Austria - A perfect cycling holiday along the Alpe Adria Redweg cycle way

“this place is filled with so much magic and beauty, it’s no wonder it

was awarded the European Cycle Path of the year”

Distance: 205km Days: 4 Total accent: 1820m Total decent: 1850m Cycle path: 49%

Home of the Austrian skiing scene, this jaw-dropping area with dramatic mountains and clusters of picturesque lakes, provides an iconic backdrop for this Schnitzel and beer-filled Austrian adventure. In such a mountainous area, the terrain is ironically quite manageable, following the valleys that cut through the mountains. It suits the regular immediate cyclist who enjoys taking in the wonderful surrounds and experiencing the local culture. The ride starts in Salzburg and follows the famous Alpe-Adria-Radweg trail which is an unforgettably diverse experience, covering the best of the Salzburg and Carinthia regions. After 3 days in saddle, this amazing experience culminates at the Villacher Kirchtag; Austria's largest traditional festival. Put simply, it's very Austrian and quite spectacular!

Day 1: Salzburg to Werfen
A patchy sky greeted us as we looked in the distance towards the dramatic landscape of the mountains surrounding Salzburg. Knowing we were going to have to tackle those mountains in the coming days, we were stood somewhat apprehensively outside our Salzburg hotel doing some final preparations before setting off on what was essentially going to be a 3-day bikepacking expedition through the alpine region of Austria. It was early afternoon and the essential preparations had gone to plan. Our bike supplier - Papin cycles (www.papinsport.com/rent-a-bike), had delivered our bikes straight to the hotel, on time and in perfect condition with panniers, repair kits and helmets to boot. As we loaded up and set off through the streets of Salzburg old town and we couldn’t help but wish we had spent more time exploring this historic and enchanting city. Pedaling to the rhythm of Mozarts Symphony No.41 in C, we set out on the Redweg cycle path alongside the fast-flowing Salzach river. There is no doubt about it, like it’s European friends, Germany, France and more so Holland, this place is designed with cycling in mind. The Redweg cycle path was a great way to start the trip as we followed the river for the entire day, veering off every so often as the path took us over some of the higher green pastures along the way. Towards the day’s end the rain came and valley really started to narrow as we entered the start of the Austrian alps. With a mixture of appreciation for the towering mountains above and slight nervousness for the steep inclines ahead in the coming days, we rolled into Werfen for a very welcome hot shower, equally hot pizza and something a little more traditional for this area - a magnificently frothy Weissebier from the charming beer Keller - Kuenburger Mundschenk (kuenburger-mundschenk.at) where you are guaranteed a local’s welcome.

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Dösenbach viaduct near Malnitz

Day 2 - Werfen to Badgastein
There’s something special about spending a night or two out in the mountains if you live in the city - the fresh alpine air, dark night sky and eyrie silence of the towering landscape above - it all provides a sense of relaxation and escapism that on one hand makes you feel sleepy and on the other hand energises you. With our feelings of duality we took a deep breath and started day 2 with a short ride to Hohenwerfen Castle built in the 11th century, a majestic medieval rock castle that overlooks the Salzach valley. The views from the bell tower are spectacular and it’s no wonder this is considered a must see tourist attractions of the area. The stretch from Werfen to Schwarzach im Pongau again follows the flat cycle path alongside the Salzach river, but after a highly recommended stop for a beer and bite to eat at the local brewery, Brustberl, it was time to head for the hills! On the 55km route there are three sections that will certainly challenge your legs and stamina: the accent leading up to the Speicher Brandstatt reserviour, the section as you come out of the 2-mile-long Klammtunnel (thank goodness for this amazing piece of engineering!); and the one hell of a hill up to Bad Gastein (it’s the hardest of the whole tour we run from Salzberg to Grado in Italy). As you exit Klammtunnel and pedal over the gradual hill that follows, the scenery really starts to change. This is Austria skiing territory at its best. Cycling through the valley with ski fields either side of you is magical, and whilst most tourists were improving their tans on the Med were were here with the warm sun glowing and gentle breeze blowing, without another cyclist in site. In summer with the absence of the skiing tourist there is a real community feel in the ski towns and you’ll often find numerous village festivals happening. We stumbled across the Harvest Festival in Bad Hofstein and boy we certainly pedaled straight into a street party with masses of people sing and dancing. There was also a group of men hurtling one of their group high into the air using a wooden platform. The day’s end at Bad Gastein beckoned but we couldn’t let the festivities pass us by so we locked up our bikes and settled down for a cheeky beer. It’s spontaneous moments like this that make bike touring such a great experience and no matter of planning can ever replicate it. Considerably later than we had intended, we finally set off on the final 10km to Bad Gastein through what can only be described as just about the best valley cycle path on the planet with a monster climb to finish!

The Alpe Adria cycle path - Drau Valley

Day 3 - Malnitz to Villach
Still feeling the strain from our tough ride the previous day which was topped off with a grueling 20% climb up to Bad Gastein; we set off in the mist and drizzle. The route continued on a paved off-road route which appeared to be a disused rail trail spectacularly carved out of the cliff. We were high up in the low level clouds and could only imagine how amazing the views must have been; but the eerie mist created a mystic backdrop as we road into the unknown. After a huge decent down into Obervellach the skies started to clear and we joined the Alpe Adria cycle path through the Drau Valley. It was mostly flat riding as we passed many cyclist, although you wouldn’t exactly compare it to Cycle Superhighway 6 at 8am in London. They were all out enjoying this awesome traffic-free riverside path that cuts through the towering mountains above - and you can’t blame them - this place is filled with so much magic and beauty, it’s no wonder it was awarded the European Cycle Path of the year.

After a long day that would be high up there on any tour cyclists bucket list, we rolled into Villach - and all that can be said is there was a certain vibe in the air. It was the final day of Kirchtag, an annual parade where local communities gather to show off their local customs in a float-style procession of dance and beer drinking. It was a sort of mix between the Rio Carnival and Oktoberfest and you couldn’t help but get swept up in it all. We met several locals who were happy to show us the ropes of their local shindig in which a half-litre guzzling of local brew followed a trestle table-top dance was high on the agenda. Check it out: www.villacherkirchtag.at/austrias-largest-traditional-festival

Austria is an underrated place to cycle. People view it as only a popular skiing destination but in the summer months it’s made for the tour cyclist who doesn’t mind a challenge. The challenge shouldn’t be laughed at either, there’s 900m of accent on day 2; but it could be much more, after all this is the Austrian alps. With the few hills comes spectacular views and endless scenery and if it all gets too much, the train is never too far away.

Kirchtag, Villach

Check out our Austrian tour here