There can't be many more beautiful bike
rides in the world, 340kms. of spectacular scenery with a rest day in
Salzburg as an added bonus. We again used the Austrian company Rad Reisen for this ride. For around Euro 600 per person we had good [but
heavy] bikes, very good accommodation, breakfasts and luggage transfers
each day. In total we rode for 5 days and had 1 day free in Salzburg.
With
hindsight I would do the ride differently next time. Instead of the
rest day in Salzburg I would split the last 150kms. into three days.
75kms. per day on a heavy bike takes the fun out of it. The route notes describe it as a 1-2 ride, 1 being flat and 2 moderate hills, the first day is completely flat to Kaprun and then each day thereafter has a few short sharp climbs, the longest of these is around 3kms.
We
had two days of rain but that didn't spoil it, the only problem we had
was the first nights accommodation in Krimml. Rad Reisen had booked us
into the Gasthof zur Post but the owner was screwing the system by sub
contracting guests to various lower quality houses in the village. We
were sent to a ski lodge which had seen better days and were treated as
low priority guests when it came to breakfast. If you do this ride I
suggest you insist they don't book this hotel for you. The other overnight stops were in Kaprun, Hofer, Salzburg, Simbach and Passau. The accommodation in those places was very good, clean and comfortable rooms with excellent German/Austrian breakfasts included.
I
won't waste time describing the ride in detail, the following photos do a far
better job than I could. All were taken from the cycle path except for the few taken in Hangar 7 at Salzburg Airport. A collection of Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateshitz favourite toys. Entry is free to the display, a city tram stops at the door.
Re padlocks, how long before someone realises there is a fortune to be made by harvesting the free brass hanging off every bridge in Europe.
If you are planning a ride like this and have any questions please contact me using the comment link on this post if you need more information, I would be happy to help if I can.
To get to Krimml you take the narrow gauge rail line from Zell am See, there is room for bikes if you are bringing your own. It's called the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn, tickets can be bought in Zell Am See or on the train but at busy times you probably need to pre book your bike. Our bikes were provided by Rad Reisen and were waiting at Krimml so we didn't have that problem.
Re padlocks, how long before someone realises there is a fortune to be made by harvesting the free brass hanging off every bridge in Europe.
If you are planning a ride like this and have any questions please contact me using the comment link on this post if you need more information, I would be happy to help if I can.
Krimml
Wald
Zell Am See
St George
Klamm
Klamm
Bischofshofen
Bischofshofen
Werfen
Werfen
Hangar 7 Salzburg Airport
Salzburg
Salzburg
St. Georgen
Oberndorf
Burghausen
Burghausen
Reichersberg
We often self cater our dinner or lunch, after a day on the bike it's a relaxing and inexpensive way to finish the day.
Photos taken with a Nikon S9100.
I have a question! We are looking at biking from Salzburg to Innsbruck. i.e. the Opposite direction to what you did. If the route is mainly flat it shouldn't make must difference. However do you think you travelled downhill from Krimml to Salzburg?
ReplyDeleteI can't find anyone else who can tell me!
Thanks Paula
Hi Paula, the direction we took is easier than the reverse but there are no climbs that should be a problem if you are reasonably fit. There is a gradual climb from Lofer on the way back to Bischofshosen and then a 3 or 4 km steep climb out of that town. One or two other places where there were steep climbs but they were only for a few kilometres. We were on holidays so decided to get off and walk the bikes on the steep bits. If you decide to go to Krimml the last few kilometres is quite steep but you could take the train up and then ride back to Kaprun. We didn't go to Innsbruck so I am not sure what that section is like.
DeleteGlenn
Hi there Gnome,
ReplyDeleteStunning photos!! My hubby and I are planning to cycle through Austria next year, probably from Innsbruck all the way through to Budapest. We would like to go independently and wondered if you think it is possible to find accommodation en route, ie hotels, gasthaus, hostels each day rather than booking ahead as we won't be sure of our time frame. Also, do you have any suggestions on where to hire a reliable bike in Innsbruck?
Many thanks,
Tania
Hi Tania, Glad you enjoyed the photos, we haven't ridden from Innsbruck but I am sure the bike paths and infrastructure will be similar to the rest of Austria and Germany, it really is the perfect place to ride. Returning the bike to Innsbruck would be the main problem for your ride but you can always backtrack by train. I dont know of any bike shops in Innsbruck but when you Google search quite a few come up. We use Rad Reisen for our trips in Europe, they allow you to drop off the bikes at the final destination, they book the hotels and carry your luggage each day. You dont ride in a group, completely independent apart from having to have your suitcase at the front door by 8.00 am. If you choose to do your own thing I dont think you would have a problem getting rooms in the smaller towns and villages, there are always a lot of signs beside the bike paths advertising rooms, B&B's and Gasthauses. Large cities might be a bit more difficult.
ReplyDeleteHave a look on the Rad Reisen website, you will find rides that follow the route you intend to take and you can use their suggested stops to help plan your route and check accomodation options.
Enjoy your ride,
Glenn