Mountains and lakes: Through the Salzkammergut by MTB or E-MTB

An extensive network of routes through the imposing mountain world, past 76 crystal-clear mountain and bathing lakes and cosy huts will delight recreation seekers and cyclists of all ages. Historically and culturally interesting places with their unique sights and excellent restaurants with a variety of regional delicacies make a holiday in this region spoilt by nature an unforgettable experience.

Long-distance hiking on two wheels - the new BergeSeen eTrail

Originally designed for e-bikes, the "BergeSeen eTrail" leads in 10 stages over a total length of 630 kilometres through Upper Austria, Salzburg and Styria and covers all regions of the Salzkammergut. Individual sections can easily be completed as a weekend tour and the routes are of course also suitable for mountain bikes without a motor and for gravel bikes! The BergeSeen eTrail is particularly interesting for e-bikes because numerous cafés, inns and huts along the route have been equipped with Bosch chargers. 55% of the entire route is on forest roads, 44% on tarmac cycle paths and side roads and only 1% on difficult trails, some of which can be bypassed. In this report, we present the technically easy stages 3, 4, 5 and 7.

The routes are well marked and Outdoor active exact maps, route descriptions, altitude charts and GPX data are available for download. If you don't want to worry about overnight accommodation, luggage transfer or the shuttle back to the starting point, you can book the relevant services in advance. Packages book with a local tour operator.

Day 1: Stage in Salzburger Land

From Faistenau via the Zwölferhorn to Lake Wolfgangsee (51.2 km, 1,345 metres in altitude)

The Fuschlsee region at the gates of the festival city of Salzburg is a very popular excursion destination and our starting point Faistenau even has its own EverymanThis year, from 4 July to 9 August, over 100 amateur actors will perform the life and death of the rich man.

We start our tour at Faistenau's landmark, the 1,000-year-old lime tree, and follow the signs "BergeSeen 3". Via Tiefbrunnau you head towards the Zwölferhorn. Right at the start of the ascent, it is worth making a short detour to the rustic Larch hut at 1,050 metres above sea level, where the picturesque Wolfgangsee lies at your feet and the striking Schafberg mountain rises up on the opposite shore of the lake. Almwirt Martin Oberlohr is a gourmet who sources his produce mainly from small regional businesses. Even if the speedometer only shows 12 kilometres, a stop at his place is worthwhile, I promise!

Four kilometres and 400 metres further up, the next vantage point awaits at the Zwölferhornbahn mountain station at 1,470 metres. From here, you can not only see the full length of the turquoise-blue Wolfgangsee, but also three other Salzkammergut lakes - Krottensee, Mondsee and Irrsee. The short walk to the summit cross of the Zwölferhorn (1,521 m) is absolutely essential, and not just for photographers.

The forest road now takes you downhill via the Illingerbergalm for around 7 kilometres and then uphill for another 400 metres. Passing many alpine pastures, some of which have been abandoned, the route then descends to the village of Abersee am Wolfgangsee. On hot days, a dip in the pleasantly refreshing lake is recommended, so make a detour to the Franzosenschanze bathing areawhich takes its name from a painstakingly constructed fortification dating from around 1800, when Napoleon's troops threatened to invade the Inner Salzkammergut.

In spring or autumn, however, we stay on the marked route and continue along parts of the route of the former Ischler Bahn, a narrow-gauge railway that connected the fashionable spa town of Bad Ischl with the archiepiscopal city of Salzburg from 1893 to 1957. We pass the unique Gschwendtner- and Blinklingmoos nature reserve, a highly protected moor with rare plant species and meadow-breeding birds, before arriving directly in Strobl. Here, numerous magnificent villas remind us of the time when Emperor Franz Joseph spent his holidays in his beloved Salzkammergut and the high nobility and upper middle classes had their luxurious summer residences built here.

Here you can find more Detailed information about the stage.

Day 2: From Lake Wolfgangsee via the Postalm to Gosau

From Strobl am Wolfgangsee via the Postalm to Gosau past countless alpine pastures (70.6 km, 1,893 metres in altitude)

From Strobl, a well-maintained asphalt road branches off up to the Postalm, which at 42 square kilometres is the largest alpine pasture area in Austria. The 4th stage of the BergeSeen eTrail The route continues uphill for about 500 metres until the last bend in this toll road. At the start of the high plateau, we follow the signposts and turn off onto the gravel road to the Wiesleralm. There are plenty of places to stop for refreshments here: the 300-year-old, rustic Erlbach hut at 1,361 m, the Schafbergblickhütte and the Wieslerhütte are directly on our route, but also a detour to the 1853 built Postalm hut and the historic Postalm Chapel is well worth a visit.

The route continues towards Inner- and Außerlienbachalm and then downhill on the abandoned old Postalm road along the Aubach stream to Pichl and Voglau. We cycle along the Lammer for almost 10 kilometres before the second ascent of the day. It is almost 800 metres up to the Hornspitz, where you are rewarded with an impressive view of the Dachstein and Gosaukamm. It is only a good 15 kilometres down to our stage destination of Gosau, with a final refreshment stop at the Zeishofalm right at the start of the descent.

Here you can find more Detailed information about the stage.

