Alpe Adria from Lake Chiemsee to Lignano

Away from the busy Munich to Venice and Salzburg to Grado transit routes, this self-guided hotel-to-hotel tour offers an exciting crossing of the Alps from Bavaria to the Adriatic. Starting at Lake Chiemsee, the "Bavarian Sea", it crosses Austria before descending through the Friuli region to the sea, taking in a wide range of natural and cultural landscapes. The route mainly follows well-maintained cycle paths and low-traffic secondary roads, with the most challenging sections covered by included transfers.

From Chiemsee riders head into Tyrol to the baroque town of St. Johann, between the Kitzbüheler Horn and the Wilder Kaiser, then pass the biathlon venue of Hochfilzen and Saalfelden to Zell am See beneath the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. The Tauern Cycle Path leads to Mittersill, before a transfer through the Hohe Tauern National Park sets up a mostly downhill run to Matrei in East Tyrol. The Isel Valley continues to sunny Lienz and the popular Drau cycle path to Oberdrauburg.

A morning transfer to the Plöcken Pass on the Italian border is followed by a thrilling serpentine descent to Paluzza, passing the thermal baths of Arta and Roman Zuglio to medieval Venzone, rebuilt after a devastating earthquake and now listed among Italy's most beautiful villages. The route then follows the Tagliamento past turquoise Lake Cornino and Pinzano to Spilimbergo, the "City of Mosaics", before a final flat run to the golden beaches of Lignano. Nights are in guesthouses and hotels, with luggage transferred daily.

Highlights:

• Lake Chiemsee, the "Bavarian Sea"
• St. Johann in Tirol and Zell am See beneath the Kitzsteinhorn
• The Hohe Tauern National Park and the Tauern Cycle Path
• Lienz and the Drau cycle path
• The Plöcken Pass descent and medieval Venzone
• Spilimbergo, the "City of Mosaics", and the beaches of Lignano

Surface and terrain:
Well-maintained cycle paths and low-traffic secondary roads, with the hardest Alpine climbs (Felbertauern, Gailberg and Plöcken passes) covered by transfer. The first two stages have the most climbing (450 to 690 m), with long descents through Austria and Friuli and a flat finish.

Weather:
Expect cooler, changeable Alpine conditions in Bavaria and Austria, and warmer Mediterranean weather in Friuli and on the Adriatic coast.

Suitable for:
Reasonably fit riders comfortable with 50 to 70 km days and some climbing early in the tour. Rated Medium by the operator; minimum age 16.