Werzers Season Opening 2023
„Still und starr ruht der See“ („silent and still lies the lake“) reads a line of the popular Christmas classic - a state which ruled around the Wörthersee in the early 2000s - not only in the cold season. The Wörthersee as lifestyle stage, meeting point of the jetset as well as place of desire of all, which were looking for southern flair in the middle of Austria, decayed almost simultaneously with the end of the successful TV series "Ein Schloss am Wörthersee" into a sleeping beauty slumber.
"We wanted to set a sign of life for the Wörthersee and especially for the Werzers coperations", Hans-Werner Frömmel explains the intention for his and Rikki Vogel's idea for the Werzers season opening. They worked out a concept on how to put the holiday destination Wörthersee into the media limelight again to initiate a fresh tourism boost for the entire region.
As it is the case with success stories, the Werzers season opening continuously advanced during the years. Within only 18 years a smaller opening event became a brilliant event, which this year even reached the capacity limit of almost 500 people. For the first time, host Hans-Werner Frömmel got PR professional, manager and author Clemens Trischler on board for it.
Celebrities like ORF host Armin Assinger, star astrologer Gerda Rogers, the actors Julia Cencig, Konstanze Breitebner, Michael Steinocher and Julian Waldner, former soccer player Walter Schachner, opera singer Iva Schell, former TV host Max Schautzer, regisseur Otto Retzer, theater principal Peter Hofbauer, former figureskater Claudia Kristofics-Binder, cabaret artist Edith Leyrer, former Olympia winner Fritz Strobl, former skiing ace Werner Grissmann, painter Maria Lahr, the entrepreneurs Bigitte Glock and Heribert Kasper, Brau Union chairman Klaus Schörghofer and former "pharmacist" Alexander Telesko followed the invitation to the "Cote d'Azur" of the alps.
A fixed point, which is a part of Werzers season opening since 2011, is the awarding of the "Golden Werzers Award". Every year, Carinthians which advocate for Austria's most southern state beyond the country's borders, represent it and hence are co-responsible for the reputation of the region, are delighted about the award. This year it went to "Rosenheim Cops" actor Max Müller, who so joins the list of famous names like Franz Klammer, Waltraut Haas, Hannes Jagerhofer or even Uschi Glas. Among the felicitators were his "Rosenheim Cops" colleagues Marisa Burger, Karin Thaler, Alexander Duda and Christian K. Schaeffer, which enoblished the gala as surprise guests.
The brilliant opening on march 31st was presented by crowd favourite Alfons Haider, the laudatory speech for Max Müller was given by his good friend, TV host Vera Russwurm. Following the awarding, the freshly baked award winner even entertained the guest with three songs. "As Carinthian this award means incredibly much to me", the TV darling said touched.
Certainly, the annual price draw must not have been missing. With 10 Euros for a lot, one not only had the chance on an awesome prize - one week holiday in Werzers Hotel for two persons or tickets to the Seefestspiele Mörbisch - but could also do good at the same time. Via the initiative "Rettet das Kind Kärnten" or "Nachbar in Not Kärnten", two families are going to be helped with the money, which were hit by the natural disaster on June 29th 2022 in Villach Land.
They celebrated until morning hours, where the culinary ending at 4am was the traditional scrambled eggs made from 150 organic eggs, prepared by host Hans-Werner Frömmel himself.
