Klagenfurt: the dragon born from a rhino skull

On the Neuer Platz, the fountain of the Lindwurm, a stone dragon erected in 1590, was born from the discovery in 1335 of a large skull, actually from a prehistoric woolly rhinoceros, mistaken for the remains of a legendary monster.

Walking among the streets of the centre, one encounters Renaissance palaces built after a fire that destroyed much of the medieval city, replaced by newer, more elegant architecture.

Descending towards the water, one reaches the Wörthersee, among the warmest lakes of the Alps thanks to its shallow depth in several spots, a bathing destination since the 19th century.

On the shore, the park of Minimundus collects over one hundred and fifty scale models of famous monuments from around the world.

The skull that inspired the Lindwurm legend is today preserved and displayed in the city: only in modern times have scholars definitively identified the prehistoric animal it actually belonged to.

At Minimundus the models are built in 1:25 scale, large enough to show real architectural details yet small enough to visit the entire park in a single stroll.