If you are thinking about a cycling holiday, you should definitely take a closer look at the beautiful Salzburg Lake District. The area with the idyllic lakes Mattsee, Obertrumer See, Grabensee and Wallersee, which are perfectly embedded in the landscape, is particularly beautiful. Apart from the excellent water quality and the temptation to lie every day at a different place on the lake, the area is also popular for its beautiful cycle routes. I went on a short cycling holiday to the Salzburg Lake District (Salzburger Seenland) and explored some cycle paths along the lakes.
Herbal cycling tour - with the bike through the herb gardens
My first bike tour took me from one herb garden to the next. The tour is suitable for everyone who wants to bring some variety to his cycling tour and herb lovers will be amazed by the different types of herbs and arrangements of the gardens. The starting point for my tour with six different gardens was Seekirchen. At the castle, I was welcomed not only by a beautiful flower and herb garden but also by a wonderful view of the Wallersee.
Via Fischtagging I took the Carl-Zuckermayer-trail past the former residence of dramatist Carl Zuckmayer to the pavilion of scents in Henndorf. The pavilion is located right next to the municipal office – a small garden that is especially popular for Mojito lovers especially at the beginning of the summer season. The hotter the summer, the faster the mint disappears.
After a short coffee break, I pedaled to Neumarkt, where an inventive herb garden awaits you right at the cycle path at the Trapp nursery. If you’re looking for inspiration for your garden at home, you’ve come to the right place. The special thing about this herb garden is the pots on stilts – very creative and pretty.
The route continues to Strasswalchen to Kräuterplatzl and from there to Köstendorf to Seelenbräugarten (book tip: Carl Zuckmayer’s Seelenbräu tells the story of the bitter battle in Alt-Köstendorf between the gnarled priest, the ‘Seelenbräu’ and the rich brewer of the village, the ‘Leibesbräu’). Directly behind the church at the Dechanthof, you will find a large herb garden with a cozy rest bench that invites you to linger. If you are hungry, just pick an apple from the tree and let your soul dangle. My last stop took me past the hamlets of Hilgertsheim and Geperding to Schleedorf, where the forecourt of the elementary school was converted into a living garden. Here the ripe, red apples are already plucked on an old wooden table and just waiting to be eaten.
The herb garden tour takes about four hours with a distance of 41 kilometers. The height difference of 500 meters is very easy to do. In between, you can stop at the Taferne Frauenschuh in Köstendorf and refresh yourself with a herbal syrup and a Kaspressknödel soup.
The Salzburg Lake District has a second herb garden route up its sleeve. It leads from Mattsee to Obertrum, on to Seeham to Bauerngartl, to Berndorf to Kräuterinsel, to Lochen to Wiesenkräutergarten and finally to Elixhausen. This tour is slightly shorter with a length of 36 kilometers.
At www.salzburger-seenland.at you can view the cycle paths from herb garden to herb garden and download the routes.
The herbs theme is not only to be seen in the gardens along the cycle routes but also at the restaurants and events. So if you plan to plant a herb garden at home, here’s where you can get some inspiration. A tip: the route is also accessible by car, but it is definitely more beautiful by bike.
A cycling holiday also includes a mountain: Buchberg with a real place of power
It doesn’t have to be a big one, but the advantage of mountains is the wonderful view of the country and its surroundings. In the Salzburger Seenland, there is the Buchberg, from whose plateau you can see from the Traunstein to the Wilder Kaiser on a clear day. The mountain is surrounded by a nature park with many hiking trails and a summit circular trail. My cycle route in the Salzburg Lake District led me from my base in Seeham along the cycle path to Mattsee and over a short stretch of the Köstendorfer Landesstraße to Lehen, where I came back onto the cycle path and drove uphill to the Gasthaus Alpenblick. There I parked my e-bike and walked the last short distance past the sun lounger to the viewing platform.
