As sure as the summer itself, the holiday trends move into the country year after year. In 2024, the Coolcation takes you to alpine landscapes with cool mountain air, to Carinthian bathing lakes, but also to refreshing gorges and finds its destination between lake and mountain at the Cool Down Places!
Why wander into the distance ...? There are destinations in the north, but above all there are destinations in Austria that invite you to cool down. The name may be "very young", but the relaxing and refreshing effect of the places on the southern side of the Alps is proven. It was well-heeled citizens who travelled to the Carinthian lakes for summer holidays over 100 years ago. They had magnificent villas built on the shores of the lakes, many of which now serve as cool holiday residences themselves thanks to the thick creek stone walls.
As early as 1900, people were swimming at the lakes and walks across the Millstätter Alm were also on the programme. And today? Even before the coolcation trend took off, the "most beautiful places for hot days" were determined in a survey and named Cool Down Places. These freely accessible places to cool down on hot summer days have another special feature: each place is dedicated to a sustainability goal and invites you to take a break and sit down. There are now numerous Cool Down Places in Carinthia, some of them in the Millstätter See - Bad Kleinkirchheim - Nockberge region.
The KLAR regions and tourist destinations in Carinthia have joined forces with the local population to search for special places. The choice fell on healthy, refreshing places to feel good that are located in nature or in places that are freely accessible. Here, employees, guests and locals can lean back and take a deep breath. The Cool Down Places are sustainably inspiring because they are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each place has a connection to one of the United Nations' global goals. Which one? Visitors can find out on site and in advance in the tour description.
The current holiday trend is made up of the words "cool" and "vacation". It describes holidays that are deliberately taken in regions with a temperate and cooler climate. These are often sustainable destinations, far away from mass tourism, which are predestined for an active holiday. Coolcation is the antithesis of the traditional holiday trip, which is often aimed at warm, sunny destinations in the south. In many places, activities such as hiking, biking or surfing have become arduous in the summer months due to the heat.