More About Ria

We enjoy having guests! Pension RIA was built in 1957 and ever since then thousands of guests have spent a lovely time staying with us. Even though the holiday traditions and lifestyles of the last 60 years have changed significantly, we are and have always been up to date. Ria stands for tradition, family and fun; it’s that simple!

Ria (Marianne) Werdenigg together with her husband Erwin built the pension in 1956 on a plot of land owned by the family. Of course at that time everything was very simple and pretty basic. The first guests arrived in the summer of 1957, and they moved into a partly completed building! In the next 30 years the pension would become a second home for many families. At this time, the “Werzer Bad” was still a public beach and an ideal location for our guests. And it’s partly public again since summer 2013! In those days, Pörtschach was a very exclusive and a popular resort within not just Austria but also the European tourist sector. The Werzer Hotel (next door) with almost 500 beds was the highlight of the resort and a great attraction with almost an all-inclusive package & huge gardens, plenty of bars and restaurants (Werzer Casino, Gondel Bar, Werzerkeller, Cafe Mario), the very modern Tennis Centre and the most idyllic Werzer Bad. Ria’s guests had the paradise on their doorstep. The resort has always developed and the village has many international events

The Werdenigg’s have always had an affinity with the lake and enjoyed being near the water. In the early days Erwin had his Water-ski School in Velden and was in an enviable position to show the guests the lake from the water, of course many of them became very keen water skiers.

In 1985 the house was taken over by Ria’s daughter Christine with the support of the very agile Ria (still a sprightly 95) and her English partner Stuart.Growing up here, she knows the business and the surroundings very well and is always trying to give her best – as a guest you become part of an extended family. Today, she continues with the same inherent standards and family traditions but a generation later she has a much more relaxed approach.

Christine and her family live in England in the winter and spend the summer months in  Pörtschach to look after the guests and make the most of the beautiful lake.

The british background enriches the Pension Ria with a few english touches. Christine speaks English, French, a bit of Italian and a little Spanish. Stuart speaks, English, Spanish and Yorkshire! Now that the children have grown up, Christine has decided to take the next step and is changing and renovating parts of the pension; all these changes are aimed at giving the pension a special authentic touch. The “make -over” effects the outside of the house, the terrace and the rooms. The breakfast service has been revamped along with embracing the online communication of the house.

Thanks to our guests, we are proud to blow our own trumper a little…..

Pension RIA received the Tripadvisor Travelers Choice Awardboth 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017,2018,and 2019 and was selected as the BEST B&B in Carinthia. RIA also is in the Quality Selection on Holidaycheck.