Wurzburg, Germany → Vienna, Austria (via Villach)
This trip was my third long-distance bike tour after Brooklyn → Montreal and Amsterdam → Venice. I was excited for the varied cycling terrain and environments, from the Bavarian countryside, to the Sound of Music scenery in Salzburg, high passes in the Austrian Alps, the beautiful lakes of Carinthia in Southern Austria, ancient Graz, and bustling Vienna.
Day 1: Wurzburg → Nuremberg – August 27, 2016
After a short drive from Frankfurt with my bike in the back of a rental car, my trip began in hilly Wurzburg. The weather was nice, mostly sunny but a bit breezy. My southeasterly course took me through some lightly-populated areas around Wurzburg and then as I got closer to Nuremberg, some more rural areas. One of my favorite things about cycling in Europe, especially Germany, is the way villages are spread out with little between them – there are no endless suburbs. This provides a real sense of space and access to unspoiled nature close even close to populated areas.
The only significant population center along the way was the city of Kitzengen on the Main River, right before a 1,000-ft climb and Neustadt an der Aisch, a small town of about 12,000. At a stop at a gas station along the way, I met a pair of cyclists with small frame bags. One of the cyclists was American, an Adidas employee headed somewhere for an overnight trip with her companion. At another stop, as I ate the first ice cream of many on the trip, a fire engine stopped at the shop with lights and sirens. Out came a group of schoolchildren, who lined up for ice cream courtesy of the local firefighting department.
My trip continued through some beautiful rolling hills and along peaceful rivers. It was a glorious day for cycling.
In the late afternoon, after passing through Furth, a city whose main industry is toy-making, I arrived in Nuremberg. As I entered the city limits, I took a slight detour for a stop at the Nuremberg Castle, a group of medieval fortified buildings on a sandstone ridge dominating the historical center of the city. The castle, together with the city walls, is considered to be one of Europe’s most formidable medieval fortifications.
I enjoyed the panoramic view of the city from the top of the castle, where I was even able to bring my bike, just as sunset began. The Old City center, which I rode through on the way to my accommodations at the Novina Hotel Tillypark, was also beautiful.
Day 1
Distance: 68 miles
Elevation climbed: 2,753 ft
Average speed: 13.8 mph
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Day 2: Nuremberg → Ingolstadt – August 28, 2016
Day 2 of the trip would take me south from Nuremberg. The first half of the day I rode along the Rhine-Main-Danube Canala, which connects the Main and Danube rivers. The canal provides a 100-mile long passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea to the Black Sea. It is one of the largest engineering projects ever undertaken. Incredibly, this canal reaches an altitude of 1,332 fee) over the Swabian Alps, south of Nuremberg. Along the way, I saw many cyclists, swimmers, and boats of all shapes and sizes, even the Mississippi Queen.
The cycling infrastructure in Germany is superb. On this day, I rode many many miles without riding on a single road.
The cycle paths through thick moody woods were amazing.
It was always a treat to come across castles perched high above a small town, like the Kipfenberg Castle, built in the 12th Century.
I arrived in Inglostadt on the Danube River, and headquarters of Audi and Airbus, just as a light rain began to fall. Apparently, the weather forecast had not deterred thousands of cyclists from leaving their bikes at the train station, right next to the Intercity Hotel, where I stayed.
Day 2
Distance: 66 miles
Elevation climbed: 1,939 ft
Average speed: 13.8 mph
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Day 3: Nuremberg → Salzburg – August 29, 2016
After two days of moderate distances (134 miles total), the third day of the trip was going to a long cycling day, more than 130 hilly miles. In the morning, I awoke to heavy rain and the forecast looked foreboding. I prepared for a tough day in the saddle. As I left my hotel, the rain how slowed to a drizzle and a friendly tailwind helped speed me south away from Nuremberg and toward Austria.
As I rode through the beautiful rolling countryside of Bavaria, the skies threatened a downpour all day but delivered only a few times, like when I took shelter under a huge tree near a grass field airport.
Even with the cloudy, gloomy weather, the scenery was splendid with the foothills of the Alps looming in the background and I managed good speed along this long ride.
