Christmas in Carinthia is a thing to behold: From December through early January, the Five-star superior Hotel Schloss Seefels goes all out with fantastic light installations, lakeside beach chairs, fire pits, and a punch stand serving both traditional treats and gourmet fare such as champagne and caviar truffle tarte flambée. A special highlight is their infinity curling rink on the jetty, among other Christmas extravaganzas.

Hotel Schloss Seefels
Töschling 1, 9212 Techelsberg near Pörtschach on Lake Wörthersee, Austria
Phone: +43 4272 2377
Web: seefels.at
Price: double room from € 460,- per day

Lakeside Yuletide

The hotel's location directly on the shore of Lake Wörthersee offers fantastic views, and its neo-renaissance architecture is like something out of a fairy tale – the ideal recipe for a magical holiday season. "Seefels Advent De Luxe" – the name says it all. From the opening ceremony on 1 December 2023 to the final illumination on 2 January 2024, Schloss Seefels' 30,000 m² castle garden will shine brightly as fantastic light installations create a festive atmosphere. Thousands of lights will twinkle and glow throughout the property, from the hotel itself to the terraces, the castle gardens and the footbridges.

The centerpiece, however, is Advent by the lake, where guests enter through an impressive tunnel of light. Beach chairs on Porto Bello terraces invite you to snuggle up by the fireplaces as roasted chestnuts, gingerbread, roasted almonds, homemade mulled wine and punch exude the scent of Christmas. These Christmas classics are joined at the punch stand by gourmet delicacies such as champagne and caviar truffle tarte flambée, Wagyu beef lardo on bread, cured mini-sausages and crêpes with nougat cream. And to top it all off, there are several extravagant activities to be enjoyed: curling on the unique infinity rink jutting out into the lake, posing for photos by the Carinthian Herzerlbaum, or swimming in the lake pool, which is heated to a perfect 28 degrees.

Amazement and wonder is guaranteed at Advent de luxe. Advent am See is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Bookable arrangement

"MAGIC ADVENT" can be booked for 2, 3, or 4 nights, starting at €818 for 2 people in a Small Superior and including an à la carte castle breakfast, a 4-course evening menu in the gourmet restaurant La Terrasse, use of the spa including the heated lake pool and a late check-out until 5 pm on Sunday.

Hotel Schloss Seefels
Töschling 1, 9212 Techelsberg near Pörtschach on Lake Wörthersee, Austria
Web: seefels.at
Phone: +43 4272 2377
Price: Doubles from € 460,- per day