 04274/4947).
Velden Nightlife
The most visible and (on weekends) busiest nightlife spot is the Casino Velden, Am Corso 17 (tel. 04274/2064). Built in the 1980s with lots of glass overlooking the lake and the busy boulevard that fronts it, the casino contains a series of roulette, blackjack, and baccarat tables, jangling slot machines, and a convention center. There are also two bars and a restaurant where you can lick your wounds after losing at the gambling tables.
You must be at least 18 years old and present your passport to enter; men must wear a jacket and tie. The complex is open daily from noon to 3am. Games of chance include blackjack, baccarat, stud poker, and American and French roulette, as well as slot machines. You pay 23€ ($37) at the door, but you're granted 30€ ($48) worth of chips, so entrance is essentially free.
Don't think, however, that you have to enter the precincts of the casino to be amused and entertained. The American Bar (also known as the Schinackl Bar, Am Corso 10; tel. 04274/51233) is the de facto social centerpiece for the town. Here you'll see virtually everyone, either drinking at the bar with you or during their promenades up and down the lakefront. Set almost adjacent to the casino, it's open May to mid-September nightly from 8pm to 4am, features both indoor and outdoor areas, and presents live music from Monday to Saturday beginning at 10pm. A schinackl, incidentally, is a vernacular name for a style of rowboat used to catch fish in Carinthia.
If you're young at heart, you might enjoy the Crazy Bull Disco, Klagenfurter Strasse 17 (tel. 4274/2034), where high-volume music, sometimes heavy metal, brings influences from faraway London and Los Angeles to otherwise sleepy Velden. The Crazy Bull is open nightly 10pm to around 4am, usually without any charge.
