Small historic towns bike tour: On to the Salzkammergut region

Immerse yourself in the alpine landscape between the Tennengebirge, Dachstein and Grimming on this mountains-and-lakes bike tour and get a taste of nostalgic summer freshness. On the Salzkammergut Cycle Path you will pass the most beautiful lakes of this region: Lake Hallstatt, Lake Traunsee, Lake Attersee, Lake Mondsee and Lake Wolfgangsee.

Hallein - Radstadt - (Bad Mitterndorf) - Bad Ischl - Gmunden - (St. Gilgen / Mondsee) - Hallein

Immerse yourself in the alpine landscape between the Tennengebirge, Dachstein and Grimming on this mountains-and-lakes bike tour and get a taste of nostalgic summer freshness at the beautiful Salzkammergut lakes. On the Salzkammergut Cycle Path you will pass the most beautiful lake jewels of this region: Hallstätter See, Traunsee, Attersee, Mondsee and Wolfgangsee. Enjoy the countless excursion destinations and natural beauty, which sweeten your cycling as constant companions. This unforgettable bike tour takes you over 331 km once across the Salzkammergut and beyond. The Salzkammergut Cycle Path, Tauern Cycle Path and Ennstal Cycle Path take you through three provinces and past the beautiful historic towns of Hallein, Radstadt, Bad Ischl and Gmunden. Set off with your bike in 6 stages on a journey through Salzburg Land, Styria and Upper Austria!
Stage 1 (length: approx. 60 km)

This bike tour first takes you from Hallein along the Tauern Cycle Path to just before Bischofshofen and then on via Eben and Altenmarkt along the Euro Velo 14 to Radstadt. This impressive bike tour starts in the charming saline town of Hallein - and the first section on the bike is immediately a stage of superlatives. Near Hallein, on the Dürrnberg, you will find the oldest exhibition mine in the world and a few kilometers further on, near Werfen, you will find the largest ice cave in the world with the Eisriesenwelt. In the small historic town of Hallein, you can also experience the magic of a bygone era up close in the Celtic village on the Dürrnberg. In addition, a real cycling experience awaits you on this section of the Tauern Cycle Path between Hallein and Radstadt. Here in the Salzach Valley, the river that gives it its name literally cuts through the rugged mountain ranges. The result is a bike path with few climbs, but surrounded by the alpine terrain of the Hagen and Tennen mountains. Once you arrive in Radstadt, you will experience mountains galore: you can cycle up the Rossbrand, the local mountain of the people of Radstadt, for an extra 12 km of leg work, or take a soothing break at the Therme Amadé in Altenmarkt.

Stage 2 (length: approx. 75 km)

Now you leave the Pongau region of Salzburg behind you and the ride continues on the Ennsradweg towards the Styrian Salzkammergut. On the south side of the Dachstein you will pass Ramsau am Dachstein and the world famous winter sports resort Schladming on your bike. The Dachstein Glacier World around the fabulously beautiful mountain massif is a real visitor magnet. In addition to the impressive panorama, the Dachstein Sky Walk at an altitude of 2,700 meters, the Ice Palace and the "Stairway to Nowhere" inspire mountain lovers from all over the world. The scenic route through the Enns Valley also takes you past the defiant Grimming and finds its finale in Bad Mitterndorf in Ausseerland. In Bad Mitterndorf you can recover from the longest stage of your bike tour. Visit the Grimming Therme and walk on the 1 km long barefoot path, which is located right next to the Therme.

Stage 3 (length: approx. 42 km)

Today Salzkammergut pure is on the program. The day tour on the Salzkammergut Cycle Path starts in Bad Mitterndorf. You cycle through the fabulously beautiful Ausseerland to the imperial town of Bad Ischl. The bike tour takes you past Bad Aussee and through the picturesque Koppental valley to Obertraun. Here you can enjoy the view over the Hallstättersee to the world famous UNESCO world heritage site Hallstatt. The beautiful Osterufer Panorama Trail takes you along the popular Salzkammergut Lake to Bad Goisern and on to Bad Ischl.

Stage 4 (length: approx. 34 km)

After you have sniffed the imperial air in Bad Ischl and visited the Café Zauner, you will probably bid a somewhat wistful farewell to this small historic town. Today you will pedal again on the beautiful Salzkammergut Cycle Path and take off in the direction of Lake Traunsee and Gmunden. Surfers beware: On the way to Ebensee, Europe's largest artificial river wave is located on the Traun, which is an experience just to watch. A little further on, on a peninsula, is the particularly picturesque Salzkammergut town of Traunkirchen. Once you arrive in Gmunden, you can relax on the shores of Lake Traunsee from your leg work today and enjoy the view.

INFO: From Gmunden there are two options for you to complete the Salzkammergut Cycle Path.

Stage 5a: Scharflinghöhe with St.Gilgen (Length: approx. 60 km)

You start this day with a ride from Gmunden on the Salzkammergut Cycle Path via Aurach am Hongar to Lake Attersee. Enjoy the view of the imposing Höllengebirge mountains and the turquoise-colored Attersee lake on your bike tour. By the way, the picturesque places around the Attersee once inspired Gustav Klimt to many of his works of art. Follow the path further around the Buchberg until you reach the lakeshore again at Nußdorf. After Unterrach you drive along the Seeache to Mondsee. Finally, from Oberburgau, a fantastic panoramic path leads along the shore of Mondsee to Scharfling. Over the Scharflinghöhe and the Krottensee you get closer to your today's destination St.Gilgen at the Wolfgangsee with every pedal stroke.

Stage 6a (length: approx. 60 km)

Birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's mother and home of the summer retreat: the small town of St. Gilgen on Lake Wolfgang is simply to fall in love with. The combination of lake and mountains will surely make you dream of this place for a long time, but your bike tour is already continuing. You cycle back to Scharfling and follow the Salzkammergut Cycle Path via Sankt Lorenz on to Thalgau and Eugendorf, until you finally reach the Mozart city of Salzburg. The last section of the great Salzkammergut Cycle Tour you complete again on the Tauern Cycle Path, along the Salzach River to your starting point - the small historic town of Hallein with its medieval charm.

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Stage 5b: without Scharflinghöhe and St.Gilgen (length: approx. 55 km)

The alternative variant leads on a less strenuous bike path directly to Mondsee, where the "Wedding Church" from the world famous musical "Sound of Music" is located.

Stage 6b (length: approx. 60 km)

On your alternative route back to picturesque Hallein, you start on the Salzkammergut Cycle Path in Mondsee. Starting from the center, you will ride along the northern shore of Lake Mondsee to Schwarzindien. A strange name for a place in the Salzkammergut, you think? It came about like this: in 1879 a group of bohemians had unceremoniously made this stretch of land their own. In memory of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, they gave this beautiful place on Mondsee its resonant name. Before Sankt Lorenz you turn off in the direction of Thalgau and, with a view of the Drachenwand and Schober, continue on the same route as in stage 6.a. This will take you via the Mozart city of Salzburg back to the starting point in Hallein.

On your alternative route back to picturesque Hallein, you start on the Salzkammergut Cycle Path in Mondsee. Starting from the center, you ride along the north shore of Mondsee to Schwarzindien. A strange name for a place in the Salzkammergut, you think? It came about like this: in 1879 a group of bohemians had unceremoniously made this stretch of land their own. In memory of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, they gave this beautiful place on Mondsee its resonant name. Before Sankt Lorenz you turn off in the direction of Thalgau and, with a view of the Drachenwand and Schober, continue on the same route as in stage 6.a. This will take you via the Mozart city of Salzburg back to the starting point in Hallein.

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