Salzburg to Villach Cycling Holiday

New for 2024: Traverse the Austrian alps on this scenic leisurely route following the early stages of the Alpe-Adria Cycle path along the Salzach, Gastein and Drau Valleys. Leisurely, scenic, alpine cycling at its best. Cycle path heaven for most of the route.

This holiday follows the same route as our Salzburg to the Adriatic Cycling Holiday but finishes in Villach in Carinthia, rather than continuing all the way to the Adriatic. It will appeal to leisure cyclists who enjoy stunning alpine scenery and peaceful cycling on quiet cycle paths and country lanes.

Salzburg to Villach Cycling HolidayHohenwerfen Castle

The route crosses the alps, starting in the charming baroque city of Salzburg on the northern boundary of the alps and terminating in Villach, in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia.

A peaceful riverside cycle path will lead you south from Salzburg to the charming alpine town of Golling. Then it's on to Werfen with the impressive Hohenwerfen Castle glaring down from it's lofty perch. After a night in the famous winter sports resort of St. Johann-im-Pongau, you take on the undulating but incredibly scenic ride up the romantic Gastein valley to the old spa resort of Bad Gastein with a waterfall tumbling through the village centre. A 15 minute train ride transports you and your bike under the spine of the alps to the sunny Möll valley from where you follow an idyllic, gently descending route through truly awe inspiring mountain scenery to the historic pilgrims' town of Spittal. The final stage follows the meandering Drau river to the bustling town of Villach close to the Italian and Slovenian borders.

This is a leisurely cycling holiday with, for the most part, easy daily routes of between 30 and 40 kms, however there is one longer day of 60km which includes a couple of short but steep climbs. For this reason we recommend e-bikes for most casual cyclists with an average level of fitness. You'll be cycling on cycle paths and quiet country lanes for the most part with a couple of sections on busier roads where this is unavoidable.

Salzburg to Villach Cycling Holiday

New for 2024: Traverse the Austrian alps on this scenic leisurely route following the early stages of the Alpe-Adria Cycle path along the Salzach, Gastein and Drau Valleys. Leisurely, scenic, alpine cycling at its best. Cycle path heaven for most of the route.

This holiday follows the same route as our Salzburg to the Adriatic Cycling Holiday but finishes in Villach in Carinthia, rather than continuing all the way to the Adriatic. It will appeal to leisure cyclists who enjoy stunning alpine scenery and peaceful cycling on quiet cycle paths and country lanes.

Salzburg to Villach Cycling HolidayHohenwerfen Castle

The route crosses the alps, starting in the charming baroque city of Salzburg on the northern boundary of the alps and terminating in Villach, in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia.

A peaceful riverside cycle path will lead you south from Salzburg to the charming alpine town of Golling. Then it's on to Werfen with the impressive Hohenwerfen Castle glaring down from it's lofty perch. After a night in the famous winter sports resort of St. Johann-im-Pongau, you take on the undulating but incredibly scenic ride up the romantic Gastein valley to the old spa resort of Bad Gastein with a waterfall tumbling through the village centre. A 15 minute train ride transports you and your bike under the spine of the alps to the sunny Möll valley from where you follow an idyllic, gently descending route through truly awe inspiring mountain scenery to the historic pilgrims' town of Spittal. The final stage follows the meandering Drau river to the bustling town of Villach close to the Italian and Slovenian borders.

This is a leisurely cycling holiday with, for the most part, easy daily routes of between 30 and 40 kms, however there is one longer day of 60km which includes a couple of short but steep climbs. For this reason we recommend e-bikes for most casual cyclists with an average level of fitness. You'll be cycling on cycle paths and quiet country lanes for the most part with a couple of sections on busier roads where this is unavoidable.

Itinerary

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Day 1 : Arrive Salzburg

Check in to your hotel and then spend the rest of day exploring this small but fascinating city. Your welcome briefing and bike handover will take place around 17:30.

Salzburg must-sees include the Getreidegasse, a marvellous, old-world shopping street where ornate, wrought iron signs depict what is being sold within. Here you can also visit the birthplace of the city’s most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who lived at No. 9 until he was 17 years old. The city’s most prominent landmark, the Hohensalzburg Fortress, is also worth visiting and don’t worry about the climb as there’s a funicular railway to whisk you to the top. Of course, you can also just wander the atmospheric winding alleyways of this lovely old town, perhaps stopping at one of the inviting bars or restaurants to get the holiday off to to the right start.

