Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days

Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days 11 Days

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Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days
Self-Guided Biking in Austria, The Lakes Region for 11 Days

Overview
Itinerary
Nuts & Bolts
Experts
Operator
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Overview

Highlights

Duration: 11 Days
Comfort: 66.6666666666667%
Language: English
Rating: 80.0%
Style: Independent (Self-Guided)
Trip ID: 125935
Start Location: Mondsee, Austria
End Location: Itzling, Austria

Guaranteed:
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1. AdventureLink has carefully handpicked the tour operators in our portfolio to give you the best possible selection and experience
2. AdventureLink does not pay the operator until your trip completes in order to ensure the highest possible standard of care
Primary Activities: Road Cycling, Sightseeing
Other Activities: Castles & Fortresses, Spa, Food
Activity Level: Basic

This bicycle journey through Austria’s lake country follows delightfully traffic-free routes to baroque palaces, historic castles, mountain lookouts, and quintessential storybook landscapes. Pedal from Mondsee after your visit to the church used in The Sound of Music’s wedding scene to the shores of Attersee Lake, where you may opt for a boat ride to the picture-perfect village of Weyregg. At Schorfling, you’ll see a castle that the painter Gustav Klimt depicted in his work before moving on to the brightly colored townscape and cobblestoned marketplace of Gmunden. Here, you can sail the Gisela, the last of the coal-fired paddle steamers, and take a cable car to the top of Grunberg for dazzling Alpine vistas and views of the 17th-century “floating castle” Seeschloss Orth. Ride through ancient forests to Emperor Franz Joseph’s former summer residence at Bad Ischl, take the St. Wolfgang cog railway to the summit of Schafberg, and head into the sky on the Zwolferhorn tramway. Then there’s Salzburg, a timeless urban masterpiece of baroque perfection, with must-see sights like the Hohensalzburg Fortress, beautiful Mirabell Gardens, and the Mozart Museum.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Mondsee

You are met at the Salzburg airport and driven to your hotel (approximately 45 minutes) in Mondsee. You have time to explore Mondsee on foot, then perhaps sink into the Jacuzzi before dinner.

Lodging: Hotel Leitnerbraeu, Mondsee
Description: This four-star historic hotel with a typical Tyrolean exterior is centrally located near the lake and just opposite the 15th-century “Sound of Music” church in the town of Mondsee. Extremely spacious rooms have queen beds and pine furnishings. A spa with whirlpool, sauna, and steam bath is available. The “gateway” to the Austrian Lakes region, this charming lakeside town has a pretty waterfront, pedestrian center, numerous museums and restaurants to choose from.

Day 2: Mondsee to Attersee; 25km/16mi

This morning you pedal past yachts and wooden boathouses on Mondsee’s north shore. Onward through rolling pasture dotted with country churches, as the triangular white sails scoring the blue surface of Lake Attersee hove into view, you descend to the lakeshore. Then, heading inland, you pass a deer farm and roadside stalls piled high with bright orange pumpkins, before receiving a warm welcome by Ingrid and Anton at their delightful hotel—a restored water mill in the middle of an apple orchard.

Lodging: Hotel Waldmuehle, Attersee
Description: This family-run, charmingly restored farmhouse hotel, formerly a water-powered mill, is a true country retreat surrounded by orchards. The hospitable feel extends into the individually decorated bedrooms with wooden furnishings and antiques, some with balconies, and inviting public spaces, flower-bedecked balconies and gardens. A 3-course menu is served in the dining/bar area. Ample walking and biking is available around the hotel, which is 15 minutes’ ride from the bucolic village of Attersee and the lake, the favorite retreat of composer Gustav Mahler.

Day 3: Layover day in Attersee

You can follow in the footsteps of Gustav Mahler in Attersee—he composed prolifically here. Enjoy a local-style lunch—freshly smoked fish are sold along the lakeshore—and there’s a fabulous swimming pool complex. Then perhaps take a boat ride to the pretty village of Weyregg beneath craggy mountains on the Eastern shore.

