What with the fairytale charm of the Baroque city of Salzburg, the unparalleled natural beauty of the Austrian Lakes area and the magnificent castle and manor house hotels where you will stay, this cycling holiday is a real adventure.
Riding with a backdrop of majestic mountains is always breath taking and with thousands of years of cultural history adding to the mystical aura exuded by the pristine lakes of the Salzkammergut, you become part of the stunning story. Immerse yourself in each of the valleys' own traditions, wonderful food and heart felt hospitality. Truly, the best of Austria!
Holiday details
Price
- Luxury
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from £1,535 per person
Based on two people sharing a room
What’s included?
Two boat trips (on Attersee and Hallstätter See) and a train ride (Traunsee to Hallstätter See). See what’s included as standard
Duration
7 nights
Start & Finish
Starts daily and is circular from Salzburg. Tours run from 5th May to 8th of October 2024. Note Boat trip on Day 4 only runs July and August.
Hotels
- Luxury
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4 star castle and manor house hotels
Holiday type
Self-guided
This tour is priced without a guide and you are free to explore on your own. If you would like a guide for part or all of your trip, we are happy to provide a knowledgeable, local guide
Activity level
Not so gentle cycling. More info...
Electric bikes
Available at a supplement of £125 per person
Mileage
6 days of cycling 19 - 43 miles (30 - 70 km) per day
Terrain
25% is flat and the rest has slopes of varying steepness
Traffic-free
25% traffic free with very light traffic on the rest of the route
Options
- Additional nights in Salzburg and enroute at any of the hotels
Itinerary day-by-day
Luxury
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1. Day one
Salzburg
Arrive in Salzburg and check into your hotel - a rococo lakeside palace just a short walk from the old town of Salzburg. Enjoy exploring the gardens and palace as well as the gems of the city itself. Packed with museums, palaces and historic streets, there's a lot to discover. Your host will meet you this evening with your bikes and helmets and will run through the itinerary.
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2. Day two
Salzburg to Mattsee
Off you go, leaving the city along the Salzach River heading towards Oberndorf, the place of origin of the famous Christmas carol – ‘Silent Night’. From here you ride to Michaelbeuern with its Augustinian convent and into the lakes area, to the shores of Lake Mattsee where you will spend the night in a historic hotel on the lake shore.
34 miles (55 km)
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3. Day three
Mattsee to Mondsee
Pedal through the nature reserve ‘Wenger Moor’ area to unspoilt Neumarkt this morning, located near Lake Wallersee and enjoy a coffee in the traditional market square. The ride then leads through pretty country to romantic Lake Irrsee and onto 7 mile long Lake Mondsee. You might like a dip here, being the warmest lake in the Salzkammergut before visiting Mondsee with its castle and monastery before relaxing in your elegant castle hotel.
31 miles (50 km)
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4. Day four
Mondsee to Traunsee
Today's breathtaking ride takes you along 3 lakes - from stunning Mondsee to a boat ride on Attersee, disembarking in Weyregg and a pedal to Gmunden on Lake Traunsee. (Boat runs in July and August, other dates additional 12 mile/20km cycle ride). What a day with a quiet ride along the Aurachtal valley to round things off! Your overnight stay is in a waterfront hotel overlooking Traunsee.
31 miles (50 km) (additional 12 miles 20 km outside peak season))
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5. Day five
Traunsee to Hallstatt
With a train hop today, there's time to explore the ice caves and salt mines of the area as well as the World Heritage listed village of Hallstatt with its picture postcard lakeside setting. The mighty Dachstein glacier massif offers a dramatic backdrop in a day you will not forget with an overnight stay in Hallstatt itself.
19 miles (30 km)
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6. Day six
Hallstatt to Wolfgangsee
Start the day with a boat trip across Hallstattersee and continue on to Bad Goisern and the imperial health resort of Bad Ischl. Here is the Empress Sissi's tea house and the imperial villa and park to discover. Riding west along the valley you come to Wolfgangsee and your lakeside hotel located close to charming St Wolfgang.
31 miles (50 km)
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7. Day seven
Wolfgangsee to Salzburg
Much of today's ride follows the old railway line from Salzburg to Bad Ischl which takes you along the shore of Wolfgangsee to delightful St Gilgen where Mozart's sister was born. Add in a thrilling downhill back to Scharfling and continue along Mondsee and back to Salzburg. Your tour of the Austrian lakes is almost complete. Spend the last night of your trip in Salzburg with many more happy memories from your saddle!
38 miles (60 km)