Mountain bike tours over several days are all the rage. But it doesn't always have to be a transalp. Touring bikers can also let off steam in Salzburger Land. The range of stage tours extends from gentle alpine tours in Tennengau to the popular Stoneman Taurista. The tour information is ready and waiting at the various information centres and is also available as a package including overnight accommodation. This means that touring mountain bikers are relieved of a lot of the work, they just have to pedal themselves.
Anyone who has travelled from hut to hut by bike has certainly experienced this many times. The moment when the sun rises from the horizon or emerges from behind the clouds after a thunderstorm. Or the unique atmosphere in the first cool hours of the morning when nature awakens. Moments like these are priceless and an integral part of bike tours that last several days. You can feel everything up close. The cold of the morning, the soothing warmth of the powerful sun, the cosiness in the hut, the tiredness in your sleeping bag. These moments stay in your memory and are the motivation for the next trip to the mountains.
Everyone can organise their day individually. Get up early and make the most of the day, or start later and arrive at your destination at sunset? It's up to you. There are many traditional mountain huts along the route that provide a relaxing stop-off point - with regional dishes and home-made produce.
Whether mountain hut or hotel, the participating establishments have catered for mountain bikers. Breakfast at the crack of dawn, overnight cleaning service or bike repairs - mountain bikers can rely on all these amenities during the tour and concentrate on what they came for. Namely the adventure of a MTB multi-day tour experience the alpine landscape with all your senses and simply enjoy a wonderful time in the saddle.
Lungau Extreme
In four days through the Lungau: The Lungau Extreme is a particularly enjoyable multi-day tour. The region in the south of Salzburg is characterised by gentle mountains, extensive forests and vast alpine landscapes. The Lungau Extreme winds its way through this natural paradise over 167 kilometres. The stage tour also leads past the most beautiful huts in Lungau and connects several well-known valleys in the region. Most of the stages are on well-maintained forest tracks and gravel roads. There is therefore plenty of time to concentrate on the natural treasures off the bike trails. Nevertheless, bikers should not underestimate the tour. After all, you reach an altitude of 1850 metres and climbs such as the one to the Großeck can only be mastered if you are in good enough shape. A special rest stop is the Prebersee. The moorland lake lies at 1500 metres at the foot of the mountain of the same name and is famous for the Prebersee shooting competition.
If the entire tour is too long for you, you can shorten it at any time or pick out individual stages. The Lungau Extreme is particularly recommended for e-bikers. There are no significant carrying sections on the entire tour. A well-developed network of charging stations makes the multi-day tour a pleasure ride par excellence.
Stoneman Taurista
Always follow the stones: The Stoneman Taurista is now in its fourth year of existence and is still a hit when it comes to multi-day tours in Salzburger Land. Mountain bikers can choose from three levels of difficulty. "Gold, silver or bronze?" is the question at the start of the tour. It's not about any variants, but about the number of days in which the Stoneman conquerors want to complete the 123 kilometres and 4,500 metres in altitude. Very sporty riders can complete the tour in one (gold) or two (silver) days. Those who need three days will receive their bronze trophy at the end. However, all Stoneman finishers are winners. The bike experiences through the Tauern region, on the Rossbrand and on the Hochgründeck are unforgettable for many. They proudly talk about the adventure that leads through the Salzburger Sportwelt to Obertauern.
As in the previous year, there will be a special feature in 20201: the Stoneman Taurista route leads via the Hochgründeck instead of the Grießenkar and the Edelweiß-Alm. This new checkpoint also brings a new challenge: via the Ginausattel to the north of Wagrain, the route leads up to the imposing Hochgründeck at an altitude of around 1800 metres. The new variant then leads through Eben back to the original route towards Roßbrand. However, the total metres in altitude remain the same. You can start the Stoneman Taurista circuit from anywhere.
Salzburg alpine pasture tour
Gently through the Osterhorn group: the Salzburg alpine pasture tour leads over three days from the Lammertal to the Salzkammergut. It crosses the Osterhorn group, a low mountain range south-east of the city of Salzburg. The stage tour is mostly on forest tracks, with a few sections on easy meadow and forest paths. 146 kilometres and over 4000 metres in altitude: The Almentour is perfect for leisure and e-bikers. Around 30 mountain huts await mountain bikers, many of which offer regional food and drink. Sporty riders can also complete the tour in one or two days.
The tour does not exceed an altitude of 1300 metres - apart from the detour to the Zwölferhorn (1521 m) - and is therefore well suited for the spring or autumn season. The scenic highlights on the tour are hard to beat. The idyllically situated Seewaldsee, a mountain lake on the first stage, welcomes mountain bikers with fresh mountain water. On the second day, the Zwölferhorn is one of the highlights. The view over large parts of the Salzkammergut is incredibly beautiful from the summit. On the last day, the route leads back to the start via the Postalm. The extensive alpine landscape is a true natural paradise and recreational area for many recreational athletes.
Watzmann-Hochkönig circuit
Around the mighty peaks of the two mountain ranges: The Watzmann-Hochkönig circuit is a multi-day tour for endurance athletes. Both loops, north and south, can be completed in five days. With 283 kilometres and almost 8000 metres in altitude, the southern loop is definitely the more challenging. The northern loop covers 153 kilometres and 4024 metres in altitude and can also be completed in three days for sporty bikers. E-bikers can make use of a well-developed network of charging stations and set off with a fully charged battery.
The Watzmann-Hochkönig tour is packed with plenty of highlights. The Heinrich-Kiener-Haus , the highest point of the tour, awaits in the south: the refuge at 1792 metres above sea level is a popular meeting point for hikers and mountain bikers. The view of the Hochkönig massif, Dachstein and Tennengebirge mountains is breathtaking from up there. To reach the next highlight, the Carl-v.-Stahl-Haus, mountain bikers first have to cycle through the Lammertal valley towards Golling. From there, the route climbs steeply via the Bluntautal valley to the border with Germany. If you prefer a more comfortable ride, you can cycle via Hallein and Roßfeld to Berchtesgaden.
There has been a new route on the northern loop for two years, which runs between Inzell and Bad Reichenhall via Frillensee and Steiner Alm. The southern loop ends at the Hochkönig crossing. If you want, you can make a detour to the Flowtrail One near Maria Alm.
