Austrian Cycling Holiday - How the Famous Sixers Hit the Hills For 5 Days
'We fancy a cycling holiday this year', they said. 'They' being the wife and daughter.
'It will be a change from our usual lazing on a beach (This idea clearly instigated by daughter's sports mad boyfriend).
You have cycled a bit in the past 'they' said - so you can arrange it! Make it somewhere nice, for about one week, with good weather. The cycling will be good exercise for our figures. Oh, and since we haven't been on bikes for years, it should be downhill!!'
Charming. With such tall orders I had better get cracking.
So the mug (yours truly) had a job on.
Fortunately we had two English cycling friends residing in Vienna, so a few phone calls and some internet research later, the destination was decided. Austria it had to be.
Now, Austria is generally regarded as being a somewhat mountainous country, and quite rightly so. All I had to do was sell the idea to the girls.
I knew from a previous cycling escapade there were some flat areas to the south east in Burgenland bordering Hungary, but that was too easy. I must like a challenge!
What may also not be known is that Austria, in fact, is probably one of the most bike friendly (radfreundlich) nations in Europe. Many sports including hiking, mountain walking and climbing, horse riding, golf and water sports are also part of the culture. Not to mention winter skiing and snowboarding.
I found the National and Regional tourist information centres all online and extremely helpful. Most of the websites have an English language button to click on too. It turns out that not only does Austria have about 20 long distance marked cycling routes; information is available on literally dozens of shorter one day circular routes, again all marked, and with maps available from tourist offices. They also give good information on bike hire and hotel/guesthouse accommodation.
One long distance route in particular seemed just what I was looking for. It is called the Enns Cycle Path (Ennsradweg). It starts high up in the Dachstein Mountains, and follows the river Enns down to where it meets the Danube. Total distance is 250kms (150 miles), and I explained that it drops a kilometre in total along the route. (Which is true, but I forgot to mention there would inevitably be some uphill too !)
A quick flight search later and we were booked to fly to Linz, a lovely old city with ancient architecture a couple of hours by train up the river Danube from Vienna. Bob and Monika (the Viennese duo) had opted to join us and arranged to meet us in Linz a couple of days later.
Flights booked; as were the first 2 nights B&B in Linz; bike hire (The Linz Danube tourist office gave us good deals on good quality rental bikes complete with cycle luggage); Bike Trailer Transfer for 6 people & bikes into the Dachstein Mountains to our start point in Radstatt, and weather forecasts looked optimistic.
And so we were set to go; our cycling team of six ranging in ages from 21 to 68 years young!
Or were we? Within the space of 2 days disaster struck!
Dire weather warnings from the 'Viennese duo' declared 6 days of torrential wet stuff had flooded our chosen route to a depth of several metres - roads closed and cycle routes impassable.
Our hotel emailed to say our reservations were cancelled due to an error on their part, and the tourist office was unavailable for us to collect our bikes until several days into the holiday.
But none of that mattered as we probably weren't going to get there anyway. All UK airports were cancelling and delaying flights due to maximum security scares because of terrorist threats.
Unbelievably, and despite the panic, everything worked out and we actually landed in Linz, on time, with a new hotel & bikes sorted out at the 11th hour. Whew !
Day 1 The Adventure Begins
After an overnight in Kaspardorf, a charming mountain village in the winter ski area of Radstatt, we picked up the trail alongside the river Enns for the first time - as yet just a small trickle of a stream. Almost flat and a backwind - great start for inexperienced legs ! For the first day a steady 30km to our next overnight in a beautiful and friendly working farm at the idyllic village of Weissenbach near Haus. Dinner was fresh caught trout, pork steaks and Viennese Bob's favourite 'milchrahmstrudel' for pudd ! We didn't really need the brandy coffees to help us sleep, but anyway ....!
This was a working dairy farm, so the next morning, after helping the grandmother herd the cows out to an early pasture, we felt entitled to savour the milk and yoghurt at breakfast! Eggs, bacon, cereals, cheese and toast completed the excellent buffet style spread - which we found typical - and a great start to each day.