Lodging: Hotel Waldmuehle, Attersee
Description: This family-run, charmingly restored farmhouse hotel, formerly a water-powered mill, is a true country retreat surrounded by orchards. The hospitable feel extends into the individually decorated bedrooms with wooden furnishings and antiques, some with balconies, and inviting public spaces, flower-bedecked balconies and gardens. A 3-course menu is served in the dining/bar area. Ample walking and biking is available around the hotel, which is 15 minutes’ ride from the bucolic village of Attersee and the lake, the favorite retreat of composer Gustav Mahler.

Day 4: Attersee to Gmunden; 39km/24mi

Today you enjoy views of the over 3,000-foot high peaks on the east shore of Attersee Lake as you freewheel down to Schorfling, whose castle was painted by Gustav Klimt with its reflection mirrored on the lake surface. Fields of wheat fringed with poppies and cornflowers pass by before you coast into Gmunden with its cobbled marketplace and painted buildings. Dinner on the terrace of the hotel is delightful, with Gmunden’s lights shimmering above the surface of Lake Traunsee.

Lodging: Hotel Gruenberg, Gmunden
Description: Poised with a perfect hillside location overlooking the lake, this hotel has striking views of the Gruenberg Mountain, accessible by cable car from the center of town, which is only a 10-minute ride away. Contemporary spacious bedrooms all have lake views. Guests can enjoy a 3-course dinner on the panoramic terrace. A swimming dock lies just below the hotel, where boats also offer regular service to town. A larger town famous for its ceramics, Gmunden has a lakeside esplanade between the town hall (Rathaus) and a historic castle.

Day 5: Layover day in Gmunden

Today you can take a trip on the Gisela—the last coal-fired paddle steamer, also used by Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The cable car to the top of Grunberg (984 meters or about 3,300 feet) offers wonderful views at the summit, from where you look down onto Gmunden’s esplanade and the romantic Seeschloss Orth—known as the “floating” castle on the lake, dating from the 17th century.

Lodging: Hotel Gruenberg, Gmunden
Description: Poised with a perfect hillside location overlooking the lake, this hotel has striking views of the Gruenberg Mountain, accessible by cable car from the center of town, which is only a 10-minute ride away. Contemporary spacious bedrooms all have lake views. Guests can enjoy a 3-course dinner on the panoramic terrace. A swimming dock lies just below the hotel, where boats also offer regular service to town. A larger town famous for its ceramics, Gmunden has a lakeside esplanade between the town hall (Rathaus) and a historic castle.

Day 6: Gmunden to Bad Ischl; 19km/12mi

Today you take the Traunsee boat from the dock below the hotel to Ebensee on the south shore. It is well worth taking the cable car up to the Feuerkogel Peak for spectacular views. Then you return along a beautiful riverside route, crisscrossing the sparkling River Traun, and on through scented pine forest to Bad Ischl. You may choose to relax in the opera house gardens before returning to the hotel for a swim.

Lodging: Hotel Hubertshof, Bad Ischl
Description: Located in the center of Bad Ischl, this family-run hotel is a restored grand historic townhouse with classic Austrian furnishings, antiques, and paintings. The dining room is a stube, the traditional Austrian wooden-walled room with an impressive antique oven with decorative tiles, and serves a 3-course menu. A swimming pool, sauna, and steam bath are available. This 19th-century royal spa town was the summer home of the Habsburg emperors of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire; the imperial spa can still be visited, as well as the charming town center.

Day 7: Layover day in Bad Ischl

Options abound today in and around Bad Ischl: you may choose to spend the morning visiting the Kaiser and Lehar Villas, indulging in coffee and cakes at the famous Zauner restaurant, perhaps moving on to lunch in the Kurpark listening to the string quartet. In the afternoon, you can visit the Imperial Spa, then head to the Ice and Mammoth Caves near the pretty village of Obertraun.

Lodging: Hotel Hubertshof, Bad Ischl
Description: Located in the center of Bad Ischl, this family-run hotel is a restored grand historic townhouse with classic Austrian furnishings, antiques, and paintings. The dining room is a stube, the traditional Austrian wooden-walled room with an impressive antique oven with decorative tiles, and serves a 3-course menu. A swimming pool, sauna, and steam bath are available. This 19th-century royal spa town was the summer home of the Habsburg emperors of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire; the imperial spa can still be visited, as well as the charming town center.

