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From the birth city of Mozart to a shimmering alpine lake amid the majesty of the south-eastern Alps, there is something for everyone on this unforgettable alpine ride. Beginning at the baroque city of Salzburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will cycle from ornate baroque architecture to a splendid alpine landscape laden with meandering rivers, picturesque valleys, waterfalls, and towering mountain peaks. The route goes through quaint villages where you can sample great local food, before arriving at the fairytale setting of Lake Bled in Slovenia.
A network of cycle paths and quiet country roads will take you through the magnificent Salzach, Gastein, and Molltal valleys. South of Villach, you'll pass through Italy briefly before turning into Slovenia and continuing on through the heart of the Julian Alps and onwards to the magical, fairytale setting of Lake Bled, with its unique island church and hilltop castle to top it all off.
Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN SALZBURG.We highly recommend arriving in Salzburg a day of two prior to the tour to get over jetlag and enjoy the city, in particular the picturesque Altstadt (old town), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
DAY 2: SALZBURG - BISCHOFFSHOFEN / ST. JOHANN IN PONGAU 55 km
For the first day, you will cycle through the lovely Salzach Valley to one of Europe’s oldest and most well-preserved castles; the 900-year old Hohenwerfen Castle, standing proudly on a rock 113 m above the market village of Werfen. The Tennengebirge, Hagengebirge and Hochkönig mountain ranges form a stunning backdrop. Time permitting, take a side trip high above the valley to the glacial caves of Eisriesenwelt. You’ll spend the night at the popular alpine sports town of Bischoffshofen.
DAY 3: BISCHOFFSHOFEN / ST JOHANN IN PONGAU - MALLNITZ 55 km
Today's route takes you through the gorgeous Gastien Valley and Liechtensteinklamm (Liechtenstein Gorge) to the beautiful spa town of Bad Gastien, where a waterfall adorns the centre of town. From here you'll head through Tauerntunel, which emerges at the sunny southern side of the Alps. You’ll spend the night amid the vivid colours of the Hohe Tauern National Park.
DAY 4: MALLNITZ - MÖLBRÜCKE / SACHSENBURG 41 km
Today you'll head into the ancient province of Carinthia, where you’ll cruise gently down into the Molltal Valley with majestic 3000m mountain peaks dominating the backdrop. A cogwheel train will take you high above the Drau Valley and provide outstanding panoramic views.
DAY 5: MÖLBRÜCKE / SACHSENBURG - VILLACH 55 km
A relatively easy descent today along the Drau River as it flows through the lakeside town of Spitall an der Drau and its impressive ancient Roman city of Teurnia. Then on to Villach, the meeting point of the valleys where alpine climate meets Mediterranean climate! Here you can visit the vintage car museum or take a riverboat cruise.
DAY 6: VILLACH - KRANJSKA GORA 55 km
Nip across the border for a pizza and cappuccino in Tarviso before continuing along a scenic cycling path along the old railway line crossing the Italian-Slovenian border, and onwards through the lush verdant scenery of the Sava Valley. As you head on to the village of Kranjska Gora for the night, your view will be dominated by the magnificent Dobratsch Mountain.
DAY 7: KRANJSKA GORA - BLED 45 km
The town of Kranjska Gora, a popular alpine ski resort and host to many world cup skiing events, will be your first stop. The route then weaves through the beautiful forests of the Krma Valley, past a historic farming museum and onwards to Slovenia's foremost destination: Lake Bled. The beautiful island church in the middle of the lake, watched over by a medieval hilltop castle, is the perfect place to cool off those hard-worked muscles. Relax here with a boat ride to the island, or a coffee and Bled’s famous cream cake (kremsnita).
While you are soaking up the stunning views of Lake Bled, why not take the opportunity to improve your photography skills on a one-day workshop with British professional photographer Ian Middleton? A practical hands-on workshop starting in the afternoon and ending after dusk. More info here.
DAY 8: BLED. The tour ends after breakfast. However, it's possible to extend the trip. The most popular onward trip is our Best Of Slovenia tour. Alternatively you can extend your stay in Bled and do the cycling day trips of our Cycling Lake Bled tour.
Price
Price per person in a double room sharing:Low season (1.5. - 30.6. and 1.9. - 1.10.2020) 775 EUR
High season (1.7. - 31.8.2020) 795 EUR
(Currency converter here)
Price includes:
• accommodation in hotels and guesthouses 3* or 4* in a two-bed room with WC and shower, on a bed & breakfast basis
• luggage transfer – one piece, max 20 kgs / 45 lb. Every additional item 10 EUR, must be booked beforehand
• information pack including text road notes (in plain English) and corresponding maps. One per booking, every additional set 20 EUR
• train ticket for Bad Gastein to Mallnitz trip incl. bicycle
• GPS data
• local tourist and other taxes in Slovenia. They are not included on Austrian side of the tour.