I crossed the border into Austria and arrived in Salzburg, Austria after dark. Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria, first settled about 5 BC, the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music. As I entered the city center, the incredible Baroque architecture was gorgeous. Even on this dark, rainy night, Salzburg shined.
The beautiful Hotel Gabi was my resting place for the night. I arrived after 10:00 pm to a friendly welcome from an American student manning the front desk.
Day 3
Distance: 131.9 miles
Elevation climbed: 3,540 ft
Average speed: 15 mph
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Day 4: Bruck → Villach – August 30, 2016
One of my favorite things is waking up near big mountains after having arrived in the darkness on the previous night – when only in the morning can you get a sense of the surroundings. Salzburg did not disappoint. The views from my hotel room balcony were postcard perfect, with the sun shining and the birds chirping – I could have stayed there all day.
But this was going to be a long day – it was time to get moving. Also, I had to catch a train. When I arrived in Salzburg the previous night and began reviewing my planned next day’s route to Villach along the Alpe-Adria Cycle Path, I noticed a more challenging, scenic way to cross the Alps than through the low-lying Alpia Adria valley pass.
So I took a train from Salzburg to Bruck, gateway to the famous Grossglockner Hogher Alpine Strasse (or Glosslockner High Alpine Rouge) to cross the Alps over this high pass. I rode 5 miles to the train station and took the hour-long train to Bruck.
As the train approached Bruck, the high peaks of the Alps filled the windows. The train had a dedicated car for bicycles – I remained in that car to keep a watchful eye (except during a short nap).
Cycling south from the Bruck train station, the road quickly began to point upwards. Over the next 20 miles, I would climb from a 2,500-ft elevation to nearly 8,000 feet. Several miles south of Bruck began the official climb of the Grossglockner. The high peaks were obscured by wispy clouds but an occasional glimpse provided a sense of the climbing to come.
As I climbed, the road became a steady 10% grade, which continued almost non-stop until the very top, with some significant sections more than 15%. The changing views from each of the 17 switchbacks was breathtaking. The smell of burning brake pads from the occasional passing car mixed with the pure Alpine air. I passed a few touring cyclists and some day trippers, and many thundering waterfalls. On climbs like these, I am thankful that I kept my load as light as possible, but that’s still 10-15 lbs more than a bare bike. As usual, pictures do little justice to the majesty of the mountains that surrounded me.
At the top of the climb, a short tunnel opened up to the southern face of the Alps. I realized that after three hours of constant climbing I had crossed another high Alps pass by bike! The road ahead looked like a roller coaster built for bicycles – more switchbacks and long glorious brake-cooking downhills awaited.
The scenery, the weather, and the roads were perfect. My bike, though fully-loaded, handled 40-mph screaming descents and hairpin turns beautifully.
After a stop for a large schnitzel platter, I continued on a gradual 70-mile long descent into Villach, in Southern Austria right near the border of Italy and Slovenia. The riding was stupendous. Beautiful mountain lakes, lush valleys, roaring rivers, perfectly-paved roads – all of the ingredients for an awesome ride.
After a long day, as night fell, I arrived in Villach. During WWII, allied forces bombed Villach 37 times, dropping 42,500 bombs and damaging 85% of the buildings. Today, the city is rebuilt and splendid. I rested my legs and stayed at the wonderful Thermenhotel Karawankenhof.
Day 4
Distance: 112.1 miles
Elevation climbed: 8,422 ft
Average speed: 13.9 mph
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Day 5: Villach → Wolfsberg – August 31, 2016
After a long, hard day in the saddle, this day would be a slightly easier ride east and then north from Villach, along the beautiful Alps-draining lake Worthersee, through Klagenfurt, and on to Wolfsberg.
The weather was spectacular as I set off from Villach. I encountered many cyclists enjoying the majesty of Carinthia’s lake district. Numerous cycle paths, smooth roads, and courteous cars made the riding fun, varied, and carefree. The green-blue waters of the Worthersee were a constant companion appearing and disappearing behind trees as I traveled farther eastward.
