Obervellach

Obervellach

Coat of arms
Obervellach

Location within Austria

Coordinates: 46°55′N 13°12′E / 46.917°N 13.200°E / 46.917; 13.200Coordinates: 46°55′N 13°12′E / 46.917°N 13.200°E / 46.917; 13.200
Country Austria
State Carinthia
District Spittal an der Drau
Government
  Mayor Wilhelm Pacher
Area
  Total 104.41 km2 (40.31 sq mi)
Elevation 632 m (2,073 ft)
Population (1 January 2014)[1]
  Total 2,280
  Density 22/km2 (57/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 9821
Area code 04782
Website www.obervellach.at

Obervellach (Slovene: Zgornja Bela) is a municipality in the district of Spittal an der Drau in the Austrian state of Carinthia.

Geography

It is situated in the valley of the Möll river, on the southern slope of the Hohe Tauern mountain range. The municipal area includes the Katastralgemeinden of Pfaffenberg, Lassach and Söbriach.

History

The settlement of Velach was first mentioned in a deed issued by the Bishop Abraham of Freising (957-994), a Bavarian missionary among the East Alpine Slavs in the former principality of Carantania. The name is probably derived from Slavic bela ("white"). The traditional gold and silver mining area from the 12th century onwards was a possession of the Meinhardiner counts of Görz, their ministeriales resided at Falkenstein Castle high above the valley. After the conflict over the inheritance of Count Ulrich II of Celje, in which the Meinhardiner were defeated by Emperor Frederick III, the area of Obervellach in 1460 was finally incorporated into the Carinthian possessions of the House of Habsburg.

Twin towns

References

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