So onward and upward. (downward in our case)
Day 2 another 30km to Irdning.
Except this should be called Irdning up on the Hill, but at least it gave us a downhill start the next day. Or it would have done except Chris punctured after 2 km. Because the mechanic had fitted the tyre valve incorrectly we couldn't remove it, but the local bike shop obliged in quick time. On our eventual return to Linz the Tourist office offered to refund the cost and even posted us a 'Linzertorte' - a Speciality cake from Linz - for our trouble. Please note UK tourist industry - that's service !!
Day 3 to Admont 46km.
This really was a surprise resort. Skiing in winter, history and culture in the summer. Dinner was under the stars, and the next morning we relaxed exploring the town. Its Benedictine monastery has the largest religious library in the world, and houses various museums for art, sculpture and natural history. And outside in the grounds we strolled around the cloister herb gardens, where everything was being grown for medicinal and beneficial purposes as it had been originally. Each herb and its ancient uses being meticulously described on nameplates.
Day 4 to Weyer 61km.
This was a really tough day as we cycled through the 'Gesause' - enormous ravines - but quite spectacular as we swept along dramatic mountain roads sandwiched between high peaks either side. Lunched in a mountain café and watched school groups' white water rafting down the river Enns, which had gathered pace day by day and could no longer be called a stream!
On the outskirts of Weyer we stopped at a riverside 'locale' for teatime refreshment, where the landlord showed us the high water marks of 1 week earlier - some 4 metres above the present river !! On learning that we were searching for accommodation, he insisted on driving one of our party the 3 km into town in his car to help arrange accommodation. Monika went because she said her German was the best - truthfully she just wanted a ride in the landlords BMW !
Our 'hotel' was a large comfortable private house 700 years old with it's own chapel. We had a complete apartment each and the cost? Eu20 per person ! The evening meal was in a small restaurant decked out with old photos and replicas of Porsche and VW cars. It turned out the restaurant was owned and run by the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche's original chief designer.
The next morning I rode into the bustling but beautiful market centre and got a pair of cycling shoes 3/4 the price they would have cost in the UK. Austria is clearly not expensive outside of the ski season.
Day 5 to Steyr 50km.
This was the hilliest day yet with many sharp ups and downs, but the incredible views and the fact that at last we seemed to be getting our cycling legs made it for me one of the most memorable and easy. (Although my new shoes were killing me !) But some of the party chickened out. They fancied a rest day on the train so forged ahead to sort out accommodation, investigate the lovely town of Weyr, and await our triumphant arrival.
Example:- 3 people with bikes and luggage for 50 km on the train - total cost 48 Euros. Can't be bad.
One sight I cannot forget, being a woodworker, was passing a wood yard on the outskirts of a small town. Millions of cubic metres of Larch, Oak and other valuable timbers all stacked neatly unattended, and unfenced. This would last about 24 hrs where I get my timber from !
And sort accommodation they did. An old mews style terraced cottage conversion just walking distance from the town centre. We left our bikes on the front overnight unattended and unlocked - no problem. Although it was difficult for Bob to accept they would be safer than back home in Vienna, and insisted on stripping and shackling his bike to everything in sight! I'm sure some bits even spent the night under his pillow !
As this was our last evening with the Viennese duo, we celebrated the success of our tour with a slap up meal, sampling the local specialities of food and drink. The accommodation once again was a triumph. The landlady had washed and ironed some of our clothes and presented them neatly folded at breakfast. No charge!
The next and last day cycling, we rode down to the town of Enns on the Danube. Flat scenery now, easy Austria , and farmland as far as we could see. We said our sad farewells at the rail station, we back to Linz to turn in the trusty bikes, Bob & Moni back home to Vienna.
Austria showed itself to be a beautiful and fascinating country. Not only the mountainous natural landscape and rural pastureland which they are lucky to have inherited, but they have managed to retain the history and architecture of the towns and villages we passed through. As a designer and builder of outdoor and garden furniture here in the UK, I really appreciated the clever ways in which they have designed in some cases quite contemporary features of furniture and art, and combined it in a way that rests successfully with well preserved typical medieval architecture.
