1 Stage from Salisburgo to Bischofschofen

Alpe-Adria cycle pathFirst stop: Salzburg - Bischofshofen

Km 0,0 Salzburg, Mozartplatz

The official start of the stage is set in Mozartplatz square, in the historic center of Salzburg (in the immediate vicinity of the Cathedral and the Getreidegasse), at the Mozart monument in the center of the square on which the interesting Salzburg Museum faces.

You cross the Rudolfskai and already you are on the bike path along the Salzach river. Go up the river again along the western bank up to Hallein. You pass under the Nonntaler Brücke bridge and after 1.5 km you meet the pedestrian bridge (Überfuhrsteg). You always stay on the west bank of the Salzach (Franz Hinterholzer Kai) and 1.6 km further on you pass the new pedestrian bridge Salzachsteg (opening scheduled for June 2011). A little further on you pass under the Hellbrunner Brücke bridge. Attention, after 400 m a paved road detaches to the right (following it you get to the Alpenstraße and on the other side to the Fürstenweg which leads to the castle of Hellbrunn, with water games and the zoo - 1 km detour from the Salzach) On the other hand, turn left and follow a wooden bridge to the Salzach, which follows a dirt track straight along the river and the river forest. Soon we are near the damming of the Urstein hydroelectric plant.

Km 9.1 Urstein hydroelectric power station

Shortly before the hydroelectric plant, the Waldbad baths of Anif are passed, offering a pleasant opportunity to cool off on hot summer days or to try climbing, then you pass under the bridge of the Tauernautobahn highway and left on a bridge wood cross the Königsseer Ache stream, which flows into the Salzach. From the bridge go left, returning to the Salzach river, which continues to follow along the west bank. You pass the new Salzachsteg pedestrian bridge (on the other side of the river you will find the Urstein castle and a newly built high school) and after about 2.5 km you reach the Rehhof residential area. From here the cycle path continues on a paved road. 2 km further on you pass the next pedestrian bridge over the Salzach; The old Kaltenhausen brewery stands on the upper left. It is worth making a detour to the trattoria brewery.

Km 13.7 Kaltenhausen

Also along the Salzach, you pass over a dam and you reach Hallein. You always remain along the river avoiding to take the new road bridge that connects the north entrance with the island Pernerinsel (where is the tourist information office). Instead, follow the signs for the cycle path leading to the Colloredostraße and the Schiemerstraße to the Museum of the Celts (Keltenmuseum) on the Pfannhauser Platz. We are now in the historic center of Hallein, a jewel of medieval architecture subjected to monumental protection. The interesting Museum of the Celts, one of the most important in Europe of its kind, is housed in the former administrative offices of the salt marshes. Salt extraction on the Dürrnberg mountain is inextricably linked to Hallein, and a visit to the salt mine is an unforgettable experience. The entrance to the mine is located in Bad Dürrnberg, on the mountain that dominates the town (the 3 km long uphill road with 300 meters of altitude is tiring for cyclists, the bus line allows you to reach the mines effortlessly in just 10 minutes).

Km 15,2 Hallein

Beyond the cinema, you reach the Stadtbrücke bridge, where you turn right into the restricted traffic area of ​​the old town (Thunstraße) to reach Bayrhammer Platz. From here we recommend taking a short walk, for example going straight through the Untere and Obere Markt squares to the parish church and then to the Stille Nacht Museum. The museum is housed in the house where Franz Xaver Gruber lived, the composer of the melody of the Christmas song "Astro del ciel" (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht).

To continue, from the Bayrhamerplatz turn south into the Griestorgasse and follow the signs of the cycle path through the squares Griestorplatz and Griesplatz to reach again the west bank of the Salzach (south of the bridge). Continue along the river (Rainerkai), and pass over another bridge over the Salzach along the long Pingitzzerkai river. 300 meters over the bridge turn right into the Gamperstraße Süd and after another kilometer turn right again, slightly uphill into the Sonnenscheinweg. You follow this picturesque road for a few kilometers in gentle ups and downs to the bridge that crosses the highway, beyond which in 1 km you reach the bridge over the Salzach. On the other side of the bridge is the village of Kuchl; the bathing lake of Bürgerau is located just after the bridge, on the right.

Km 23.5 Kuchl

You stay on the municipal road (Gemeindestraße) on the west bank of the Salzach, and after 1.5 km you climb to the right, you pass under the highway and you are already pedaling towards the picturesque church of St. Nikolaus, erected on a rocky bank overlooking the village of Torren, a hamlet of Golling. Under the church you can stop at the Gasthof Torrenerhof, from where you leave for an evocative 600 m long detour (the last stretch you walk on) to the Golling waterfall, a natural monument, a subject often immortalized by the painters of romantic era.

From the Torrenerhof follow the Wasserfallstraße for 2 km until Golling, passing under the highway. At the Hoferweg you can take a trip without climbs in the idyllic Bluntautal valley, with the lakes of Bluntau. The path to the end of the Bluntautal is 3.6 km long.

