Klagenfurt upgrades Austria’s largest lido for year-round use

Klagenfurt is rebuilding the central section of its lido to add new toilets and a year-round restaurant, ORF reported. The project costs 5.6 million euros, while the site’s more than 100-year-old listed main building will largely remain untouched.

The central wing is being demolished and rebuilt. The new sanitary facilities are due to be completed this year, and workers plan to pour the restaurant section’s foundation slab in November, weather permitting. A glass frontage between the buildings will allow people to see the lake from the street, and the facade of the listed main entrance will be restored to its previous appearance.

The works are also intended to improve flood protection. Erwin Smole, a board member of Klagenfurt’s municipal utilities, said flooding three years ago exposed weaknesses in the infrastructure. The city now wants to make it more resilient in case of future floods.

Smole said visitor numbers outside the summer season, including on bad-weather days, show potential for year-round operation. More than 3,000 people visit the lido outside summer, and 453,000 people used it this year.

Further renovation is planned for the north wing once funding is secured.