Alpe Adria Salzburg - Trieste

Crossing the Alps to the Adriatic in a week may sound like hard work, but the well-marked Alpe Adria cycle route makes it achievable for leisure riders. This self-guided hotel-to-hotel tour splits the climb to the main Alpine ridge over two days, with the final section covered by train, and follows bike paths and very quiet side roads through small villages and picturesque landscapes from Salzburg to Trieste.

Leaving Salzburg beneath Hohensalzburg Fortress, riders pass Hellbrunn Palace and its trick fountains, then follow the Tauern cycle path via Hallein, famed for its salt, and the Golling waterfall. The tranquil Gastein valley leads to Bad Gastein, the Belle Époque "Monte Carlo of the Alps". After an included train through the Tauern tunnel to Mallnitz, a long, mostly downhill ride follows the Möll and Drau through the Hohe Tauern National Park past Spittal's Renaissance Porcia Castle to Villach.

The Gail valley leads into Italy and the Kanaltal, where Germanic, Romance and Slavic cultures meet around Tarvisio, before the old Pontebbana railway cycle path descends beneath the Julian Alps to medieval Venzone. Riders continue via Gemona and vineyard-lined hills to Venetian-flavoured Udine, then pass UNESCO-listed Palmanova and Roman Aquileia to the island resort of Grado. The final stage crosses the Karst past Miramare Palace into Trieste. Nights are in guesthouses and 3 and 4-star hotels, with luggage transferred daily.

Highlights:

• Salzburg's baroque old town, Mirabell Palace and Hellbrunn Palace
• The Gastein valley and Bad Gastein's Belle Époque hotels and waterfall
• The Hohe Tauern National Park and Spittal's Porcia Castle
• The Pontebbana railway cycle path through the Kanaltal to Venzone
• Udine, UNESCO-listed Palmanova and Roman Aquileia
• Grado and Miramare Palace on the way into Trieste

Surface and terrain:
Well-marked bike paths and very quiet side roads. The main climbing is on the first two days up to Bad Gastein (up to 800 m), with the Tauern crossing by train. From there the route is mostly downhill or flat, apart from the Karst stage into Trieste. Train shortcuts are available on Days 5 and 8.

Weather:
Expect cooler, changeable Alpine conditions in Austria and warm to hot Mediterranean weather in Friuli and on the Adriatic coast.

Suitable for:
Reasonably fit riders comfortable with consecutive 40 to 95 km days and some Alpine climbing. Rated Medium by the operator; minimum age 16.