• backup service (hotline) during the trip
Supplements:
• supplement for seven three-course dinners 105 EUR
• single room supplement 165 EUR
• bike rental 90 EUR per week (classic trekking bikes are equipped with lock, pannier, and basic puncture repair kit)
• electric bike 140 EUR
• transfers. Bled to Ljubljana Airport – 30 EUR. Bled to Klagenfurt Airport – 65 EUR. All prices per person, 2-person minimum, one way
• Additional nights: 3* hotel in Salzburg: 75 EUR per person in standard double room, B&B. Single room 95 EUR, B&B. 4* hotel in Bled 85 EUR per person in a double room B&B. Single room 135 EUR. Three-course dinner 25 EUR.
Not included: local & tourist taxes in Austria where applicable. Entrance fees, lunches, drinks with meals, saunas and massages in hotels.
Standard bike
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Frame |
Trekking Alloy 6061, Zero Stack |
|
Stem |
Suntour M3010AL-A, adjustable |
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Brakes |
Black Comp, V-Brake |
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Brake handle |
Shimano ST-EF40 |
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Front Cassette |
Shimano TZ21 |
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Gears |
Shimano Altus |
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Gear shifter |
Shimano ST-EF40 |
|
Pedals |
Shimano FC-M131 |
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Gear sets |
front: 48/38/28, rear: 11-28 |
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Steering |
Ladytown |
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Fork |
Alloy, adjustable |
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Saddle |
Selle Royal Rio |
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Saddle stem |
alloy, suspension |
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Tires |
Continental Townride 42-622 |
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Luggage rack |
2-legs, Alloy, with Spring Clamp |
Electric bike
Frame E-Bike Impulse, Aluminium
Fork Suntour CR-8V
Motor Impulse 36 V / 250 W
Battery Li-Ion 36 V Akku with 15 Ah / 540 Wh
Display Impulse LED
Gears Shimano Nexus 8-G
Brakes Shimano M422, V-Bremse
Stem Humpert Stuttgarter, Aluminium
Fork Black Comp Aluminium, einstellbar
Saddle Impulse Comfort Zone, Elastomere
Tires Continental Eco Contact, with reflective stripes
Autonomous radius 180km
Travel options
The starting point of the trip is Salzburg in AustriaGetting there...
By plane: closest airport is Salzburg (SZG). It is 3 km from the city centre. From the airport, you can travel to the city centre by bus or book our transfer (please ask for a quote).
Several major airlines serve it: Austrian, British Airways, German Wings, Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines. Low-cost Ryanair serves the city all year round.
By train: main station is called Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, it is in the city centre. It is on the mainline Vienna (two-hour trip) to Munich (one-hour trip).
By car: Salzburg is at the junction of several main roads. Motorways A1 and A10 meet here.
Getting away...
By plane: closest airport is Ljubljana (LJU). Several airlines serve it. From Bled you can travel to the airport by bus (change once, takes about 2 hrs) or book our transfer: Bled to Ljubljana Airport (faster - 20 min), 30 EUR per person; one way, two-person minimum.
By train: Bled has two railway stations: Lesce Bled on the Villach-Ljubljana mainline, four km away from the town centre, you'll need to take a bus or call us, we'll give you a lift for free. The other station is Bled Jezero on the Jesenice - Nova Gorica sideline, only a few trains a day. 2 km away from town centre. From Jesenice border station there is one direct train to Salzburg (and onward to Munich) and several more with one stopover in Villach.
By car: Bled is on the A1 motorway Ljubljana - Jesenice, Karavanke.
Testimonials
.We were doing the self guided tour from Salzburg to Lake Bled. Jana from Helia travel was excellent. Everything was well organized and well priced. Selection of hotels was stunning. Maps were provided, booklet with history and clear description of what to expect each day. The attention to detail made this tour one of the best holidays we had. I highly recommend Helia tours.We have just returned home so would like to tell you that we had the most wonderful experience from start to finish. It certainly did exceed our expectations. The bikes we received were very good, the accommodation along the way good, the cycle route quite spectacular, loved the small cycling paths along the rivers, the scenery breathtaking and overall we had a superb experience. We really enjoyed the organization behind the trip which makes for a very relaxed and enjoyable holiday. The food generally was good wherever we ate, and the last apple strudel stop on the last morning that was mentioned for us to stop at, was the best apple strudel we had on the whole trip. Bev from South Africa
