Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt became the provincial capital in 1518, so most of the delightful sites here date from the 16th century or later. However, a group of attention-getting Carinthian architects has also breathed new life into old buildings. The town is an excellent base for excursions to the rest of Carinthia. In the city center you can't miss the Lindwurm, Klagenfurt's emblematic dragon with a curled tail, which adorns the fountain on Neuer Platz (New Square). Legend has it that the town was founded on this spot, where the beast was destroyed by resident peasants back in days of yore (but the notion of Klagenfurt's dragon became more intriguing when the fossilized cranium of a prehistoric rhinoceros was found nearby).