I walked through the forest, saw the sun flashing through the trees and felt a pleasant silence. And then I reached the top of the summit, a true place of power. An extremely high energy concentration was measured up there by the beech tree. Strictly speaking, the place emits an anabolic radiation of 18,000 bovision units. The normal value is 6,500 BE. Incidentally, the unit was invented by a French physicist who developed the Bovismeter for measuring bioenergetic radiation. Radiation is therefore positive. And so I sat on the bench under the beech tree with a view of the lake, closed my eyes and let a whole load of energy flow into me. I wanted the full booming, made deep breaths that I otherwise only knew from yoga and imagined how the energy penetrated into my body and mind. They say you should sit on the bench as long as you find it pleasant and constructive. I could have sat there for ages…
After charging myself with thousands of bovision units, I climbed onto the viewing platform and enjoyed the fantastic view.
For the trip to the Buchberg, I chose the longer route and thanks to the e-bike I also went uphill very quickly. However, one should be in good basic condition for this cycle route – despite the help of the drive. The effort is worth it because the view of the mountain peaks is unspeakably beautiful and the power beech should not be missed. If you leave early enough, you will still see the haze rising from the lake.
If you want more, the Buchberg is connected to the 163 km long Slow Bike bike circuit.
The Trumer lake tour and its sun loungers
What would a cycling holiday in the beautiful lake district be without a lake tour? Exactly. I have chosen the Trumer lake tour, which leads past and along the three lakes Mattsee, Obertrumer See and Grabensee. It is probably one of the most beautiful cycle routes in Salzburg, for which you should take a whole day. With its length of 27 kilometers, it can be done in just under two hours, but then you wouldn’t have the time to throw yourself comfortably into one of the sun loungers and enjoy the view.
From Obertrum it’s 5 km to Mattsee, where your sun lounger in the Weyerbucht with a view of the castle and the lake awaits you for the first break. This is a place you can stay all day long, but after all, we are on a cycling holiday and want to pedal a bit more, don’t you think?
So you continue on Münsterholzstraße, from where you have a wonderful view of the lake. If you’re already out of breath, you’ll find another sun lounger to rest on just before Ludwigshöhe.
After the Ludwigshöhe you reach the Köstendorfer Landesstraße, which you drive along for a short distance until you turn left again into the cycle route and come comfortably through the beautiful natural landscape to Gebertsham. There is time for the next break on the sun lounger with a view of Mattsee.
After Gebertsham you circumnavigate the Mattsee and continue via Stein to Grabensee, the smallest of the three lakes until you reach your last stop at Seeham – it’s time to rip your clothes off and jump into the fresh and clean water.
I would definitely put a basket on my bike and take a towel and bathing things with me, because the beach resorts Obertrum, Mattsee, See/Staffl, Perwang, Lochen and Seeham are all on this cycle route.
For the romantic cyclist, the organic shop in Seeham puts together picnic baskets with organic products. Three birds with one stone: cycling, lakes and picnics. No, actually four – because the region puts focus on organic products and so the basket is full of organic products from the region.
Some organizational things about a cycling holiday in the Salzburg Lake District
For only 13 Euro per day, you can rent an e-bike in Seeham, Obertrum, Seekirchen, Lochen, Neumarkt, Köstendorf and Mattsee, which will make your pedaling a little easier. In the high season in summer it is advisable to book in advance.
With the interactive cycle map, you can find all cycle routes in the Salzburg Lakeland. Simply enter the desired location and cycle off.
Hotel tip:
The family owned Hotel Walkner in Seeham on Lake Obertrumer See awaits you with a magnificent view of the lake, a pool to relax after a bike tour and excellent cuisine.
The Salzburger Seenland is well prepared for cycling trips. Whether you are travelling alone, with friends, partners or family, you will find the most suitable cycle routes for a relaxing holiday. The tourism board of the Lake District is happy to help you with the planning of your cycling vacation.
Disclaimer: Paid collaboration with Salzburger Seenland. My opinion, however, is my own and not influenced. A big thank you to the tourism board for the organization and hosting me.
