The Hohe Tauern occupy an exceptional position even in the Austrian Alps. In the huge national park, some of the country's highest peaks scrape against the clouds. The white, 3666 metre-high pyramid of the Großvenediger towers above everything else in the region between Mittersill and the Gerlos Pass, through which this bike tour leads. All of them mountain giants with caps of eternal ice. They form a mighty backdrop that never really lets you out of its spell on this two-day tour.
There are two ways to experience the fascination of the Hohe Tauern by bike: Either you crank your way deep into one of the Tauern valleys and get as close to the glacier world as you can by bike. Or you can let off steam on the opposite side of the Salzach Valley. The panoramic balcony at around 2000 metres above sea level offers a view that is second to none. However, there is no "either, or" with this route suggestion. Everything is included here. Unspoilt natural park beauty, uplifting panoramas and challenging trails. You can't really experience more in two days on a bike in Oberpinzgau.
The Wildkogel high above Bramberg and Neukirchen is an impressive centrepiece of this route planning. The mountain opposite the famous Großvenediger is home to the new flagship of the Wildkogel Arena: the Nine Knights Trail. This trail is named after an air & style contest that attracted a lot of attention in the freeride scene and was attended by pro riders and photographers from all over the world. The freeride pros have since moved on after two years, but the trail has remained. At the top, in front of the Tauern panorama, the trail is still a steep but flowy fun track. Down in the forest, it gets trickier.
In short: the 1300 metres of trail descent are just as impressive as the mountains opposite. And with the Wildkogelbahn cable car in Neukirchen, you can repeat the downhill experience as often as you like. Until the lift closes in the afternoon.
However, if you want to see more of the area, make your way to one of the Tauern valleys in good time, for example to Habachtal, which is famous for its emerald deposits and opens up the way to the glaciers in the south between Neukirchen and Bramberg.
And there is much more to experience here. From Bramberg there are not only two paths leading up to the Wildkogel, one at the front and one at the back. There is also a path via Baumgartenalm and Stangenjoch up to the two-thousand metre peak, from where you can casually cruise over to Resterhöhe on the border ridge to Tyrol. Here, too, a gondola lift helps you up the mountain, the Panoramabahn from Hollersbach, the neighbouring municipality of Mittersill.
The descent from the Resterhöhe is an absolute insider tip. In the upper section, it corresponds to the route of the BIKE Four Peaks, the stage race that passed through here in 2013. Up to the middle station of the Panoramabahn cable car, you follow the trail shortcuts, which are great fun. The second part was once planned as the end of a BIKE Transalp stage that led to Mittersill in 2015. However, it was cancelled due to a route change. Too bad for the Transalp participants, who missed out on a few challenging forest and meadow trails down into the valley.
However, you should not miss a coffee in the town square of Mittersill or a visit to the National Park Centre. There you can learn a lot more about the Hohe Tauern, so much so that your respect for this magnificent tour continues to grow.
All information about the Mittersill and Wildkogel Arena resorts
The precincts
The Mittersill region and the Wildkogel Arena are in the immediate vicinity, between Pass Thurn and Felbertauern in the east and the Gerlos Pass in the west. The Hohe Tauern National Park with its natural valleys, the wide Salzach Valley and the southern side of the Kitzbühel Alps with the panoramic Wildkogel and two-thousand metre peaks make up the diversity of the touring area. Exciting trail descents are on top.
All information: www.mittersill.info and www.wildkogel-arena.at
Tour information
www.wildkogel-arena.at and www.tauernbike.at offer tour descriptions with GPS data.
Bike guides
www.wildkogel-arena.at offers an overview of regular tours with a guide. www.tauernbike.at maintains a list of tour providers in the region.
Bike shops
Intersport Harms, Neukirchen, www.intersport-harms.at
SportPro Fankhauser, Bramberg, www.sportpro.at
Intersport Breitfuss, Mittersill, www.breitfuss-sport.com
Bikes hotels
There is some accommodation catering for bikers. Find out more from the tourism organisations.
Hohe Tauern National Park
Mittersill is home to the large centre with all the information on the geology and ecology of the huge reserve. But much is also available on www.nationalpark.at
"Understanding nature better" - Christian Wörister, Managing Director of Hohe Tauern National Park
What do you personally find so appealing about the national park?
The national park idea means preserving outstanding natural landscapes for us and future generations and also making it possible for people to experience and enjoy them. My favourite way to enjoy the national park is on a bike tour in one of the valleys, followed by a snack and beer at a Salzburg alpine summer hut. It's fun, healthy and gives you the necessary distance from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the office.
Why is a visit to the National Park Centre in Mittersill worthwhile?
It depicts the diverse flora and fauna and the mountain world of the national park in ten adventure stations. The marmot burrow, the 3D film on the formation of the Alps and the 360° panorama cinema provide a wide range of exciting impressions and encourage visitors to go out into nature and explore and enjoy the processes there more closely and intensively. Over 100,000 visitors a year are an impressive confirmation of the attractiveness of this exhibition.
Pinzgau Explorer: 2-day tour through the Oberpinzgau region
Day 1 Mittersill-Neukirchen (38.63 km, 1753 m elevation gain):
We start the long tour at the National Park Centre in Mittersill. First we go through the village. After the ski factory on Mongweg, the ascent to Mongalm begins. From there, the route climbs up a steep forest path (signposted: Platte). When you reach the wider forest path, the route is flat downhill through the Lachwald forest, then steeper on a tarmac path to Hollersbach. The route now follows the Tauern cycle path to Bramberg, where the long but steady 1300 metre ascent to the Wildkogel begins, but with increasingly better views over the Salzach valley and into the Hohe Tauern, boredom is kept to a minimum. The trail leads past the Wildkogelhaus (refreshment stop tip) to the panoramic mountain restaurant on the Wildkogel, where the challenging Nine Knights Trail down to the valley begins. If you want, you can take the gondola up again to increase the trail factor. Or continue to Bramberg on the first day (long version: 62.41 km, 2371 metres in altitude).
Day 2 Neukirchen-Mittersill (58.21 km, 2051 m elevation gain):
On the Tauern cycle path to Habach and from there up into the Habach valley. (7 km, 550 m ascent). The Enzianhütte and the Gasthof Alpenrose are great places to stop for a break. Return the same way, then on the Tauern cycle path to Bramberg and through the Mühlbach valley on the back of the Wildkogel to the Baumgartenalm (top snack stop). Now up to the Stangenjoch, the border with Tyrol and not far from the border line up to the two-thousand metre peak and from there on the border ridge over to the Resterhöhe (refreshment tip: Panorama-Alm). From here, head towards Pass Thurn and the Panoramabahn middle station. A GPS is more than helpful for finding the hidden trails that keep shortening this route. Near the middle station, the hiking trail finally leads towards Hollersbach, first following the signs "Hollersbach" and later "Bienenlehrpfad". It is easier to find your way with GPS. Via Einödberg Castle, the route is finally flat on the Tauern cycle path to Mittersill.
You can download the GPS data in GPX format free of charge below.
