The Waterfall Tour, 2023

Between August and September, I had a week off from German lessons, so we took the opportunately to ride out to Gastain and also see Wolfgang, one of neighbours. We pack the panniers and hop on the train to Salzburg on the Friday and visit the German bike shop, ZweiRad before taking the long way back, 45km, dinner at Kugelhof. Saturday (55km) was warm enough to ride out to the Naturbad Aschauerweiher in Bischofswiesen biopool for a dip before returning via the northern route. On Sunday (66km), we ride out past Hallein to see the waterfall at Golling.

Somewhere on the road to Gastein.

Myself at Gollinger Wasserfall above, Susanna on the right.

We had an excellent coffee and cake at the pub nearby where we had left the bikes. We then caught the train from Golling to St Johan where we rode out to the Leichtensteinklamm;

After two kilometres on heavily modified mining trails, the waterfall.

Parts of the narrow gorge.

We returned to the main route only to find it went up the side of the valley.

The road hugged the side of the valley until we crossed this bridge before passing through a short tunnel then a very, noisy 2.5km tunnel. We had another short tunnel before a long, slight descent into Gastein, where Susanna has access to a ski Chalet.

On the Monday, we walk up to Anne's Hutt for lunch 200 vertical metres with yet another waterfall on the way and enjoy the terrific view across the valley. In the evening, we go for a walk after dinner to the new Ski Lift station and to check out the damage along the river - they had had flooding the previous week. Tuesday (53km) saw us leave the panniers at 'home' and ride up to Bad Gastein and then out to Passau Hutt for lunch.

Yet more waterfalls on the valley out to Passau.

A rockfall on Monday had meant alot of work had to be done to allow access.

We then ride back through Bad Gastein and through to Bockstein where the train picks people at the end of the valley and takes them through the 8 km tunnel to the other side. It is also the place where Susanna had taken me during my first visit to Gastein almost twenty years ago. Yet another waterfall . . .

On the Wednesday (55km), I made two attempts to recycle some old sheets before we head out to the very empty railway station at Hofgastein. The train is some 45 minutes late but soon has us on the other side of the pass and we get off at Mallnitz.

We enjoy a high speed downhill almost the whole way to Muttabrucke. A few rolling hills along the valley floor, we round the church and are at Wolfgang's dad's place where we spend the night.

We spend Thursday going up to Wolfgang's father's alm in his car. It is quite a way up the opposite valley side. Yadwiga (Polish) prepares for an afternoon siesta and the rest of us continue up the mountain on foot.

Eating berries, nearly at the top of Wolfgang's alm.

Back at the hutt, we wander off to the local eating house for lunch. Susanna and Yadwiga and a pot of Edelweiss.

Dinner is at a local lokal, where conversations with the local owner go to strange places.

Friday sees another leisurely breakfast before we catch a 10:50am train up the Drau valley to Leinz where we ride the last 6km in. Leinz is at the confluence of Insel and Drau rivers. We have booked a very nice hotel room near the centre of town and wander around.

On the 9th, we set off early, without the panniers to find the source of the Insel river. We ride straight up the valley, cycling along the river. We cross into Italy where we have a late lunch in front of a church which had just had it's statues gold leafed before heading back. Roughly 95km, with about 1000 vertial metres. Due to Leinz hosting the 36th Redbull Dolomiten Mann event that weekend, we did not get to sleep before midnight. The extreme adventure event features mountain running, paragliding, mountain biking and white water canoeing.

At the furtherest point, the source of the river was around here, somehere.

On the tenth, we leave early and follow the Drau river back down to Mullbrucke, where we meet up with Wolfgang on his Emountain bike about 10km out.

Just outside Leinz.

It is good to see him and we enjoy coffee and cake back at his place in Mullbrucke.

One of many bridges across the Drau.

An interesting use of powerpoles for both power and the railways.

We then continue onto Spittau where we catch the train back to Salzburg. We meet an interesting Dutch woman who had a very specific setup on her bike and a guy who had just ridden the Grossglockner on his roadbike. Dinner is at the Kugelhof.

On Sunday morning, we have a very civilized breakfast at the Cafe Bazaar before we return to the apartment to get the panniers and leave for the station. We are back in Vienna by midafternoon.