The Tauern Cycle Tour in Austria

After your arrival, discover the historic old town, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996 thanks to its ornate facades, sacred buildings and palaces as well as the cathedral. Here you can admire buildings from a wide variety of architectural eras in a very small area. Visit Mozart's birthplace in Getreidegasse or take the opportunity for a shopping spree.

You leave Salzburg in a southerly direction for the Tauern Cycle tour in Austria. The Salzach is your constant companion. After just a few kilometers, you will reach Hellbrunn Palace with its famous Renaissance trick fountains. The route continues past numerous natural monuments, steep rock faces and impressive gorges. At the end of the stage, you should pay a visit to the spectacular Gollinger waterfall.

The moderate ascent to the Lueg Pass is behind you right at the start. You will be rewarded with a magnificent view of the Tennengebirge mountains. The Salzach valley narrows here and you pass the Salzachklamm gorge. To the right and left of the path, the rock faces tower over 1000 meters high. The route continues to Bischofshofen. The famous Liechtensteinklamm gorge is just a few kilometers from today's overnight stop.

At a brisk pace you reach Bruck an der Grossglockner Alpine road. The High Alpine Road is an impressive high alpine mountain road that leads to the Großglockner. At 3798 m, it is the highest mountain in Austria. From July, buses run up to the Franz-Josefs-Höhe. So everyone can experience the natural spectacle of size, power and eternal ice. Take a dip in the cool waters of Lake Zell. From here, it's not far to Kaprun.

The Pinzgaubahn takes you from Kaprun to Krimml today. A visit to the famous Krimml Waterfalls, which thunder down almost 400 meters, is a must. Your route through the Hohe Tauern National Park, the largest nature reserve in Central Europe, is characterized by the pristine nature of the high mountains and the colourful mountain farmland. The route almost always heads downhill through small villages and hamlets in the Oberpinzgau back to Kaprun.

You leave the upper Salzach valley and follow the almost natural course of the Saalach river. The route leads through the valley basin of Saalfelden, the largest town in Pinzgau, and through the famous pilgrimage site of Maria Alm. It is also worth taking a detour into the Seisenbergklamm gorge, where the Weissenbach stream has carved its way deep into the limestone cliffs over thousands of years. Another natural monument on the way to Lofer is the Lamprechtshöhle cave.

Today, the otherwise calm course of the river changes. At Unken, it breaks through the Steinerne Meer and is an Eldorado for whitewater rafters in this section. Further along, you reach the small German corner with the spa town of Bad Reichenhall. Here, the river forms the natural border between Germany and Austria. You reach Salzburg through the Saalach floodplains. From the Hohensalzburg Fortress, you have a fantastic view over the city.

After breakfast, your Tauern Cycle tour in Austria is already over. We are happy to extend your vacation in Salzburg.