'It will be a change from our usual lazing on a beach (This idea clearly instigated by daughter's sports mad boyfriend).
You have cycled a bit in the past 'they' said - so you can arrange it! Make it somewhere nice, for about one week, with good weather. The cycling will be good exercise for our figures. Oh, and since we haven't been on bikes for years, it should be downhill!!'
Charming. With such tall orders I had better get cracking.
So the mug (yours truly) had a job on.
Fortunately we had two English cycling friends residing in Vienna, so a few phone calls and some internet research later, the destination was decided. Austria it had to be.
Now, Austria is generally regarded as being a somewhat mountainous country, and quite rightly so. All I had to do was sell the idea to the girls.
I knew from a previous cycling escapade there were some flat areas to the south east in Burgenland bordering Hungary, but that was too easy. I must like a challenge!
What may also not be known is that Austria, in fact, is probably one of the most bike friendly (radfreundlich) nations in Europe. Many sports including hiking, mountain walking and climbing, horse riding, golf and water sports are also part of the culture. Not to mention winter skiing and snowboarding.
I found the National and Regional tourist information centres all online and extremely helpful. Most of the websites have an English language button to click on too. It turns out that not only does Austria have about 20 long distance marked cycling routes; information is available on literally dozens of shorter one day circular routes, again all marked, and with maps available from tourist offices. They also give good information on bike hire and hotel/guesthouse accommodation.
One long distance route in particular seemed just what I was looking for. It is called the Enns Cycle Path (Ennsradweg). It starts high up in the Dachstein Mountains, and follows the river Enns down to where it meets the Danube. Total distance is 250kms (150 miles), and I explained that it drops a kilometre in total along the route. (Which is true, but I forgot to mention there would inevitably be some uphill too !)
A quick flight search later and we were booked to fly to Linz, a lovely old city with ancient architecture a couple of hours by train up the river Danube from Vienna. Bob and Monika (the Viennese duo) had opted to join us and arranged to meet us in Linz a couple of days later.
Flights booked; as were the first 2 nights B&B in Linz; bike hire (The Linz Danube tourist office gave us good deals on good quality rental bikes complete with cycle luggage); Bike Trailer Transfer for 6 people & bikes into the Dachstein Mountains to our start point in Radstatt, and weather forecasts looked optimistic.
And so we were set to go; our cycling team of six ranging in ages from 21 to 68 years young!
Or were we? Within the space of 2 days disaster struck!
Dire weather warnings from the 'Viennese duo' declared 6 days of torrential wet stuff had flooded our chosen route to a depth of several metres - roads closed and cycle routes impassable.
Our hotel emailed to say our reservations were cancelled due to an error on their part, and the tourist office was unavailable for us to collect our bikes until several days into the holiday.
But none of that mattered as we probably weren't going to get there anyway. All UK airports were cancelling and delaying flights due to maximum security scares because of terrorist threats.
Unbelievably, and despite the panic, everything worked out and we actually landed in Linz, on time, with a new hotel & bikes sorted out at the 11th hour. Whew !
Day 1 The Adventure Begins
After an overnight in Kaspardorf, a charming mountain village in the winter ski area of Radstatt, we picked up the trail alongside the river Enns for the first time - as yet just a small trickle of a stream. Almost flat and a backwind - great start for inexperienced legs ! For the first day a steady 30km to our next overnight in a beautiful and friendly working farm at the idyllic village of Weissenbach near Haus. Dinner was fresh caught trout, pork steaks and Viennese Bob's favourite 'milchrahmstrudel' for pudd ! We didn't really need the brandy coffees to help us sleep, but anyway ....!
This was a working dairy farm, so the next morning, after helping the grandmother herd the cows out to an early pasture, we felt entitled to savour the milk and yoghurt at breakfast! Eggs, bacon, cereals, cheese and toast completed the excellent buffet style spread - which we found typical - and a great start to each day.
So onward and upward. (downward in our case)
Day 2 another 30km to Irdning.