On the Wasserfallstraße you cross the Salzach and reach Golling

Km 28.4 Golling

Immediately after the bridge over the Salzach, our route turns right (Salzachstraße), but it is worth taking a detour of 600 meters to visit the center of Golling: in this case, from the bridge go straight, cross the railroad tracks, then turn right and take the second left into Pfarrgasse and then left again into the Hauptstraße. Going up the "Kirchberg" you reach the picturesque Marktplatz square where there are various opportunities for a rest stop or for shopping. The castle of Golling, which houses a historical-naturalistic museum, is on the right. To get back to the main route, descend by turning around the castle to the left until you reach the level crossing, beyond which you return to the beginning of Salzachstraße.

Follow the Salzachstraße for 500 meters, then take the Siedlungsstraße to the left and 300 meters ahead again to the right into the Moartalstraße. Under the motorway junction bridge, go left and follow the signs for the cycle path between the houses and take the Stieglerweg road. This country road 500 meters further leads into the Moartalstraße, which you follow to the left passing under the railway line. You then reach the Salzachtal state road, which you follow to the right. After 500 meters (after crossing the bridge over the Lammer torrent) a cycle path begins, which runs alongside the road. The climb to be tackled to get to the Lueg pass is 900 meters long with a difference in height of 70 meters.

Km 32.3 Pass Lueg

At the pass you can cross the short road tunnel or go around it going up a little above a pleasant restaurant. It is worth taking a break, as it is also possible to access the "Salzachöfen" gorges.

It continues in fast descent (50 meters in altitude). It is advisable to keep on the right side of the road, as the cycle path on the other side of the road ends 700 meters ahead.

The route now follows the national road for 13 km. It was not possible to build a cycle path here due to the lack of space in the narrow Salzach gorge, where the road and the railway pass also pass by the river. Fortunately, thanks to the presence of the highway that runs higher in the valley through some tunnels, the traffic on the state is relatively limited.

Here the valley narrows in an impressive way: on the left and on the right the rocky walls rise vertically towards the sky for over 1000 meters!

The valley widens slightly at the Stegenwald inn, and from the roundabout (motorway entrance ramp) cyclists have at least one cycle lane available for the remaining 8 km to Werfen. Beyond Tenneck, the road climbs slightly until you reach the Hohenwerfen castle parking lot. This interesting castle, also famous for falconry demonstrations, can be reached on foot or by a funicular.

From here continue slightly downhill entering the village of Werfen up to the long Marktplatz square.

Km 45.7 Werfen

Werfen is also famous for another major attraction: the Eisriesenwelt cave. The entrance to the largest ice cave in the world is located at 1646 m altitude. It can be reached by a 6 km long mountain road (bus line), then by foot you reach the starting point of the steep Eisriesenwelt cable car. From the arrival of the cable car an easy path leads to the entrance of the cave. The visit to the cave takes about 70 minutes. In total, the time needed to visit Werfen is about 4 hours! For cyclists, we recommend diverting from the center of the Marktplatz at the Gasthof Kärnterhof on the left into the Tränkgasse, and passing under the main road to the parking lot at the Salzach river. Here you can leave the bicycles to catch the bus that reaches the Eisriesenwelt cave.

After the return, you can start pedaling on the west bank of the Salzach and in about 300 meters return to the official route.

If you miss the visit to the Eisriesenwelt cave, from the Marktplatz square, continue towards the south access road to Werfen, taking the underpass. Before the bridge over the Salzach, turn right into Schwimmbadstraße (straight to the Werfen station), which continues a little further along a cycle path built during the construction of the Werfen / Pfarrwerfen hydroelectric barrier. You pass under the motorway access ramp and you reach the bridge over the Salzach which you cross left to Pfarrwerfen. From here you continue on the eastern bank of the river (continuing straight over the bridge you reach directly Pfarrwerfen - the crossing of the village is also equipped with cycle touring signs). Routes 600 meters on the shore of the Salzach, you still have the option of turning left into Pfarrwerfen where you can visit a series of 7 mills.

Km 48.5 Pfarrwerfen

Even for the next 2 km you can cycle easily between the railway line and the Salzach, thus passing the next hydroelectric dam (Kreuzbergmaut) and the water purification plant. On a cycle / pedestrian bridge you cross the Fritzbach stream and cross the state highway overpass. Along the Salzach you reach the recreational area of ​​Bischofshofen. The cycle route runs along the railway bridge to pass on the other side of the Salzach. Continue along the railway to Freizeitweg, pass under the embankment of the railway line and turn left into the Siedlungsgasse. You will then reach the roundabout which leaves the Salzburger Straße until you reach the Hauptplatz square (limited traffic zone) of Bischofshofen.

A commercial town, Bischofshofen is best known for the final of the ski jumping tournament of the four trampolines (Vier-Schanzen-Springer-Tournee) which takes place every year on 6 January. The detour of about 1 km to the trampoline is also interesting for cyclists, and is specially marked by the Hauptplatz.