Just as I entered Klagenfurt, a town on the south bank of the Worthersee, my bottom bracket began clicking and the right crank felt a bit loose. As I continued riding, suddenly my right crank detached from the bottom bracket. Had this happened in many other locations on the trip, I would have been delayed for a day or two. Very luckily, this happened about a mile from an excellent bike shop on a day that I did not plan to do too many miles. In no time, Rasch Thorsten, owner of Sportart Sportgeräte Handels and his mechanic, a Continental racing cyclist, had my bike on a stand, swapping out the crankset for a new one and arranging to ship the broken one back to me. I had a long relaxing lakeside lunch while my bike was being repaired and was on my way two hours later.
With a new (mid-compact) crankset, I continued my journey northward toward Wolfsberg. The riding was beautiful as ever. In the late afternoon, I encountered an 800-ft, steep climb near Limberg, followed by an even steeper descent. I rode more than 30 mph for at least 6 miles. The views were stupendous – rolling hills, pumpkin fields, and flowers of all colors.
As I approached Wolfsberg, very hungry and thirsty, I passed a Subway and craved a foot-long tuna sandwich, which I made quick work of. One of the many nice things about spending a week cycling hundreds of miles is the ability to eat whatever whenever. I enjoyed a beautiful purple sunset in front of what might be one of the most scenic Subways in the world. I proceeded to the Hotel Hecher, in charming Klagenfurt and enjoyed two amazing Austrian ice cream creations.
Day 5
Distance: 64.6 miles
Elevation climbed: 2,552 ft
Average speed: 14.9 mph
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Day 6: Wolfsberg → Graz – September 1, 2016
The morning in Wolsberg greeted me with beautiful weather again. I was amazingly lucky during this 7-day trip to only have one rainy day. The sun was shining and wind was light – after a good night’s sleep I was ready to head northeast to Austria’s second-largest city, Graz, dating back to the Middle Ages. This day would be a hilly day, winding around various mountains through deserted valleys and thick woods. Some of the hills were endless and steep, but the scenery made it enjoyable.
I stopped for lunch in the remote mountaintop town of Pack for an excellent schnitzel. It is unlikely that the inn I stopped by has changed much in the past 50 years, but the proprietors were welcoming and friendly, as was almost every other person I encountered in Austria.
As I made my way closer to Graz, I continued to enjoy the delightful scenery and beautiful weather. I had to limit photo stops to keep making good progress but some of the backdrops were majestic. In late afternoon, a delightful cycling path from the outskirts of Graz took me to the very comfortable Amedia Luxury Suites, where I enjoyed a rest before exploring beautiful Graz.
Day 6
Distance: 56.8 miles
Elevation climbed: 3,323 ft
Average speed: 14.4 mph
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Day 7: Graz → Vienna – September 2, 2016
The final cycling day of my trip would take me northward from Graz, along the Mur River, and over the Semmering Pass to Austria’s capital Vienna. Again, the weather conditions were ideal for cycling. I headed out from Graz into more incredible Austrian landscapes.
The cycling infrastructure in this part of Austria was spectacular as usual. I followed miles and miles of dedicated bike trails through lush valleys and along sleepy rivers.
The first 75 miles of the day’s ride was a gradual climb, finishing with a steep slope, up to and over the Semmering Pass, the location of the UNESCO World Heritage site The Semmering Railway, which is considered the world’s first mountain railway. constructed between between 1848 and 1854. The long, tough climb over the Semmering Pass was rewarded with fast descents on quiet, perfectly-paved roads as I got closer to Wiener Neustadt, south of Vienna. The high,wispy clouds and beautiful cycling conditions made this a remarkably enjoyable ride, despite all of the miles from the previous week. Big open spaces, lush fields, rolling hills, and the slowly-setting sun were my companions for many more miles.
Alas, as I approached Vienna, a strong headwind picked up making the going slow. But suddenly, in my handlebar mirror, I spotted a big, strong cyclist catching up to be from behind. I managed to get behind him and for the first time on the trip, enjoyed some fast drafting behind a fresh, fast cyclist riding an unloaded bike. We rode together for some 20 miles into the city limits of beautiful Vienna. I made it to the Hotel Zeitgeist Vienna with some daylight to spare, tired but thrilled to have accomplished this amazing trip.
Day 7
Distance: 132.2 miles
Elevation climbed: 4,072 ft
Average speed: 15.7 mph
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Total 7-Days Distance: 631.6 miles
Total 7-Days Elevation Climbed: 26,601 ft