Earlier we wrote about the gravel opportunities in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. Soon we got in touch with Maaike from Sport chalet Viehhofen at Salzburg. She and her family moved to this adjacent village of the 'Skicircus Saalbach-Hinterglemm-Leogang-Fieberbrunn' in 2018. In a few years, that name probably won't fit on one line, but that aside. Maaike wrote to us: If we wrote about Saalbach, then Viehhofen could not be missing as a cycling destination. As editors of Cyclingdestination.cc, we are always open to tips and new cool routes. When Maaike then sent us a whole slew of cool ideas with cool photos, we were sold. To be fair, we would have easily passed Viehhofen and without prior knowledge, a cycling holiday would probably have been planned in Zell am See or Saalbach. But Viehhofen is definitely worth a look. Read along?
Basecamp Viehhofen
The hamlet of Viehhofen is geographically located between Zell am See and Saalbach. The Glemmerstrasse runs from Zell Am See through the village towards the end of this valley, in Lengau. You're only 5.5 kilometres from here to the T-junction at Maishofen, which immediately increases the number of options plus 10. That's nice. Further into Saalbach and all the way into Hinterglemm, you have to make more of an effort to get out of the valley. From the hotel, it's easy to enjoy yourself for several days, without driving the same routes every time. Maaike gave us some brilliant ones!
Großglockner Hochalpenstraße
What many forget is that the mighty Großglockner Hochalpenstraße is easily accessible from the Viehhofen valley. We don't recommend this queen's ride right on the first day, because you will get it very hard. This mountain is something of a bucket list item. From Viehhofen you will reach the foot of the 33 kilometres long climb after 45 minutes. The run-up is still very gentle and here you really need to keep your powder dry. Further on, the percentages go up to above 10%. From FuscherTörl the steep sections are behind us, only then it turns out that 8% ascent at an altitude of 2400 metres is actually just as tough. The highest point of 2504 metres is reached at Hochtor, after taking a photo and enjoying the achievement for a while, you then drive back a bit to enjoy lunch with a fantastic view.
You can find an example of that route at the bottom of this article or on our komoot page
Coming in
To get into the right mood as a guest in Viehhofen, there is a lighter alternative: the Pillerseerunde. This 100-kilometre ride never gets really tough, there is a lot to see and it does pick up a nice mountain experience. A good inner, then! You first ride out of the valley and then make a nice loop. This part you may know from our route from the village Kufstein.
(c) Sportchalet Viehhofen
Hochkönig Runde
The Hochkönig Runde is an example of a ride that has it all. A tough climb to 1,500 metres with stunning views of the Mandlwände of the Hochkönig massif, but also a kilometre-long descent between the mountain walls where cycling comes naturally and everyone feels like a pro for a moment.
From Viehhofen base, all wind directions are explored. Each direction has its own characteristics. The south-west route meanders largely through the valley, speed almost comes naturally here. To reach the lunch spot at the idyllic lake Hintersee, we have to climb a bit more, but the sweat is well rewarded!
Hochkönig at the summit (c) Sport chalet Viehhofen
Climbing goats
For the climbing goats, Maaike and Joost will organise a real climbing time trial over 3.5 kilometres. The fastest will ride in 15 minutes to the Hecherhütte, which is almost 400 metres higher. If you complete this ride in 20-25 minutes, you also deserve a pat on the back, as this route has an average ascent of 11%(!). There is also an 'all-time-ranking' and it does feature some well-known names from marathon speed skating and shorttrack with whom the battle for the 'Hecherberg König(in)' has also been fought.
All available
In the Sports chalet is everything that makes this a CyclingDestination.cc Approved Location:
- You can rinse and repair your bike
- There is a safe place to park your bike
- There are routes and a guide available who will also join the rides for groups
- Good food and drink facilities at the hotel
- Tips and tricks for stops and food along the way
- Extra plus is the Dutch owner
It's not called a sports chalet for nothing, so it's all about cycling. That's nice too sometimes. It is big enough not to bump into the same pairs every time, but with 12 flats small enough not to blend in with the crowd. Want to know more about staying in Viehhofen? Then check out the site of the local Tourismusverband, or get more inside info from Maaike and Joost. You do here.
