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| The Alps from Anif |
After our British Isles Cycling Cruise and before our Ireland Self-Guided Cycling tour, we spent 5+ weeks in Salzburg, Austria. In addition to staying with the kids and grandsons; we had the opportunity to ride nearly every day in this very cycling friendly area of Austria and Germany. Here is a collection of routes we rode during our time here.
Shakedown ride
We arrived on time in Salzburg after an easy one-stop flight from Dublin through Frankfurt and with all our luggage. In Ireland, we found an orange bike jersey for Riley and an Ireland T-shirt for Wyatt. They loved their new outfits so we immediately took them out to try them on.
Wolfgangsee
Hallein/Kuchl
Beautiful farmhouses and barns just north of Hallein. Most of these small dairy farms are part of the Salzburg Milch cooperative.
We made it all the way to Kuchl several times where we took our coffee break at the half-way point before returning to Anif.
Click here for the GPS track.
The forecast called for rain, but that didn’t keep us from making a run to Hellbrunn palace playground and cafe. The rain held off until we were almost at the cafe.
It really started to rain hard so we took a long lunch break including ice cream and apple strudel for dessert!
It was still raining when we headed back, we didn’t mind the rain at all!
Hellbrunn Palace in the Rain
Click here for the GPS track.
This was one of our favorite rides. From the Salzach bike path we head into town then take bike paths out of Salzburg to the town of Eugendorf. We stop at a bakery there for coffee and a snack before continuing on. On our first time through we encountered a large construction zone in the village of Reid, so we modified the route to avoid it. The long ride heads further north and adds a few miles and more climbing before circling back to Salzburg. Both versions were mostly on quiet farm roads in rolling hills.
This bench was a nice place to stop on the long version of the route. Only one more climb before a nice long descent back into Salzburg.
This handy bike stand was at that same spot, luckily I didn’t need to use the tools or tire pump!
The detour around the village of Reid required us to climb this short but steep section of farm trail.
On our way to Hasi Hendlstubn, a restaurant near the Snack Bar Playground. The Snack Bar Playground was closed today so I found this little place on Google Maps that was just off the Salzach bike path in Elsbethen another mile further downstream.
Riley must have remembered the Toy Story movie which features a Pizza Planet, and he decided to call this place Schnitzel Planet in honor of a great lunch.
Just a tiny place with outdoor and indoor seating and handy bike racks.
That is one order of Schnitzel with a side of potato salad, plenty for the both of us to share! It was a 3.5 mile ride each way, and a great place to share a lunch.
This is an easy and relatively flat loop from Anif, almost to the German Border along the Saalach River near Hammerau.
Leaving Anif, there is some nice single track through some farmer’s fields.
The route is 75% bike paths along the Saalach and Salzach rivers. Here we are on the banks of the Salzach river in Salzburg at the Monkey Bar and Cafe. Great shade makes a nice place for a coffee stop right on the river.
Mark and I broke out the gravel bikes for this ride along the Saalach river. Mark put together the route that was mostly gravel along trails like this along the river. Many miles of the trail were along old railroad grades.
These man-made falls were pretty cool. We passed them twice, outbound and inbound, and from different sides of the river.
Nice waterfall along the way and a great place to stop for a snack.
We crossed many fields like this in the flood plain of the Saalach River. Fertile ground with fields of hay and dairy cows.
This is a restaurant in the next village. It has a huge outdoor patio with lots of outdoor seating and a playground for the kids.
Mark made reservations and we saddled up and made our way along paved and gravel farm roads to the restaurant.
We enjoyed great Austrian favorites while the kids were able to play on the playground. It seemed like most of the patrons rode bikes too, there were many more bikes than cars.
Just a few miles back to the apartment in Anif, and what little traffic on these roads mostly cyclists!
On this day, we passed through several bands of light to moderate rain!
The Untersburg mountain. The Berchtesgaten ride heads the other direction (south) and makes its way around the mountain (clockwise) and back to Anif.
The village of Anger has a church in the center of town that is visible from many miles away. The first time I rode here (two years ago) I used the road. Then I noticed this nice gravel path that makes a straight shot right into the old town, with no traffic.
This is the Kloster Höglwörth that the Klosterweg leads to. It was founded in 1125 by Archbishop Conrad I of Salzburg as a monastery for the Augustinian Canons. At the time, this region belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg, not Bavaria, and the abbey became the religious, educational, and economic center for the surrounding farming communities.
The Hills are Alive - Long and Short
The bike path to Eugendorf is very popular with all kinds of bike riders. This person flashed by us on a racing bike, and she had her dog riding along in a backpack! Debby said you need a picture of that! So I bridged up and took a bunch of photos, this one was the best!
Schnitzel Planet
Almost to Germany
Gravel Ride to Unken
Riding into Unken, just ahead is a public fountain featuring nice clear spring water, for free!
Die Pflegerbrücke
Teisendorf Loop
Heading out of Anif through farmers fields and nature preserves to find the Beer Trail!
Crossing the Saalach river. The left side is Austria, the right side is Germany. A few minutes after crossing the bridge, we both received text messages on our phones from T-Mobile welcoming us into Germany and describing our data plan!
We rolled through many quiet villages on our way to the half-way point in Tiesendorf.
Leaving Anger its back on farm roads through fields and forests on the Klosterweg.
Here is the information panel translated into English. Beer and Faith!
On the Bierwanderweg heading to Tiesendorf. On hot days the shade was welcome relief. On rainy days, some shelter from the wind and rain.
This is the Brothaus Marktbäcker Neumeier in Tiesendorf. Most days we were able to sit outside and enjoy our mid-ride snack in perfect weather.
Easy to miss turn! This alley is the Klosterweg and our route out of town.
Back into the farmland outside of Tiesendorf there is one more climb before a nice descent back to Salzburg and Anif. On most days, we also enjoyed a tailwind to help push us home.
GPS track for Tiesendorf Loop
There is a great farm track that leads from Marks village to the Kraftwerk Urstein dam and power station on the Salzach river.
There is a bike path across the dam to reach Puch and Elsbethen, or continue over a bike bridge over Königsseeache river and you are at the Siedlungsverein Rif-Taxach snack bar and playground.
Snack-bar Playground
Berchtesgaten
Roman Road
This was a rainy day ride that headed south to the Romerstrasse then back to Anif via St. Jakob. I have ridden this one before and thought Debby would enjoy it too. I hadn’t ridden this one since last year andd I seemed to have forgotten that nearly 700 feet of climbing was packed into two half-mile climbs of 12+% . Photos and explicatives have been censored!
Gaisburg
We had a wonderful time in Salzburg. The last weekend Mark and Lindsey headed off to London and we were on full time grandson duty, and loved it. We packed the bikes and headed back to Dublin for the last part of our trip, a self-guided tour of southwestern Ireland!
If you get a chance to visit Salzburg check out these routes!
Steve