Day 2 : Salzburg - Golling
19 miles/30kms

Your first day’s cycling leads you south, out of the city and along the beautiful Salzach Valley beside the river of the same name. The wide green valley is bordered by towering peaks and dotted with pretty alpine towns and villages. The riverside cycle path is charming, peaceful and the scenery is sublime. Stop in the idyllic village of Hallein for coffee and cake in the tiny square beside the church. The path then wends its way through the verdant peaceful countryside, revealing fairytale farmhouses with blooming balconies in stunning settings. Your destination today is the small town of Golling. If you arrive early and still have some energy we highly recomemmend investing in the 30 - 45 minute walk up the trail to the impressive Golling Waterfall.

Day 3 : Golling - St. Johann
22 miles/35kms

The day starts with a short sharp ascent up the Pass Luegg. You then enter the Salzachöfen, a narrow gorge carved through the limestone mountains by the Salzach river. A little further on you reach charming village of Werfen at the foot of the impressive Hochkönig mountain range. Here you may choose to take a break and visit the impressive Hohenwerfen castle on its lofty perch. You then follow a network of cycle paths and quiet lanes along the Salzach River to the resort town of St. Johann where you will stop for the night.

Day 4 : St Johann - Möll Valley
37 miles/60kms + train

Your day starts with a leisurely ride alongside the Salzach river. After about 8kms the route leaves the river bank and heads uphill. The climb will get the blood pumping but it's quite short and once at the higher elevation, the views across the valley are simply stunning. The quiet lane leads you through a peaceful world of small farms, grazing cattle and fruit orchards. Further on, you leave the Salzach Valley behind and enter the wide and beautiful Gastein Valley. The cycle path leads you through idyllic alpine countryside as you gently ascend the valley, passing through the charming towns of Dorfgastein and Bad Hofgastein. Near the head of the valley, the beautiful old spa town of Bad Gastein awaits, its wonderful old and elegant hotels seeming to cling to the steep mountainside. The final climb to the town is a challenge if you are on a regular bike but, again, it's not that long (1.5kms) and you can always get off and walk up if it's too much. A little further along the road you arrive in the hamlet of Böckstein and here you board a small train with your bike for the 11 minute journey through the Tauern Tunnel to the Mölltal Valley. The trains run every hour so there is no mad rush to make a particular departure. You are now on the sunny side of the Alps, having just passed under the backbone of the famous mountain range. You’ll spend the night in a charming alpine town a little further down the Möll valley.

Day 5 : Möll Valley - Spittal
19 miles/30 kms

Today's ride is a real treat, offering superb alpine scenery as you gently descend the Möll and Drau valleys. The winding path leads you past tiny hamlets and through green alpine meadows. It's pretty much downhill all the way so feel free to stop and indulge at one of the pretty Gasthof's that dot the route. Your destination today is the town of Spittal, which has been a stopover point for trans-alpine travellers since the middle ages.

Day 6 : Spittal - Villach
25 miles/40kms

Today's relatively easy scenic ride continues to follow the Drau valley south westwards. Take a break in the market town of Paternion with it's impressive castle before following the idyllic, riverside cycle path along the Drau river the town of Villach. On arrival you will probably notice a distinctly southern, almost Mediterranean flavour to the lovely old town with it's al-fresco restaurants, street cafes and bars. This is the perfect place to celebrate completing your alpine cycling adventure.

Day 7 : Villach - end of trip

After breakfast it's time to head for home or your next adventure.

Bikes

Accommodation

Below you will find examples of the types of accommodation typically used on this tour. Please note that the hotels we book for you may differ slightly from those described but they will certainly be of a similar standard.

Superior: Good quality 3 and 4 star hotels.

Salzburg: Hotel Goldenes Theater

Golling: Hotel Golingen

St. Johann: Brückenwirt

Mölltal Valley: Erlebnishotel Mölltal

Spittal: Hotel Erlebnis Post

Villach: City Hotel Villach

Getting there

Fly to Salzburg airport and then take the regular public bus into the city. Alternatively you can also fly to Munich airport followed by a commuter train into the centre and then an intercity train to Salzburg – total journey time approx 2.5 hours.

At the end of the holiday you can either catch a train back to Salzburg (3hrs) and fly home from there or alternatively, take the train to Ljubljana in Slovenia (2hrs 15mins) and fly home from there. A third option is to catch a train to Trieste airport (2 hrs 30 mins) and fly from there.

Research flights from the UK here.

Research train times here.

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