Autumn vacation in Carinthia by the lake.

The days are getting shorter, the forests of Carinthia are clad in the bright colors of autumn - and yet September is often a da capo for summer. The sun is shining, the air is warm and in many years swimming in Lake Faak is possible well into the ninth month of the year. At the Karnerhof, the harvest festival and the popular white sausage golf tournament take place in September.

In October, Carinthia's nature is romantic and colorful. The forests around the Karnerhof glow in copper red, mustard yellow, gold and brown. Lake Faak lies quietly at the foot of the Karawanken mountains. Nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts come here for cycling, hiking and golfing. The clear days allow for breathtaking views.

The high peaks of the first Karawanken mountains are covered with the first snow. The lake is absolutely still, the mist lies over the water. In the warm interior of the Karnerhof, you can make yourself comfortable by the fireplace or in the sauna. November is goose time and many Carinthian inns serve the traditional roast goose with red cabbage, potato dumplings and cranberries.

The aroma of fresh herbs, hearty cheese and spicy salami wafts over the Benediktinermarkt in Klagenfurt, probably Carinthia's most traditional farmers' market, which you should definitely pay a visit to on Thursday and Saturday market days. Here, Carinthian delicacies and delicacies from the entire Alps-Adriatic region meet rustic coziness between simple snacks and award-winning market restaurants

Climatically favorable, sunny south-facing slopes, for example, ensure exquisite and internationally award-winning Carinthian wines from Sauvignon Blanc to Pinot Noir, which are produced by around 130 local winegrowers. Among the most renowned in the heart of Carinthia is the Taggenbrunn winery above the ducal town of St. Veit an der Glan, where you can enjoy numerous other culinary delights in addition to the exquisite wines in the Heurigen restaurant. The winery's unmistakable symbol is the 15-metre-high sculpture "Zeitgöttin" (Goddess of Time) by universal artist André Heller.

Carinthian wine is on the rise - and TrippelGUT on Lake Maltschach in central Carinthia proves this particularly well. The winery cultivates the grape varieties Welschriesling, Pinot Blanc, Gelber Muskateller, Sauvignon Blanc, Donauriesling, Pinot Gris, Zweigelt, Pinot Noir and Merlot in three vineyards. Tastings and guided tours of the wine cellar are available by prior arrangement. Together with specialties from Carinthia and the Alpe-Adria region, the wines can be tasted in the restaurant or purchased in the farm store. You can reach the TrippelGUT by car from the Karnerhof in about half an hour.

A 60-minute walk from the Hotel Karnerhof is the Taborhöhe (725 meters) above Lake Faak. The panoramic mountain is a popular excursion destination for Carinthians and offers a wonderful panoramic view of the lake and its surroundings. Numerous myths and legends surround the densely wooded Tabor and the neighboring Wauberg. Archaeological excavations have found evidence that the Tabor was already inhabited in the Neolithic Age 8000 years ago.

Over a length of 16.5 kilometers, the mountain panorama road leads up to the Dobratsch and offers impressive views of the city of Villach, the Finkenstein castle arena, the Julian Alps, the Karawanken and the many lakes in the region. There are inns, rest areas, hiking trails and children's playgrounds along the road. The "Rote Wand" viewing platform and the Gams- und Gipfelblick platform are particularly recommended for their views. The Villach Alpine Road is accessible all year round by car, motorcycle or bicycle.

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On a clear autumn day, it is a special experience to climb up to the world's highest wooden observation tower at the summit of the Pyramidenkogel. Looking more like a sculpture than a building, the Pyramidenkogel spirals up into the Carinthian sky. The viewing platforms offer a 360-degree panoramic view of Carinthia's mountain and lake landscape. You can see the Mittagskogel, the Finkenstein castle arena, the Dobratsch, the Gerlitzen and the towns of Villach, Klagenfurt, Pörtschach and Velden am Wörthersee.

Founded in 1873, the Museum of the City of Villach is one of the oldest city museums in Austria. Located in Widmanngasse in the heart of the Drau town, the museum deals with the history, culture and art of the region on 800 square meters of exhibition space. The permanent exhibition includes an archaeological area with finds from six millennia, including Stone Age relics from the Kanzianiberg, Bronze and Iron Age ceramics and Roman and Celtic coins; an exhibition on the history of the town and the development of Villach; and a collection of art up to the present day with works by Canciani, Clementschitsch, Willroider and many others. In addition, various aspects of Villach's history are highlighted in regular special exhibitions.

The museum is located in the small village of Nötsch in the Gailtal valley, which can be easily reached from the Karnerhof in less than half an hour. The "Nötscher Kreis" was an informal group of painter friends whose work had a lasting influence on Austrian art in the first half of the 20th century. The painters Sebastian Isepp, Anton Kolig, Franz Wiegele and Anton Mahringer were either born in the region or moved to Nötsch in the course of their lives. The museum, which opened in 1998, is housed in the house where Wiegele was born and offers a cross-section of the work of the four artists.

The journey to Museum Liaunig from Hotel Karnerhof takes a little longer at just over an hour - but it's worth it. Located in Neuhaus/Suha near the Slovenian border, the private art museum exhibits the collection of industrialist Herbert Liaunig. It is one of the most extensive collections of Austrian art since 1945, complemented by works of classical modernism and a selection of works by international artists.

The minimalist yet striking museum building made of exposed concrete, steel and glass by the Viennese team of architects "querkraft" blends seamlessly into the green southern Carinthian landscape above the Drau. The Museum Liaunig opened in 2008, was awarded the Austrian Museum Prize in 2011 and was listed as a historical monument in 2012.