Testing and tasting the Salzburg gravel scene

With more than 60% of the country’s landmass belonging to the Eastern Alps, Austria’s stunning network of winding gravel roads, glacial rivers and high passes, could just be the ultimate Alpine destination for the adventure cyclist. To test the theory, gravel aficionado Katherine Moore teams up with Salzburg mensch-in-the-know Max Riese to discover what makes his home city of Salzburg the perfect one-stop-shop for a long weekend in the saddle.

I’d been hearing all about the riding in Salzburg for years after one of my best friends emigrated there, so when the chance arrived to explore it myself, naturally, I jumped at it. Surrounded by mountains and the gateway to the Austrian Alps, it’s become one of the definitive European adventure hubs where a savvy international crowd has flocked. With gravel also really taking off there, I wanted to see what could be possible within a long weekend or a week’s revitalising break.

Hopping on the bike really is the best way to get to know the city. While the baroque plazas are breathtakingly beautiful to ride around, we hauled up the steep cobbled climb on the castle-topped city mountain, Mönchsberg, for the best views. From this vantage point at eye level with the bell towers, copper domes, spires and turrets, you look across the old city and the patchwork of terracotta, slate and metal roofs.

Besides the urban centre, Salzburg feels genuinely relaxed, lush and green. Locals sunbathe and dip next to Almkanal (the mountain water canal), gravel trails line the river and gorgeous estate parks are open to the public. There are plenty more quirky places to visit and where local riders love to hang out, from speciality coffee at Kaffee Alchemie to FUXN’s buzzing beer garden.

Sticking with a theme, my base for the week is Hotel Jakob, a pioneering sports hotel on the edge of Lake Fuschl, just half an hour from Salzburg and also the site for Red Bull HQ. A passionate cyclist and triathlete himself, fifth generation hotelier Jakob Schmidlechner saw the opportunity to create a dedicated offering for cyclists here in the mountains.

Equipped with everything you might need from secure bike storage and hire to sports massage offerings, Jakob and his team have not only created a cyclist’s paradise in this mountainous adventure playground, but also fostered a community of like-minded souls.

And the riding? Well, while you can access plenty of excellent gravel trails directly from the city, the out-and-back can add significant mileage if you’re planning on exploring deeper into the mountains. Thankfully, Salzburg is super well connected with trains that offer regular services and free bike carriage, so you can save your legs for the long Alpine climbs and sublime balcony gravel roads instead. Even my steed is Austrian; a carbon fibre, custom painted 1of1 gravel bike from Mondsee.

A real treat is in store for you after you pass the Vordersee, as you continue onto the supreme tarmac road through the Strubklamm gorge. The road is pure bliss, though you’ll want to stop by the side of the quiet road to take in the magnitude of the sheer rock faces surrounding you.

Forested gravel tracks form the final climb with some testing gradients of up to 15%, though you’re mightily rewarded while descending on tarmac between wildflower meadows back towards the city.

After refuelling, it’s time to relish the incredible descent from 1,350 metres back down to the Lammer Valley, this time taking some sublime tarmac on the toll road, Postalmstrasse. The single carriageway descent twists and turns as you head down through the forest and through more farm pastures, weaving between traditional mountain chalets. You’ll struggle to keep your eyes on the road though, with the spectacular jagged silhouette of both the Tennen Mountains and the Gosaukamm range’s high peak of Bischofsmütze — the Bishop’s Hat — before you.