Tour Availability
18 May to 15 September - start any day (subject to availability).

17 April to 17 May and 16 September to 9 October as above but more cycling is required on Day Four (approx 10 miles) as no boat transfer is available on Attersee.

Starting and finishing in the wonderful city of Salzburg, this is a marvellous cycle tour of the stunningly beautiful Salzkammergut, the Austrian Lake District. The cycling ranges from flat lakeside tracks to quiet country lanes across scenic rolling hills, with train and boats taking the strain.

The hotels are very comfortable (5 nights 4 star, 2 nights 3 star). Most hotels have saunas and some have swimming pools.

Day One – Arrival in Salzburg
Travel to Salzburg and take the opportunity to explore this vibrant city with its musical connections before the tour briefing and distribution of bikes.

Day Two – Salzburg to Seeham (Trumer Lakes) 45 km (28 miles)
You leave Salzburg following the river Salzach north west to Oberndorf where, at the ‘Stille Nacht Chapel’, the Christmas carol ‘Silent Night’ was first performed in 1818. There is chance to visit Michaelbeuern Abbey before your overnight stop at the lakeside village of Seeham.

Day Three – Seeham to Mondsee. 49 km (30 miles)
Passing a nature reserve by the small Egel Lakes, you reach the rich dairy production area of Schleedorf. The route is through rolling green pastures also passing Wallersee (Lake Wallersee) and alongside Zellersee (Zeller Lake) towards to your overnight accommodation in the lovely town of Mondsee.

Day Four – Mondsee to Traunkirchen. 59 km (37 miles)
You start this full day with a cycle ride alongside Lake Mondsee and onwards to Unterach where you take the cycles on a boat and cruise along Lake Attersee to Weyregg (included in tour price). You then cycle through the picturesque area of Aurachtal to Traunsee (Lake Traunsee) at Gmunden, famed for its pretty ceramics (see the ceramic carillon at the Town Hall) and historic connections with salt trading. You then head south along Traunsee passing Castle Ort, which sits in splendid isolation out in the lake, before reaching your overnight accommodation at picturesque Traunkirchen.

Day Five – Traunkirchen to Bad Goisern. 23 km (14miles) (if ferry not running then 30km (19miles)
After a short cycle ride alongside Traunsee, you let the train take the strain and transfer with your bicycles up to Obertraun (included in the price) on the eastern shore of Hallstattersee (Lake Hallstatt). You then cycle beneath the imposing mountains and skirt the southern fringe of the lake to the town of Hallstatt, a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its beauty. You may choose to visit some of the interesting caves (Giant Ice Cave, the gigantic Mammut Cave) which are situated nearby. You re-trace your route to Obertraun and then follow the new cycle path along the eastern shore of the lake to St Agatha (in high season it is possible to use the lake ferry from Hallstatt to St Agatha should you prefer). The journey concludes with a short ride to your accommodation in Bad Goisern.

Day Six – Bad Goisern to Abersee 29km (18miles)
You cycle first to the spa town of Bad Ischl where you can visit the Kaiservilla, the summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph, enjoy a pastry and perhaps take the cable car up to enjoy the panoramic views. Just as you are running short of scenic superlatives, after a short ride you reach Wolfgangsee (Lake Wolfgang); framed by mountains, it is considered by many to be the prettiest lake in the Salzkammergut and it is also the warmest. Your hotel is close to the lake shore at Abersee, which enjoys the lovely views across to the pilgrim’s church in St Wolfgang.

Day Seven – Abersee to Salzburg 47km (29miles)
Today commences with a short cycle ride to St. Gilgen, the home of Mozart’s grandfather, and where, in the parish church, Mozart’s’ mother was christened on the day she was born. Here you leave your bikes for an hour or so for a 2km hike up the hill to a rendezvous at Kuhleiten (the transfer of the bikes up the hill is included in tour price). This enables a downhill ride to Lake Hintersee which is followed by the Strubklamm gorge. A short hop then across to the Salzachtal valley and back to Salzburg, with the chance to see the fascinating fountains at the Summer Palace of Hellbrunn on the way.

Day Eight – Depart Salzburg after breakfast
If you would like longer to soak up the atmosphere in Salzburg, perhaps in search of Mozart or to take a tour of the filming locations for The Sound of Music, we would be happy to arrange additional nights in Salzburg, either before or after your cycle trip.

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