Find freedom, natural splendours and gravel biking in SalzburgerLand | Travel News | Travel

Beyond the cultural riches of Austria’s music city Salzburg,  the rural gems of SalzburgerLand await, an idyll of lakes, mountains, flower meadows and national parks with all manner of attractions from farm tastings and enchanting villages to castles and salt mines. Travellers can discover 10,000km of hiking trails, 7,000km of biking trails, 500 lakes and 550 mountain huts with some 164 with the Salzburger Almsommerhütte endorsement, the prestigious mark of authentic hospitality assuring traditional home-made food and a warm welcome.

For sports fans the big new attraction this year is the SalzburgerLand Gravel Tour, designed for the hugely popular gravel bikes that enable cyclists to combine on- and off-road adventures. The tour rolls freedom, nature and fun into one with breathtaking Alpine scenery at every turn. Visitors can create their own itinerary to suit mood, time and energy, adapting two options, both starting and finishing in Salzburg: die Harte (the hard one; 650km/12,700vm) or die Zarte (the gentle one; 460km/6,700vm). Alternatively riders can simply enjoy a one-day cycling fix  

All routes are available on Komoot.com, the user-friendly online route planner, and connect with SalzburgerLand’s 7,000km network. For accommodation, choose from a wide range of bike-friendly providers 

‘To the Mountains!’ is SalzburgerLand’s rallying cry inviting visitors and locals alike to discover nature at their own pace. A highlight is the Salzburg Almenweg /Alpine Pastures Trail, a 350km, 25-stage trail offering spellbinding views of peaks including Austria’s highest, the Grossglockner (3798m), and taking in 120 Alpine pastures across the Pongau region. Use Komoot.com to plan the full route or sections of it, allowing time to explore villages and taste the fruits of the local terroir, staying in mountain huts, luxury resorts or family-run B&Bs.

The shorter seven-night Green Spirit package, priced from €772 and available up to 24 September, comprises six stages of the 275km Hohe Tauern Trail, with B&B accommodation, daily luggage transfers and shuttle service to/from the nearest station at either end. To book visit www.nationalpark.at

Among the traditional high points are the cattle drives on 24 September – St Rupert’s Day – when villages celebrate the return of their animals from the high pastures with dancing, singing, good food and schnapps. Salzburg AG Tourism runs some of the most popular tourist attractions in the Salzkammergut and Salzburg regions, including the SchafbergBahn, Austria’s steepest cog railway since 1893.

Book tickets for a single attraction or all Five Treasures : Salzkammergut/Wolfgansee area: SchafbergBahn (return journey), WolfganseeSchifffahrt Ferries (Wolfgangsee ride); Salzburg – FestungsBahn funicular (return journey, entry to the fortress and museum), MönchsbergAufzug lift (return trip), WasserSpiegel museum. The combined Five Treasures ticket is priced at €90 per person (50% discount for children and family deal available). A new Abriani Hiking Map (print and online) details 12 trails showcasing the most area’s most beautiful spots.

Fuschlsee (also in the Salzkammergut, 30 minutes’ drive from Salzburg) is now enjoying the reopening of Rosewood Schloss Fuschl, the historic five-star hotel on the banks of Lake Fuschl that has been completely renovated and refurbished. This year is the 25th anniversary of the region’s Farmers’ Autumn (from mid-August to the end of October) so look out for guided tours, unmissable yodelling afternoons and culinary and cultural tours.

Gastein  – summer highlights are in full swing here with the Yunion Yoga Festival (26 August to 1 September), the Böckstein Sword Dance (1 September), the Adidas Terrex Infinite Trails running weekend (6-8 September) and the traditional sheep drive (14 September). Saalfelden Leogang has opened a new ‘forest-bathing’ hiking trail and is one of the first recipients of the Austrian Ecolabel. The destination has been designated a UCI Bike region. The popular Jazzfestival Saalfelden returns for its 44th year on August 22.

Access to the 16 regions across SalzburgerLand is easy via road, rail or air and all are within two hours of the historic city of Salzburg – home of Mozart, the celebrated Summer Festival and Sound of Music film locations. Fly from a choice of UK airports direct to Salzburg Airport. www.salzburgerLand.com @salzburgerLand #visitsalzburgerLand