A well-rounded tour: following in the footsteps of the brilliant composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the 450-kilometre cycle tour takes you through Salzburger Land, a bit of Tyrol, Chiemgau, past Lake Chiemsee and Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria. There is plenty on offer even for the unmusical: the entire region on the edge of the Alps shines with local delicacies and sustainable concepts - enough material for a two-part travelogue. The first part meanders in three stages from the Mozart city of Salzburg through a hilly region full of lakes to the sublimely wide Inn Valley. Fans of the master will follow the numerous traces of his carriage in their minds: Mozart spent more than ten of the 35 years of his life travelling. He travelled past many points on the Mozart cycle path or stayed for days, nights or weeks. The region is also the right place for Mozart abstainers. They enjoy the beer and beaches, the cuisine and the landscape. www.mozartradweg.com
Mozart cycle path: See lakes
Stage 1: Salzburg - Salzburger Seenland - Oberndorf,
approx. 77 km / 700 hm
A quick photo of the obligatory Salzburg panorama from the Müllnersteg, then the Mozart Cycle Path leaves the bustling centre of the state capital on surprisingly elegant slow lanes. The cafés on the Salzach promenade are left behind in the valley, from where the gently rising route of a former railway line sends us into the Salzburg Lake District. These are almost always narrow strips of tarmac away from the large settlements between 400 and 600 metres above sea level. They meander between Wallersee and Mattsee, Obertrumersee and Grabensee - always within sight, but rarely directly on the shore. If you want to go for a swim, take a spontaneous detour, for example to the free lido at the western end of Lake Wallersee. There are plenty of green and white cycle signposts. While in Salzburg, half-metre-high gold letters shine on "Mozart's birthplace", a plaque at Gasthof Gerbl in the centre of Neumarkt am Wallersee is a reminder of the old stagecoach station where horses were changed on Mozart's travels. The Wolferl factor in the northern environs is rather low. However, the varied route easily makes up for this.
Info: www.salzburgerland.com
Character
The Mozart Cycle Path avoids double-digit gradients, but the first stage already collects around 700 metres in altitude in long waves. Passages on former railway lines lead almost effortlessly through Salzburger Land.
GPX data for the 1st stage of the Mozart cycle path
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Overnight stay
Hotel Alt Oberndorf
We ate and slept well at the Hotel Alt Oberndorf. The adjoining Bauernbräu restaurant also attracts local diners. www.hotel-altoberndorf.at
Regional & good: tips for the first stage of the Mozart cycle path
BioArt Campus Seeham
With the "Bio Art Campus", Managing Director Robert Rosenstatter has created a centre for many organic businesses. The smart training rooms and offices are on the first floor, but on the ground floor there is "organic" to touch (and buy). This is where coffee is roasted, oil is pressed, schnapps is distilled and food is served. A whopping 80 per cent of the surrounding agricultural land is farmed organically. A fact that has already helped the small town of Seeham to earn the title of "Organic Capital of Europe". www.bioartcampus.at
Fruit and vegetables Egger, green market at Universitätsplatz
Curious tourists and quality-conscious locals mingle at the green market in the centre of Salzburg. Between cheese, sausage and delicatessen stalls, the Egger family's vegetable stall takes up a lot of space. In keeping with the season, strawberries and asparagus shine brightly. Oliver Egger knows his regular customers by name - and knows exactly what he can recommend today. www.salzburg.info
Moor and sea
Stage 2: Oberndorf/Laufen - Schönramer Moos - Waging - Seebruck - Seeon, approx. 70 km / 500 m elevation gain
If a place is called "Fisching" and is located on the lake, it's almost self-explanatory. When it comes to "Waging", things get a bit tricky, and the term "Petting" can only be understood by people old enough to be familiar with fax machines or even telex machines. No matter: in Chiemgau, places are called that. And a "Moos" or "Filz" is a moor. The one near Schönram is the first reason for a break on the way to Waginger See. The ground is bouncy, dragonflies are buzzing and the moorland lake has an oily sheen. Families cycle past and learn on information boards how important and endangered the habitat is. Just a few kilometres further on, Lake Chiemsee, the "Bavarian Sea", boasts glittering waves, white sails and the jagged blue-grey Alpine chain on the horizon. We quickly turned left, looked for a bay in the reed belt - and only found enough water depth for swimming after 100 metres of wading. The better swimming tip is the river pool in Truchtlaching, where the Alz drains into the Chiemsee. North of the Chiemsee, things are generally quiet and tranquil. But the highlight of this stage is the overnight stay: the former Seeon monastery is located on a peninsula. Even in its new purpose as a conference venue and hotel, it is a little removed from the worldly hustle and bustle. Spending the night there when a thunderstorm flickers over the mountains and the lake is as smooth as glass in the morning is a great experience. Incidentally, Mozart, who gave his name to the cycle tour, was also there several times. A display case presents relevant relics.