Except this should be called Irdning up on the Hill, but at least it gave us a downhill start the next day. Or it would have done except Chris punctured after 2 km. Because the mechanic had fitted the tyre valve incorrectly we couldn't remove it, but the local bike shop obliged in quick time. On our eventual return to Linz the Tourist office offered to refund the cost and even posted us a 'Linzertorte' - a Speciality cake from Linz - for our trouble. Please note UK tourist industry - that's service !!
Day 3 to Admont 46km.
This really was a surprise resort. Skiing in winter, history and culture in the summer. Dinner was under the stars, and the next morning we relaxed exploring the town. Its Benedictine monastery has the largest religious library in the world, and houses various museums for art, sculpture and natural history. And outside in the grounds we strolled around the cloister herb gardens, where everything was being grown for medicinal and beneficial purposes as it had been originally. Each herb and its ancient uses being meticulously described on nameplates.
Day 4 to Weyer 61km.
This was a really tough day as we cycled through the 'Gesause' - enormous ravines - but quite spectacular as we swept along dramatic mountain roads sandwiched between high peaks either side. Lunched in a mountain café and watched school groups' white water rafting down the river Enns, which had gathered pace day by day and could no longer be called a stream!
On the outskirts of Weyer we stopped at a riverside 'locale' for teatime refreshment, where the landlord showed us the high water marks of 1 week earlier - some 4 metres above the present river !! On learning that we were searching for accommodation, he insisted on driving one of our party the 3 km into town in his car to help arrange accommodation. Monika went because she said her German was the best - truthfully she just wanted a ride in the landlords BMW !
Our 'hotel' was a large comfortable private house 700 years old with it's own chapel. We had a complete apartment each and the cost? Eu20 per person ! The evening meal was in a small restaurant decked out with old photos and replicas of Porsche and VW cars. It turned out the restaurant was owned and run by the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche's original chief designer.
The next morning I rode into the bustling but beautiful market centre and got a pair of cycling shoes 3/4 the price they would have cost in the UK. Austria is clearly not expensive outside of the ski season.
Day 5 to Steyr 50km.
This was the hilliest day yet with many sharp ups and downs, but the incredible views and the fact that at last we seemed to be getting our cycling legs made it for me one of the most memorable and easy. (Although my new shoes were killing me !) But some of the party chickened out. They fancied a rest day on the train so forged ahead to sort out accommodation, investigate the lovely town of Weyr, and await our triumphant arrival.
Example:- 3 people with bikes and luggage for 50 km on the train - total cost 48 Euros. Can't be bad.
One sight I cannot forget, being a woodworker, was passing a wood yard on the outskirts of a small town. Millions of cubic metres of Larch, Oak and other valuable timbers all stacked neatly unattended, and unfenced. This would last about 24 hrs where I get my timber from !
And sort accommodation they did. An old mews style terraced cottage conversion just walking distance from the town centre. We left our bikes on the front overnight unattended and unlocked - no problem. Although it was difficult for Bob to accept they would be safer than back home in Vienna, and insisted on stripping and shackling his bike to everything in sight! I'm sure some bits even spent the night under his pillow !
As this was our last evening with the Viennese duo, we celebrated the success of our tour with a slap up meal, sampling the local specialities of food and drink. The accommodation once again was a triumph. The landlady had washed and ironed some of our clothes and presented them neatly folded at breakfast. No charge!
The next and last day cycling, we rode down to the town of Enns on the Danube. Flat scenery now, easy Austria , and farmland as far as we could see. We said our sad farewells at the rail station, we back to Linz to turn in the trusty bikes, Bob & Moni back home to Vienna.
Austria showed itself to be a beautiful and fascinating country. Not only the mountainous natural landscape and rural pastureland which they are lucky to have inherited, but they have managed to retain the history and architecture of the towns and villages we passed through. As a designer and builder of outdoor and garden furniture here in the UK, I really appreciated the clever ways in which they have designed in some cases quite contemporary features of furniture and art, and combined it in a way that rests successfully with well preserved typical medieval architecture.
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