Alpe-Adria bike path | Salzburg-Grado

Individual journey to the festival, Mozart and cultural city of Salzburg. Winding alleyways and squares invite you to take a stroll and dreamy cafés invite you to enjoy genuine Austrian coffee specialities. Breathe in culture and history at every turn.

Leave Salzburg and head south. Cycle through shady meadows along the Salzach to Hallein, a Celtic town that was once rich in salt mining. Hallein surprises with a romantic old town centre with small alleyways, archways and houses with magnificent facades. You pass the rushing waterfall in Golling and continue along the well-maintained cycle path to St. Johann. The towers of the Pongau Cathedral rise up here like double mountain peaks.

Shortly after Schwarzach, you bid farewell to the Salzach; from today, the Gasteiner Ache accompanies you through the wild and romantic Gastein Valley. You cycle via Dorfgastein and Bad Hofgastein to the famous spa and winter sports resort of Bad Gastein at the foot of the Hohe Tauern, which offers a variety of natural, historical and architectural sights. The landmark is the Gastein waterfall in the centre of the village, which has been the subject of many painters and poets. Now it's just a stone's throw to Böckstein, from where a Tauernschleuse train takes you to the other side of the Alps, to Mallnitz, in just 10 minutes. Back in the saddle, enjoy the thrilling descent to your hotel in Mölltal.

Note for all arrivals up to and including 02.07.25: Due to construction work, the Tauernschleuse is expected to be out of service until 04.07.2025. The itinerary will be adjusted during this period. You will spend the night in Gastein/surroundings instead of Mölltal and will be transferred to Spittal tomorrow. St. Johann - Bad Gastein approx. 40 km

Today you cycle along the River Möll through impressive high mountain landscapes. The Drau Valley begins in Möllbrücke, and with it the sunny south of Austria. Your bike rolls along the Drau almost of its own accord, gently downhill. In Spittal, you can pay a visit to the Renaissance Porcia Castle - sometimes described as the ‘most beautiful Renaissance building north of the Alps’. Pedal hard a few more times and you will reach Villach, the heart of which is the charming old town with its southern flair and cosy pubs and restaurants.

Itinerary for all arrivals up to and including 2 July: In the morning, transfer from Bad Gastein/surroundings to Spittal (approx. 2 hours) and continue by bike to Villach, approx. 42 km.

You cover the ascent to Tarvisio by train. The cycle path in Italy is also well developed and you cycle comfortably downhill through the Kanaltal valley, admiring the beauty of the Friulian Alps region with its unspoilt, untouched nature and extensive forests from the saddle. You can spend the night in one of the pretty villages at the foothills of the Julian Alps.

One of the most beautiful historical towns in Friuli Venezia Giulia lies at the southern end of the Canal Valley. The townscape of Gemona del Friuli is characterised by the majestic Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and will also inspire you. On the way to Udine, the first vines appear along the cycle route. Once in the city, savour the ‘dolce vita’ over a coffee in the piazza or while strolling through the alleyways and admiring the late Gothic and Renaissance buildings.

A warm Scirocco breeze blows around your nose! You cycle through vast reed landscapes and along small water channels towards the Gulf of Venice. You should definitely plan a stop in the Roman city of Aquileia, the so-called ‘Second Rome’, before you reach your destination. One of the most popular seaside resorts on the Adriatic, the historic fishing town of Grado, not only has an extensive sandy beach, but also a historic harbour and narrow streets with cosy restaurants that exude Italian flair.

After breakfast, individual return journey or start of your extension.