It is located south of Villach and the Drava River, on the northern slope of the Karawanks with Mt. Mittagskogel (Kepa), close to the border with Slovenia. The municipal area comprises the southern shore of Lake Faak.
The municipality includes the cadastral community of Faak am See (Bače), Ferlach (Borovlje), Fürnitz (Brnca), Greuth (Rute), Gödersdorf (Vodiča vas), Korpitsch (Grpiče), Latschach am Faakersee (Loče), Mallestig (Malošče) and Sankt Stefan (Šteben). According to the 2001 census, 5.6% of the population are Carinthian Slovenes.
In 1508 Emperor Maximilian I, Duke of Carinthia since 1493, granted Finkenstein to his liegeman Siegmund von Dietrichstein, whose descendants held the castle until 1861. From the 18th century on it decayed, only ruins remain. It is today the backdrop of the Burgarena Finkenstein, an amphitheatre with 1150 seats mainly used for concerts.
The Finkenstein municipality was established in 1850 at Mallestig, it became a market town in 1979. To advert to its location on the shore of Lake Faak, the official name is Finkenstein am Faaker See since 2000. The area largely depends on tourism, moreover Elan snowboards operates a factory in Fürnitz.
Altfinkenstein, view to Mt. Mittagskogel
Politics
Seats in the municipal assembly (Gemeinderat) as of 2015 elections:
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