About Nötsch
Nötsch im Gailtal is a large village in Kärnten (Carinthia). It is about a 40 minute drive west of Klagenfurt Airport, and about 25km West of Villach. Italy and Slovenia are both about 20 minutes away by car. On the North side of the valley of the river Gail (Gailtal) Nötsch faces South with incredible views of the mountains of Italy and Slovenia. Behind Nötsch to the North rises the massive Dobratsch mountain, an officially designated National Nature Park. Nötsch itself is approximately 500m above sea-level, the summit of the Dobratsch is over 2,000m asl. The population of Nötsch is something over 2000 and compared with any English village of such a size, the facilities are amazing. The centre of the village has a small supermarket (family run ADEG franchise) with a larger Spar at the edge. The ADEG has a hardware store in the basement with everything you could ever need. There is a Schlecher store (like Superdrug), a doctor with attached Pharmacy, a Post Office, a tobaccanist/newsagent, and a wonderful bakery (more later). There is a Hotel (Marko) with leisure facilities, and Marko is also the name of the centrally positioned Pizzeria/Restaurant, which from spring to autumn also boasts an attached ice-cream parlour. There are four or five other bar/restaurants in the village - yet o be explored.
Whilst not a tourist 'resort' by any reckoning, Nötsch has many visitors for a number of reasons. In winter, first class skiing is not far away - Nassfeld is around 25km further down the valley and the ski-bus stops in the village. From the spring, Nötsch becomes a popular start or stop-off point for hikers, walkers, cyclists and motorcyclists. Moreover the village has two points of serious historic and cultural interest. The museum (attached to the Wiegele bakery - historic in itself) celebrates the Nötscher Kreises art movement. On the slopes above the village sits the Schloss Wasserleonburg where apparently Edward and Mrs. Simpson took their honeymoon.