Drau cycle route

Travel to Lienz in East Tyrol, situated at the confluence of the Isel and Drau rivers. With two thousand hours of sunshine a year, this area is the sunniest holiday region in Austria. The breathtaking panorama of the Alps and the Lienz Dolomites will inspire you.

The railway takes you comfortably from Lienz to San Candido. The Drau is still a young river in this section, rippling its way through the narrow valley. Defiant fortresses, castles and palaces rise majestically above the valley and bear witness to the desires of the once rich and powerful. Simple Romanesque chapels, Gothic and Baroque churches, crucifixes and wayside shrines invite you to take a short break. The rugged, bizarre rocks of the Lienz Dolomites tower over the landscape from afar, making today's stage an unforgettable experience.

From Lienz, where the Isel and Drau merge, you continue to follow the Drau, which now appears grey. The locals refer to the colour that results from the finest stone particles of the gigantic rocks as glacier milk. On old Roman trade routes - past ruins, castles, small churches and crossroads - you cycle through the picturesque Upper Drau Valley. You will pass charming towns such as Pirkach, Oberdrauburg and the first market town on the Carinthian side, Dellach.

Today you cycle mostly along the Drau through the marvellous Carinthian farmland with forests, old farms and small hamlets. Cosy taverns offer hearty farmhouse snacks and invite you to take a break. The well-developed Drau cycle path takes you past time-honoured, flower-decorated farms to Spittal an der Drau. In the centre, Spittal has a main square that could be described as ‘cute’ and an exceptionally beautiful castle, which is one of the most impressive, stylistically pure Renaissance buildings in Central Europe and is named ‘Porcia’ after its last owners.

Today you cycle through the ‘cultural promenade of Upper Carinthia’. Along the Drau, you leave the Spittal area and immerse yourself in ancient cultural landscapes, meadows and forests and idyllic wetlands. Past Kellerberg Castle, always along the Drau, you reach Villach. The heart of Villach is the charming old town with its Italian flair and cosy pubs and restaurants. And the metropolis presents itself to its visitors in a correspondingly southern and lively way. The river Drau, which meanders through Villach like a blue ribbon, is also part of the city's character.

Today's stage takes you through the enchanting Rosental valley. The Karawanken mountain range and the Drau form a more than impressive backdrop for an unforgettable day's cycling. Impressive conglomerate rocks flank the river and offer fascinating views time and again. The Hollenburg, the landmark of the Rosental valley, is enthroned on one of these rocks. If you would like to extend the comparatively short day's stage a little, you can make a detour to Velden on the way or take a round trip to Lake Faak.

You cycle along beautifully laid out embankment paths, through meadows and fields and past small hamlets towards the huge Völkermarkt reservoir. Now it's time to say goodbye to your faithful travelling companion, the Drau, so that you can enjoy the wonderfully situated Lake Klopeiner See. Satisfy your ‘lake addiction’ and let your mind wander.

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