Klagenfurt has a dragon, and the dragon is the first thing to see. The Lindwurm fountain on the Neuer Platz, carved from a single block of local stone in the late sixteenth century, is the symbol of the city, and the legend says a monster once lived in the marshes here before the founders drained them. The city of ninety thousand people is the capital of Carinthia, built on flat ground just east of the Wörthersee, with the long wall of the Karawanks to the south marking the border with Slovenia. Robert Musil and Ingeborg Bachmann were both born here, an unexpected literary pedigree for a quiet provincial capital.
The setting is the real draw. Carinthia is Austria's warmest corner, with lakes that reach swimming temperature by early summer, and the Wörthersee is the largest, a few kilometres west of the centre. On the south shore the pine-covered slopes drop to the water, and the north shore is lined with old villas. The Alps on all sides give the region a bowl-like climate that is dry and bright for much of the year, though thunderstorms in July can be sudden and loud.
For a rider, Klagenfurt is a base rather than a destination. The old centre is compact, with arcaded courtyards and a pedestrian zone that is easy to enjoy on foot. The riding starts on the edges. South of the city the road climbs towards the Loibl Pass, a steep, narrow crossing into Slovenia that tops out at around 1,360 metres and goes through a short tunnel under the crest; the tunnel was dug during the war by forced labourers from a nearby concentration camp, and a memorial stands on the Carinthian side. In the other direction, the Wörthersee roads, the Gailtal and the Nockalm Road all start within easy range.
Fuel is plentiful, with stations all over the ring roads, and cafes fill the main squares. For lunch, order Kärntner Kasnudeln, the local filled pasta with a distinctive crimped edge, served with butter and salad. Cross the border and you will need a vignette for Slovenia's motorways, but not on the Loibl itself, and in spring you should expect snow on the high crest into April.