Day 3: From Gosau via the Roßalm to Bad Aussee

From Gosau via the Roßalm to Bad Aussee (61.9 km, 1,363 metres in altitude)

The stage "BergeSeen 5" is one of the most beautiful MTB day tours in the Salzkammergut and is rich in various sights. From the Lake Gosau you have a truly unique postcard view of the Dachstein with its imposing glacier and the wildly rugged Gosaukamm, which, hard to believe, was formed as a coral reef millions of years ago in a tropical sea and was pushed into our latitudes together with the Alps by continental drift. Our route takes us past the untamed Waldbachstrub waterfalls, which plunge up to 90 metres into the depths with a loud roar. From the prehistoric Hallstattwhere salt was mined 7000 years ago, it is not far to the picturesque eastern shore trail on Lake Hallstatt. From St. Agatha, you continue through the wild and romantic Leisling Valley and then past the ruins of Pflindsberg Castle, which was built in the late Middle Ages by order of the Archbishop of Salzburg to secure his profitable salt mining operations.

From there, you can enjoy a brisk descent to Altaussee with a magnificent view of the striking Loser, the mighty Trisselwand and the almost unspoilt Lake Altaussee. The route then continues along the Altausseer Traun to your accommodation in Bad Aussee.

This tour also has a lot to offer in terms of culinary delights. Soon after the start in Gosau, you reach the highest point at 1,500 m after around 20 kilometres. Shortly before this, however, a stop at the Roßalm at 1,387 metres is a must, if only for its homemade delicacies. Further down, in listed Hallstatt - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - the Hotel Grüner Baum with its fantastic lakeside terrace invites you to take a coffee break. For lunch, the Uferwirt Seeraunzn at kilometre 43 or the Agathawirt at kilometre 47 offer regional dishes and Austrian classics. And at the stage finish in Bad Aussee, you should reward yourself for the day's efforts with a piece of delicious cake or a delicious Temmel ice cream in the classy Kurcafé Lewandofsky.

Here you can find more Detailed information about the stage.

Day 4: From Bad Aussee via Bad Goisern to Bad Ischl

From Bad Aussee via Bad Goisern to Bad Ischl (49.7 km, 1,399 metres in altitude)

If you have time for an extra round, we recommend the Stage BergeSeen 6which leads from Bad Aussee through the wonderful nature of the Styrian Salzkammergut to the Ödensee in Bad Mitterndorf and back along the beautiful Grundlsee.

On the last day, you first travel from Bad Aussee to Altaussee to the starting point of the Stage 7. Continue to the popular Blaa Alm and through the unspoilt Rettenbachtal valley, from where a turn-off to the left leads up to the Raschbergsattel at an altitude of 1,400 metres. Continue downhill along the forest road to the Goiserer Predigstuhl and shortly afterwards you will reach the spectacular but well-secured passage of the Ewige Wand, probably the most famous bike motif in the region. The view from up there is phenomenal, with the Goiserer Traun valley at your feet and the mountains of the mighty Dachstein massif in the background.

About 6 kilometres after Altaussee or shortly after the Blaa Alm, the original route is currently closed due to rock work in the Rettenbachtal valley. However, there are several alternatives. The most beautiful one branches off in Altaussee up to the salt mine (Altaussee Salt Mine) and over the Moosberg and Waldgraben to the Halleralm. Now head towards the Hütteneckalm and after about one and a half kilometres you are back on the original route. A detour to Raschberg hut (+ 2.5 km) or to the Hütteneckalm (+ 1.5 km) is worth it for the fantastic view of Lake Hallstatt and the Dachstein with its glistening glacier alone. The Biedermeier painter F. Waldmüller once chose this Hütteneck motif for one of his masterpieces.

But also the Rathlucken hut shortly before the eternal wall and the Hoisnrad Alm offer great views and tempt you to take a break.

Before reaching the village of Perneck, you pass the numerous tunnels of the Ischl salt mine. The Ludovika gallerynamed after the wife of the reactionary Emperor Franz I, has the most beautiful portal and is a popular photo motif.

In the Imperial City of Bad Ischl is now not far away. There, alongside the many splendid 19th century buildings, the magnificent Imperial Villa which was once the summer residence of Franz Joseph I. He spent no fewer than 82 summers in the Salzkammergut, where he was able to indulge his strong hunting instinct to his heart's content, while his wife Sisi favoured hiking and riding excursions in the surrounding mountains with her overworked ladies-in-waiting.

The imperial couple also brought the high nobility and upper middle classes to Ischl, which developed into one of the most fashionable spa resorts of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

Here in Bad Ischl, after a total of 236 kilometres and around 6,000 metres of elevation gain on our very own BergeSeen Tour, you should treat yourself to a visit to the Thermal baths and the famous "Stollen", which is not only known for its delicious Zauner confectionery reward. You can then really take in the many scenic and cultural highlights of this challenging but physically and mentally invigorating cycle tour. Lasting memories of countless moments of happiness are guaranteed!

Here you can find more Detailed information on stage.

Tip: On the trail of the legendary Salzkammergut Trophy

Tip! The Salzkammergut Trophy is also for touring and hobby bikers!

The Salzkammergut Trophy - Austria's largest MTB marathon - has made the region famous among bikers far beyond the country's borders. Most of the routes can be individual tour but more and more amateur cyclists are taking advantage of the benefits of taking part in the race event. Clearly visible markings and professional catering along the routes are provided during the Trophy weekend and the shared cycling experience with like-minded people as well as the thunderous cheers from thousands of enthusiastic spectators along the routes and at the finish in Bad Goisern make participating in the Trophy an experience that will be fondly remembered for years to come.

Not everyone can be a winner, but often just taking part is a victory in itself. Generous time limits on the 22, 37, 55 and 79 kilometre routes mean that even less well-trained amateur bikers can complete the chosen distance without the stress of racing.

As I said, the Salzkammergut Trophy is for everyone!

Here you can find more Information about the tours along the Trophy routes
Here you can find more Information and registration for the marathon