Tactile map of the City and Cathedral

In front of Klagenfurt Cathedral, built at the end of the sixteenth century during the expansion of the city, there is a tactile map. For all residents, but also for visitors to the Cathedral, it offers the opportunity to explore the city plan through touch as well. Of course, it also allows visually impaired and blind people to perceive the layout and dimensions of the city. The historic centre of Klagenfurt is surrounded by walls and is fed by the Lend Canal. During the Renaissance, when the city was developing, this was the city’s main waterway connection through which building materials were transported. This model allows visitors to quickly understand the layout of the city as it appears today: the centre, Neuer Platz (New Square), the various churches, the Landhaus. And also — something very important to us — the position of the kärnten.museum can be seen in the south-eastern corner, which was not originally part of the city, but was added at the end of the nineteenth century.

The first time I went for a walk in the centre of Klagenfurt and saw the Cathedral, I said to myself: “Do I really have to go in? From the outside it doesn’t look that interesting, I don’t really feel like going in.” But then, after ten or eleven months, a friend came to visit me and insisted: “Come on, let’s go in and have a look.” And it really is beautiful. In the following years, the Cathedral became increasingly important to me, not only as a religious centre, but also as a cultural centre. In fact, exhibitions and concerts are held in the Cathedral. As a member of the Madrigalchor Kärnten, I myself have given several concerts there, almost one a year. And you know, here in Carinthia they say: “Two Carinthians make a choir”, because musical and choral traditions are very important here.