Klagenfurt, the capital of Carinthia, was an interesting stop on our trip. The city near Lake Wörth offered us a program full of surprises.
The highlight of the day was definitely the MiniMundus exhibition, where we could admire miniature copies of famous buildings from around the world. It was a real journey through continents and eras, where we could get from the Eiffel Tower to the Statue of Liberty in minutes. The wonders of the world created in the smallest detail were within reach, which provided an extremely entertaining and educational experience, it was especially good to see those famous buildings that we could already admire in their original form.
After exploring the mini world, we headed to the downtown. During the walk, we also found a mobile vaccination point at the Neuer Platz, where you could request free COVID-19 vaccination. It was a special experience how we were able to complete this current and important task in a quick and efficient process, right in the heart of the city center, amidst the historical environment.
I particularly liked the dragon statue of the town, the “Lindwurm”. The legend of the Lindwurm dates back to the Middle Ages, to the 13th century, when stories were told about a dragon-like creature that kept the local marshland in fear. To rid the peasants of this creature, the Prince of Carinthia built a huge, strong tower on the edge of the swamp, in which his knights hid. They chained a bull to the edge of the swamp, offering it as bait to the monster. Soon the winged Lindwurm appeared and devoured the bull, but because of the chain he could not escape and was killed by the knights. Later the swamps were drained and a castle was built in the place of the tower. This is how the city of Klagenfurt was founded. The tower and the dragon can still be seen in the city’s coat of arms today, to remind us of this heroic deed. The Lindwurm statue stands in memory of thi sheroic event today on Klagenfurt’s main square, as a symbol of the city.
