Salzburgerland

Part of Austria

When you think of a cycling holiday in the Alps, you might first think of Tyrol or the Dolomites. Yet Salzburgerland has it all: mountain passes with hairpin bends, quiet roads along emerald lakes, rolling hills in the Pre-Alps and increasingly more gravel paths through forests and over mountain pastures. The 2006 World Championships in cycling put the region on the cycling map, and Eddy Merckx still likes to ride his rounds here. With the city of Salzburg as a starting point, you are within an hour of the lakes or in the mountains.

Why cycle in Salzburgerland?

• Three types of bicycles in one region. Flat and undulating around the lakes, long climbs in the Hohe Tauern and gravel in between.
• The Grossglockner. The Grossglockner Hochalpenstraße is one of the most beautiful and toughest mountain roads in the Alps.
• Quiet roads. Many of the cycling routes run along small, paved roads where goods used to pass by.
• Designed for cyclists. There are 45 Bett & Bike hotels and 21 mountain bike hotels, with a bike storage area, workshop and laundry service.
• Public transport included. Starting in May 2026, as a guest staying at a hotel, you will receive the Guest Mobility Ticket: all public transport in Salzburgerland is included.

The three cycling regions

Salzkammergut and the lakes. Mondsee, Fuschlsee, Wolfgangsee, Attersee and the Salzburger Seenland north of the city. Here are 29 signposted cycling routes. There are not many really long climbs, but the many hills along the water do add up. The climb to the Postalm, one of the largest mountain pastures in Austria, is the highlight here. After the ride, you can just jump into the lake.

Salzburger Sportwelt. In the middle of Salzburgerland, around Flachau, Wagrain-Kleinarl, St. Johann, Radstadt, Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Eben and Filzmoos. In the wide valley of the Enns you can drive relaxed; those who want to climb can find the routes towards the Radstädter Tauern and the Dachstein massif. This is also the course of the Amadé Radmarathon.

Pinzgau. The southwest, around Zell am See, Kaprun and Mittersill, between the Hohe Tauern and the Kalkalpen. This is the real mountain area: the Grossglockner, the Gerlospass and the Hochkönig round. Bring a compact gear with you.

The Grossglockner

The Grossglockner Hochalpenstraße runs from Bruck in the Pinzgau region over the Hochtor to Heiligenblut in Carinthia. From Bruck it is almost 30 kilometers of climbing to over 2,500 meters, with 36 hairpin bends. Drive it early in the morning, before the motorbikes and buses arrive. The road is only open from early May to late October, and in the summer it can be very cold up there: bring a jacket for the descent. Do you want to drive it car-free? Then join the Glocknerkönig in June.

Gravel: Soft and Hearty

Salzburgerland is investing heavily in gravel. Since 2024, there have been two signposted multi-day gravel routes. ‘Zart’ (soft) is 460 kilometers, ‘Hart’ (hard) 650 kilometers with a total of 12,700 meters of elevation gain. You can complete them in five to ten days, along lakes, through mountain pastures and through the mountains, with bike hotels along the way. Prefer day trips? There are gravel routes of 10 to 90 kilometers, ranging from flat around the lakes to steep climbs, for example to the Postalm.

Three classics

The lake round. From Salzburg via Fuschl am See to St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee, over the Scharflinger Höhe to the Mondsee and via Thalgau back. Approximately 100 kilometers, lots of waves, little long climbs and a terrace by the water everywhere. The ideal first ride.

The Hochkönig round. A round trip around the Hochkönig massif, starting from Saalfelden via Maria Alm over the Filzensattel and the Dientner Sattel, and back through the Salzachtal. The climbs are short but treacherous and the view of the limestone walls is spectacular.

The Gerlospass. From Mittersill or Krimml, over the Gerlospass (over 1,500 meters) towards the Zillertal in Tyrol. Along the way you can see the Krimmler waterfalls, the highest in Austria at over 380 meters. Climb back up, or make it a two-day trip through the Zillertal.

Salzburg

The ‘salt city’ on the Salzach is the birthplace of Mozart. In 2026 the city celebrates its 270th anniversary with concerts and exhibitions. In July and August the Salzburger Festspiele, one of the largest classical music festivals in the world, takes place. After a ride there is plenty of beer and Apfelstrudel.

The lakes

• Hintersee: via the forests of the Hengstberg to a lake so clear that you can see the bottom.
• Fuschlsee and Wolfgangsee: Classic lake route, with many triathletes and good bike hotels.
• Mondsee and Attersee: winding routes with views of the mountains of the Salzkammergut.
• Zeller See: A short ride around Zell am See, as a recovery ride after the Grossglockner.

Your Cycling base

Salzburgerland has three very different cycling areas. Choose your starting point based on what you want to ride:

• Zell am See or Kaprun: at the foot of the Grossglockner, with the lake for a rest day.
• Salzburg: the city, with flat rings and the lakes of the Salzkammergut nearby.
• St. Gilgen or St. Wolfgang: on the Wolfgangsee, in the middle of the lake region.
• Altenmarkt or Radstadt: in the Salzburger Sportwelt, with climbing and gravel in the Tauern.

Cycling events

• Glockner King (June): hiking on the car-free Grossglockner Hochalpenstraße.
• Amadé Radmarathon (July): marathon through the Salzburger Sportwelt, with routes for every level.
• Eddy Merckx Classic: Tour in the lake area near Salzburg, with Merckx himself as the patron.

Convenient: the SalzburgerLand Card

With the SalzburgerLand Card (May 1st to November 1st), you can enter about 180 attractions for free or at a reduced price: summer lifts, lakes and swimming pools, castles, gorges and museums. You can choose between the 24-hour Salzburg Card for the city or the Grossglockner Panoramic Road once. The card costs 103 euros for 6 days and 129 euros for 12 days. A great day without a bike.

Mountain biking around Dachstein in four days

A multi-day mountain biking tour around the Dachstein Massif, through Styria, Salzburg and the Salzkammergut: via Bad Aussee, Ramsau, Filzmoos and Gosau back to Hallstatt Lake.

Climber map: the most important climbs

On this map you can see the most important ascents in the area. Click on a point for the altitude and the climb figures. The yellow points have a GPX route attached.

When are you leaving?

May to September. In June and September, the roads and around the lakes are quiet. July and August are warm and busy, but then all the passes are guaranteed open. In April and October, you can also cycle well around the lakes; the high passes are often still closed or have already reopened.

How do you get there?

In an hour and a half you can fly from Schiphol to Salzburg. By train you travel via Munich to Salzburg; with the night train to Austria you wake up refreshed. With the car it’s about nine hours from the center of the Netherlands. On the spot, the Guest Mobility Ticket takes you further for free by train and bus. Many bike hotels have a workshop, and those who don’t bring their own bike can rent one.