Alpe Adria Cycle Path, Salzburg – Villach

A warm welcome to the festival-, Mozart- and cultural city of Salzburg. Winding alleyways and squares invite you to take a stroll and languorous cafés entice you to sample genuine Austrian café-specialities. You live and breath culture and history literally with every step you take.

Hotel (example): Theater Hotel Salzburg

Your bike tour starts in Salzburg and you continue through the shady Salzach lowlands along the river. You cycle to Hallein, which was due to its excavation of salt a rich Celtic city in former times. Main attraction is the popular Celtic museum. Along the river you reach the waterfall, the beautiful market square and the fortress from 13th century in Golling.

Hotel (example): Hotel Pension Golingen

From Golling up to Pass Lueg, enjoy the views onto the beautiful mountain range. You will even not notice the slightly climb. The mountains are coming nearer, and the water is getting louder. You pass the so-called “Salzach-Öfen”, an imposing canyon which was built through the river. At the foot of mountain Hochkönig you reach Werfen. A last view onto fortress Hohenwerfen before you continue to Bischofshofen. Within a few kilometres you reach St. Johann. Unmistakably - like double mountain peaks - the towers of the Pongau Cathedral rise up here

Hotel (example): Hotel Brückenwirt

Shortly after Schwarzach you leave the Salzach and will be accompanied by the Gasteiner Ache through the wild and romantic Gastein valley. Via Dorfgastein and Bad Hofgastein you cycle to the renowned spa and winter sports resort of Bad Gastein, at the foot of the Hohe Tauern, which offers a wealth of natural history and architectural sights. It is then only a stone’s throw to Böckstein, where a train from the Tauernschleuse takes you to Mallnitz on the other side of the Alps in just 10 minutes. Back in the saddle you can enjoy rushing downhill to your hotel in the Mölltal.

Hotel (example): Erlebnishotel Mölltal

First off, as you travel along the river Möll you cycle through impressive mountain landscape. In Möllbrücke the Drautal begins, and the sunny south of Austria. Take a leisurely pedal over the last kilometres to Spittal an der Drau. In the middle ages this city was an important junction for pilgrims and also owed their prosperity in part to these. 

Hotel (example): Post Hotel mit EigenART

Enjoy this route – it leads slightly downhill along river Drau. You should plan a stop in Paternion with worth-seeing churches and palaces. Within short distance you reach Villach with beautiful old city, southern flair and homelike pubs and restaurants.

Hotel (example): Hotel City Villach