In Carinthia, you can unpack your wheels with confidence as early as spring. The sunny, mild climate makes a cycling excursion possible even as you are still receiving invitations to the sunny skiing on the mountain.
There are more than enough opportunities for recreational cycling – alone, with friends or with the entire family: routes such as the Drava Cycle Path, which is certified with 5 stars from the General German Bicycle Club, the Via Carinzia in the ‘Sonnenwinkel’ region of Carinthia, the Five-Lake Round Trip or the Alpe-Adria Cycle Path, whose route leads from Salzburg through Carinthia to the Adriatic Sea, guarantee intense experiences amidst unique mountain and lake scenery. Numerous cycling partner companies also make the ‘lust for life’ holiday feeling come fully to life for guests and create a comfortable atmosphere in their businesses with the high quality of their services.
All cycling routes can be found at touren.kaernten.at
The 366-kilometre Drava Cycle Path is one of the most famous cycle paths in Austria. The path, which was recently distinguished as a 5-star-quality route by the General German Bicycle Club, is an experience for the whole family and leads across Carinthia. Cyclists ride in six stages from the departure point at Toblach/Dobbiaco in South Tyrol along the Drava River to the destination of Marburg/Maribor in Slovenia; the main part of the route is in Carinthia. The path is consistently signposted in both directions and leads over mostly flat terrain, giving cyclists the opportunity to enjoy the natural scenery to its full extent. Since the route is consistently accompanied by the railway, certain sections can be travelled by rail as well, if you wish.
With its 50 Drava Cycle Path hosts, the Drava Cycle Path also has any number of culinary highlights that are listed in the Drau.Kulinarik.Büchl, the culinary guide to Drava Cycle Path hosts. You can find detailed information on the individual stages and offerings, in particular for families, at www.drauradweg.com and in the Drava Cycle Path folder, which can be requested on the home page at no cost, just as with the Drau.Kulinarik.Büchl.
The 410-kilometre Alpe-Adria Cycle Path is an unforgettable experience and it was chosen in Amsterdam as Europe’s Cycle Path 2015. Starting from Salzburg, the city of Mozart, you can follow it on a week-long ride through the centre of Hohe Tauern National Park in the sunny south to Carinthia and over the Austrian border into Italy. The route within Carinthia is especially attractive because, starting from the Tauernschleuse in Mallnitz, the main part of it is steep until it reaches the sea in Italy.
The interplay of the landscape is also unique: mighty mountains, sunny valleys with lakes whose temperatures reach up to 28 degrees - the further south you travel, the gentler and lovelier the landscape becomes, until you can finally stretch your tired feet out in the Upper Adriatic. The trip back can be made comfortably by rail; the train departs Udine twice daily. You can find good maps, the app, as well as further information and packages, at www.alpe-adria-radweg.com . The Alpe-Adria Cycle Path is also a symbol of the trans-border cooperation that is promoted and supported by the EU.
The various routes of the Via Carinzia in the ‘Sonnenwinkel’ region of Carinthia also promise 162 kilometres of enjoyable cycling between culture and history. Starting from the idyllic Rosental Valley, which is characterised by the majestic Karavankas mountain range, cyclists pedal to Lake Klopeiner See and further on to the soft hills of the Lavanttal Valley in five stages. There are many sights along the way that invite visitors to take a side trip, such as the Carnica Bienen-Erlebnis (Carniolan Bee) Museum or the St. Paul Benedictine monastery.
Cyclists who would like to combine a visit to the Werner Berg Museum with a cycle tour through the southern Jauntal Valley should take the Art Cycle Path (Kunstradweg) in Bleiburg. Along with the Werner Berg Museum, old churches, cultural monuments and the Liaunig Museum in Neuhaus provide a cycling experience with value added.
The Gailtal Cycle Path offers all cycling enthusiasts a magnificent backdrop in the midst of the Gailtal and Carnic Alps; it proceeds from Kötschach-Mauthen to Villach on well-designed cycle paths whose length totals 95 kilometres. Cyclists shouldn’t pass up a refreshing swim in Lake Pressegger See, which lies glittering in the sun right beside the route.
Jungfernsprung im Nationalpark Hohe Tauern
In the northern part of the state, in the Hohe Tauern National Park region, lies the Glockner Cycle Path. This leads on a day-long tour of unique natural wonders, such as the Jungfernsprung waterfall, which plummets several hundred metres into the valley over a rock ledge and flows through gorgeous alpine valleys, surrounded by the imposing peaks of the three-thousanders.
Cycling around Ossiacher See
A variety of unpolluted bathing lakes in Carinthia that reach water temperatures of up to 28 degrees, invite visitors to enjoy themselves in the pleasant water. But the environment around the shimmering lakes also offer plenty of highlights. Breathtaking observation points, cosy picnic places and hidden bathing places can all be scouted out here by bicycle.
For example, the Five-Lake Round Trip that starts at Lake Wörthersee and leads from Velden to Lake Hafnersee, Lake Keutschacher See, Lake Bassgeigensee and Lake Rauschelesee is well worth the trip. The focus is on ‘recreational cycling’ at Lake Klopeiner See. Five different tours of lengths ranging from 4 to 55 kilometres connect all the lakes in the region. The routes are well-signposted and the GPS tracks and free maps are also helpful. Recreation coupons that are redeemable at specific restaurant partners are also a practical idea.
In the region of Central Carinthia, e-bike riders can take lovely cycle tours and stay connected with the culture and cuisine. Nine well-signposted theme tours across the region, e-bike hire and numerous excursion destinations and culinary rest stops promise hours of variety on the sunny south side of the Alps.
All routes start from the Fuchspalast in the ducal town of St. Veit an der Glan and are signposted. Convenient return transport to the respective starting point is guaranteed by the accessibility of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).