Info: www.chiemgau-chiemsee.de / www.chiemsee-alpenland.de
Character
In a mix of cycle paths, small roads and a few stretches of smooth forest track, this stage also undulates through rural tranquillity with few climbs and little traffic. A few kilometres along the banks of Lake Chiemsee are heavily frequented by tourists - ride carefully!
GPX data for the 2nd stage of the Mozart cycle path
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Overnight stay
Seeon Monastery
The long since secularised monastery building on a peninsula in the Klostersee lake would be worth a trip just to spend the night and take a morning dip in the lake. Extremely stylish and modernly renovated, venerable and completely quiet. www.kloster-seeon.de
Regional & good: specialities along the Mozart cycle path
Country house Tanner Waging am See
Very early, before the dew evaporates, chef Franz Tanner picks the flowers and leaves in his herb garden for all the delicacies that leave the kitchen during the course of the day. Tanner has planted fruit trees, established a bee colony and buys game, fish and meat from local producers. Those who sit down at Tanner's white table come to eat, not to gorge themselves. www.landhaus-tanner.de
Schönram country brewery
Bavarian raw materials and a family business in its eighth (almost ninth) generation - that sounds "sustainable" in an almost old-fashioned way. What's more, the Schönramer brewery is visitor-friendly: there are guided tours of the production facilities three days a week. Our guide, beer sommelier Oliver Klamminger, patiently explained how temperature, yeast and protein determine flavour. With this prior knowledge, the tasting sips taste even better. www.schoenramer.de
For Inn-Siders
Stage 3: Seeon - Wasserburg - Rosenheim - Nussdorf,
approx. 85 km / 500 hm
Inn-Sider. Phew, what a joke. But because today's route runs alongside the Inn for a long time, it's allowed. Quite apart from the pleasantly flat route along the banks, this second part of the stage also has scenic charms: tributaries of the river exude a little jungle flair, the ever-present Alpine backdrop of the Chiemsee Alps in view draws ever closer and, depending on the weather, a stop for a swim at a quarry pond or a detour to Rosenheim's pretty old town are on offer. Before and after this, on dry days, small plumes of light-coloured dust blow behind the cyclists gliding quietly along the natural track. However, the most spectacular place on the route comes earlier in the day - and once again invites you to get lost in words: Wasserburg, a self-explanatory place name. The water is the Inn, which makes a narrow loop at this point, and the castle is the fortified, medieval centre of this magnificent small town. There is also a hint of Mozart here: Mozart's entourage spent the night in Wasserburg on the so-called "Wunderkind" tour, during which Wolfgang Amadeus and his family toured the country. In the church of St Jakob, the child prodigy played an organ for the first time. The star is also likely to have stopped here on other journeys.
Info: www.chiemsee-alpenland.de, www.chiemgau-chiemsee.de
Character
Although the side roads are quiet, the route sometimes switches to completely car-free dirt tracks - the flat Inn cycle path is finely gravelled anyway. In terms of cycling technique and fitness, the stage is rather harmless: after the first 17 kilometres, the route is predominantly flat and downhill.
GPX data for the 3rd stage of the Mozart Cycle Route
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Overnight stay
Schneiderwirt Nussdorf
The Schneiderwirt in Nussdorf is a Bavarian village inn in the best sense of the word: a large beer garden, down-to-earth cuisine and prompt service delight regular guests and visitors alike. The guest rooms are located separately on the other side of the street. www.schneiderwirt.de
Regional & good: sweet and fruity treats on the Mozart cycle path
Café + Bakery Deliano
Christine Deliano runs a bakery, patisserie and coffee roastery in a prime location in the heart of the old town. Freshly baked cakes are constantly coming out of the small bakery behind the dining room - including, of course, a "Mozart biscuit roll". In the roastery opposite, the owner family, who have an affinity for bikes, have tools and pumps available for hire. www.deliano-wasserburg.de
Schuasdahof distillery
Hundreds of organic fruit trees surround the Schuasdahof farm in Neubeuern, in a quiet side valley of the Inn. The Astner family makes spirits from the fruit that is not sold as dessert fruit. No question: schnapps is "sustainable" because the entire harvest is utilised. Johann Astner also thinks in terms of sustainability: "High-stem fruit is a generational project," he says, "your children will enjoy it more than you do." The distillery is a sideline in which the whole family is passionately involved. The farm shop is well worth a visit. www.vom-schuasdahof.de
