Graveling in Austria is one of Europe's better-kept secrets. Alpine gravel, but better. Not too steep, but very beautiful. We have already had the opportunity to experience this in other parts of this beautiful country. Erwin & Erwin, the Mountain High Chasers, headed to beautiful Vorarlberg. They went graveling in Bregenzerwald. Whether it's something? What do you think? So read on quickly!
Text: Erwin Reijneveld, photography: Erwin Visser
Culinary cycling
Sober, we get on our gravel bikes. In the Bregenzerwald, still unknown to us. Unknown and therefore unloved. We may be in Austria, but there is still no sign of the higher mountains. The character of this region has yet to unfold. But we are mostly sober because the urgent advice was this.
Beneath the tip of the veil, we see the first natural beauty appear as we cycle from Au to Mellau. There follows a blissful sobering up at Hotel Bären. Our first 'Kulinarisch Radfahren' voucher gives access to the tasty buffet. After another good coffee, we leave the trendy place to start the cycling part of this concept. By 'radfahren' we will taste more of the Bregenzerwald in addition to the culinary.
This makes sense
An emphatic ingredient in this is wood, it soon becomes apparent. Conifers are really everywhere. And if they are not upright, they have been taken care of by a human being. From bus shelters, houses and buildings to furniture and crockery. If it can be made of wood, they make it of wood. That's how they seem to think in the Bregenzerwald.
They are proud of their vaunted crafts here. Not coincidentally, we come across unusual buildings along the route that underline this. In one of them, we walk inside. Werkraum Haus Bregenzerwald is a modern building with a small, low-threshold (even that threshold is made of wood) museum about crafts. We can see and experience the work. The ´schindeln´ in particular appeal to us. A cladding that is strikingly common in this region. Untreated wood is used to clad facades. Irreverently, it looks like wooden fish scales. As time and weather take hold, the facades change colour and character.
More architecture
Besides the Werkraum, there is more unique architecture to see in Andelsbuch. We check it out, but this time from the bike. After all, we would almost forget what brought us here. With the first gravel climb approaching, it really is now our turn to work hard.
We drive into the forest. Crunching stones and panting are drowned out on this steep climb by the wild river, which seems to follow the same route. It is only at the top that peace comes. We ride away from the river. Over paths meant for farmers, but which seem to have been secretly created for us.
Back to civilisation
Rest lets us pass, then we descend towards civilisation again. This is followed by a tough tarmac climb, ending under the umbrellas of Berghaus Kanisfluh, where we exchange the second voucher for a serious and tasty plate of Austrian food. Meanwhile, our noses point in the same direction. Indeed, the mountain scenery is fantastic!
Feeling sweet, we burn some of our lunch towards the final voucher drop-off. The kilometres quickly disappear under our wheels. After carefully choosing the most delicious-looking pastry, we walk out of hotel Die Wälderin again. To the sunny terrace, where it is served. Our eye catches the umpteenth mega-map of off-road cycling routes. They like our type of person here. Behind the fine padding of our little table, we see the Mellaubahn. Why not, we think. With our online Guest-Card Bregenzerwald & Großes Walsertal (free public transport and cable cars from three overnight stays in summer, which you order online here. ) we board the ski gondola. To relax on the Roßtellealpe in cycling clothes but without bikes in an alpine meadow, peering towards Germany. Our muscles and senses are optimally stimulated today.
Into the Wold Event
A day later. Mellau, quiet until yesterday, is suddenly full of gravel. In the starting square, like-minded people congregate. Under a sunny glare and the sounds of the local orchestra, trendy wristbands are linked to participants. Relaxation prevails.
The speaker takes over. Final instructions and repeated "this is not a race". The motivational countdown ends, we are off. A few hundred men and (remarkably many) women cycle rows thick out of the town. My front wheel, seasoned, eagerly searches for wheels that pass faster. But today, then, is different. No race, no competition. It takes some getting used to for us. How wonderful, actually. Safe and smooth we get going and move through the inhabited world without a hitch, before leaving it.
It may not be a race, but we won't make it back to Mellau without a fight. A steep gravel climb silences everyone. For a long time it continues like this, until we cycle between alpine meadows. We leave the wide path from before to continue the route trail-wide. Here we really go 'Into the Wold'. Crossing a gate, a short climb with bike on the shoulder, dodging large boulders, crossing a farmer's yard, if asphalt is not a requirement a world opens up.
Back to the future
For the first provisioning, we return to yesterday's Werkraum. Vegetable soup in bamboo trays and organic soft drinks. It's a modern gravel event! And by. One can argue about the definition of gravel itself. Although that does not succeed now, all attention goes to mastering the bike on these loose boulders. Uphill briefly out of the saddle is met with a slipping rear wheel. It is clearly not the gravel we are used to in the Netherlands. Playing with the bike adds to the joy. A deafening waterfall, countless streams of water over the ´road´, cows with bells and the other cyclists do the rest. It is a festive adventure in the Bregenzerwald.
Party all the way when we get to the second stop. Empty bikes lie draped across the grass, a seemingly abandoned barn has been transformed into an instagrammable food point, beach chairs line up and we grab a bottle of soda (leave the beer for now) from the hollowed-out tree trunk that serves as a fridge with cold mountain water. Around us a river, some cottages, mountains and relaxed gravel boots. Have we ever had such a beautiful stop? No!
The long route home
After Schönenbach (and beautiful was the stream!) we do what most do not do; continue on the long route. Uphill, of course. Even the Wold itself eventually hooks off, after which we see the snow-covered high mountains over the treetops in the distance. For a moment we pause to listen to nothing. We see a cyclist slowly approaching. The older man has spent his youth here and is back for the day's event. He appears to be as impressed with the scenery as we are.
A fast descent in which unpaved becomes paved brings us back to the inhabited world of Au. We stretch the short distance to the finish in Mellau to the maximum. How then do we hear you think. Now, with a long, steep climb to the ski station where we got the gondola for free yesterday. Once back in Mellau, everything comes down to the same thing. The short distance, the long or a self-selected mix. Everyone radiates having had a top day. Sweaty, we settle down by the big screen with a beer and drinks plate. Between the Austrians, we see Romain Bardet take the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.
Seized
At dusk, we look out over the Bregenzerwald from the landscape pool. We love the region we did not know a few days ago. We feel like guests, and not the main source of income (tourism contributes 40% to the local economy here). It is sparsely populated, with more cows than people in some villages. The people who are there are friendly. The mountains too look friendly, the colour green almost never disappearing. The places, the buildings, they look fresh and authentic. It is a combination of traditional and modern construction, in harmony with nature. We are sold, though we don't shout it out. Out of respect for tranquillity.
Gravel route Bregenzerwald - Into the Wold
Where we stayed plus more tips
On this trip, we were supported from the Bregenzerwald Tourismus Verband. Who had arranged a wonderful hotel for us in beautiful AU. Hotel Adler, a classic name and a wonderful place to start exploring the region.
We participated in the Into the Wold event at the end of June. You can find all info on this cool gravel event via the link to the organisation.
If you want to know more about graveling in the Bregenzerwald, check out the tourism office's site: https://www.bregenzerwald.at/en/thema/summer-activities/mountainbiking-and-cycling/gravel-bike-tours/