Day 8: Bad Ischl to Strobl; 16km/10mi

This morning you can explore the Emperor Franz Josef’s former vacation home, the Kaiservilla, before setting off along the banks of the River Ischl. Sunlight sparkles on the water as you pass tiny shrines hidden in the pines below Leonsberg and Bleckwand peaks. Lakeside Strobl has a popular beachfront for a cooling swim or you can board a boat cruise on the lake.

Lodging: Hotel Bergrose, Strobl
Description: A lovely four-star hotel with traditional Austrian architecture and décor has a riverside secluded garden and wellness center. All luxuriously decorated bedrooms are suites, with quality pine furniture. Dinner is a 4-course menu including either a salad or starter buffet. Just a few minutes from both the Eastern shore of Lake Wolfgangsee and the center of Stobl, the flat lakeshore and natural beaches make this one of the most attractive village resorts in the Salzkammergut region for both watersports and the charming center.

Day 9: Layover day in Strobl

One option for today is an exploration of Salzburg; it’s just an 80-minute bus journey. The city has been described as a Baroque jewel, and its old center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Places to tour are the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the beautiful Mirabell Gardens, and the Mozart Museum, finishing up the afternoon with a beer tasting at the medieval brewery.

Lodging: Hotel Bergrose, Strobl
Description: A lovely four-star hotel with traditional Austrian architecture and décor has a riverside secluded garden and wellness center. All luxuriously decorated bedrooms are suites, with quality pine furniture. Dinner is a 4-course menu including either a salad or starter buffet. Just a few minutes from both the Eastern shore of Lake Wolfgangsee and the center of Stobl, the flat lakeshore and natural beaches make this one of the most attractive village resorts in the Salzkammergut region for both watersports and the charming center.

Day 10: Strobl to Mondsee; 30km/19mi

Keeping close to Wolfgangsee’s southern lakeshore, a level bike path through a tiny nature reserve brings you into lovely St. Gilgen. Here you can also visit the Mozart museum, or take the cable car up the Zwolferhorn for stunning 360-degree views. In the afternoon you coast downhill to Mondsee Lake, before returning to the hotel in time for an aperitif before dinner.

Lodging: Hotel Leitnerbraeu, Mondsee
Description: This four-star historic hotel with a typical Tyrolean exterior is centrally located near the lake and just opposite the 15th-century “Sound of Music” church in the town of Mondsee. Extremely spacious rooms have queen beds and pine furnishings. A spa with whirlpool, sauna, and steam bath is available. The “gateway” to the Austrian Lakes region, this charming lakeside town has a pretty waterfront, pedestrian center, numerous museums and restaurants to choose from.

Day 11: Departure

A transfer is provided to the Salzburg airport after breakfast to continue your explorations of this enchanting city or for connections for onward travels.

Nuts & Bolts

Trip Includes

Continental breakfast daily and 8 dinners—nights 2-9 (lunches, 2 dinners, and beverages are not included)
All accommodations (with private baths) while on tour Arrival and departure transfers (valid only for established transfer times)
Luggage transfers between the hotels Detailed route notes and maps High quality bicycle with 21-speed Shimano gears (helmet not provided), tire repair kit, lock, map/route note holder, and panniers
Basic travel insurance coverage (see Travel Insurance section that follows)
The exclusive ease of a mobile phone rental with our Cellhire partnership. Receive preferred calling rates, free phone rental, and complimentary shipping of mobile phones
24-hour emergency service
The unbeatable and cumulative experience of the Country Walkers staff

Trip Excludes

Trip ID#: 125935

CANCELLATIONS: 20% cancellation fee applied if cancelled 60 days prior to departure. Cancellations within 60 days are 100% non-cancelable

Operator

For the specifics on this tour operator, please contact AdventureLink directly.

Reviews (2)

C. & S. Schwegman

The entire time spent in Austria was nothing less than PERFECT! What an honor it was for Stephen and me to be the Country Walkers' inaugural guests for the self-guided cycling trips. Without a doubt, it was one of our most exhilarating, challenging (at times), and exquisitely beautiful journeys ever!
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Mrs Millar

This was one of the best holidays I have ever had. Every aspect of it was very good to excellent.
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