9-Day Luxury Alpe Adria Cycling Tour

Individual arrival in the cultural city of Salzburg, the hometown of Mozart. Winding alleyways and squares invite you to take a stroll and languorous cafés entice you to sample genuine Austrian café-specialities. You live and breathe culture and history literally with every step you take.

Leaving Salzburg behind, you will head south along wetlands in the shade along the river Salzach to Hallein, a formerly wealthy Celtic town due to salt mining. Hallein surprises with a romantic historic town centre including little alleyways, archways, and opulent house fronts. Past the roaring waterfall you pass Golling and continue along the well-developed cycle path onwards to St. Johann. Distinctive – just like twin-peaks – the steeples of the Pongau cathedral rise overhead.

Shortly after Schwarzach, you will bid farewell to the river Salzach and continue onwards as the Gasteiner Ache leads you through the wild-romantic Gasteiner-valley. Via Dorfgastein and Bad Hofgastein, you will cycle into the renowned spa and ski resort town of Bad Gastein, which is situated at the foot of the Hohen Tauern mountain chain and offers a variety of natural and architectural sights. The Gasteiner waterfall is a landmark situated in the centre of town, and has been the focal point of many artists and poets.

In the morning it is only a short distance to Böckstein, where a short train ride will take you through the ‘Tauernschleuse‘ to Mallnitz, on the other side of the Alps. Back on your bike, you will enjoy a speedy descent into the Möll Valley, where you will cycle along the river Möll through the impressive alpine landscape. The Drautal Valley starts in the village of Möllbrücke, situated in the sunny South of Austria. After a leisurely cycle for the final few kilometres, you will arrive in Spittal an der Drau, which was already an important transport interchange for pilgrims in the Middle Ages, and helped create its prosperity.

Today you will gently descend along the river Drau, taking a break at the halfway point in the little market town of Paternion, which has several remarkable churches and palaces. Just a bit more pedalling and you will soon reach Villach, with its enchanting old town, south-Austrian atmosphere, and inviting pubs and restaurants.

After breakfast, you will leave Villach along the river Gail and cross the Austria/Italy border. In the triangle of Italy, Austria, and Slovenia sprawls the canal valley, with the Italian city of Tarvis right in the centre of it. Here you will find Austrians, Slovenians, and Italians that have been living here next to each other for centuries, creating a unique blended culture unlike anywhere else.

Today you will enjoy a leisurely cycle downhill through the Kanaltal Valley, where you will marvel from your bike at the beauty of the Friulian alpine region with its intact, unspoilt nature and extensive forests. Your cycle tour ends in one of the picturesque villages located at the foothills of the Julian Alps. After taking a short train ride to Udine, you can experience “la dolce vita“ while enjoying the cafes, walking through historic alleys, and admiring the buildings of the late Gothic period and the Renaissance.

Feel the warm breeze of the sirocco! Today you will cycle through vast reed scenery and along canals towards the Gulf of Venice. In the Roman city of Aquileia, the so-called “second Rome”, you can take a break from cycling before reaching the end destination of your holiday. One of the most popular Adriatic beach resorts, the historic little fishing town of Grado, will not only excite you with the extensive sandy beach, but also with its historic harbour and narrow alleyways lined with lovely restaurants.

Awake on the final day of your adventure and enjoy breakfast at your hotel, before packing your things and waving goodbye on your individual departure from the picturesque seaside town of Grado.