With the Drau and the Gail, two rivers flow through Villach with great opportunities for paddling.
The Drau is the longest river in Carinthia and the fourth largest tributary of the Danube. It rises in South Tyrol and flows through East Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, Croatia and finally to Hungary.
For Villach, the Drau is a very elementary part of the city - after all, the river flows right through it and offers a small local recreation area with the Draubermen along the bank.
Since 2018 it has also been possible to paddle “organized” along the Drau. On the Draupaddelweg you can river hike with SUP, kayak or canoe over 210 km on 14 stages, and also directly through the old town of Villach. the Stages 6 and 7 (Feistritz/Drau - Villach/Wasenboden - Rosegg) lead over the city of Villach and offer a very special view of the paddle city.
District profile:
- around 780 km long
- Drau paddling trail with 210 km and 14 stages
Paddelstadt entry and exit options:
Feistritz/Drau, Villach-Rennstein, Villach center/Drauterrassen, Villach-Wasenboden, Villach Technology Park, Villach-Silbersee, outside loop, St. Nicholas, Wernberg adventure pool, Rosegg
Routes & route descriptions:
- Drau paddle path
- bergwelten.com: Paddling in summer
- supatlas.com: From Silbersee to Villach (upstream)
- flusswandern.at: From Lienz to Villach (downstream)
- kaernten.at The Drau by bike and paddle
Further information:
The Gail is the longest tributary of the Drava. It rises in East Tyrol and flows through Carinthia until it flows into the Drau southeast of Villach at the so-called Gailspitz.
In the Paddelstadt area, the Gail leads through the unique natural landscape between Villach's local mountain, the Dobratsch, and the Karawanken. Here, in the so-called Schütt, you can paddle through the Dobratsch Nature Park and experience a varied mix of calm river sections and wild rapids.
District profile:
- 122,2 km long
- Paddling fun from Kötschach-Mauthen to the Schütt weir or from Neuhaus/Gail to the Gailspitz
- ATTENTION: in the area of the Schütt power plant, the Gail is not navigable for several kilometers!
- flows into the Drau in Villach
Paddelstadt entry and exit options:
Nötsch bathing bay, Schütt-Nepomuk Bridge, Neuhaus/Gail, Villach Technology Park (approx. 200 m upstream of the Drau after the mouth of the Gail), Villach-Silbersee (approx. 1,5 km downstream of the Drau after the mouth of the Gail)
Routes & route descriptions:
- supatlas.com: Gail - From the Schütt to the Silbersee
- family-kaernten.com: canoe tour in the Schütt
- kaernten.at: Canoe tour in the Schütt
- movingwater.at: Canoe tour on the Gail