Enns Bike Trail

The Enns Bike Trail

This lovely trip begins in Radstadt, in the middle of the Alps. Canyons, romantic and breathtaking at the same time, enchanting small towns, huge mountains and lonely trails by the side of two national parks are waiting for you. You will experience an adventurous trip through a unique landscape between Dachstein, Salzkammergut and Niedere Tauern. The route along the Enns takes its course mostly on calm rural roads and bike trails, but also on moderately travelled streets. Even though the chosen route always goes downhill towards the Danube, you will have to master some acclivities in between. Visit the world’s largest monastery’s library in Admont, stay the night in Steyr, one of the most beautiful towns of Austria, to finally continue from Enns to Linz passing Austria’s oldest towns by the Danube.

1. day Arrival Radstadt

Your departing point is easy to reach by car via the Tauern-highway (6 km from exit Radstadt) or by express train (train station Radstadt). Be looking forward to a small town of about 5000 inhabitants and a rich offer of freetime activities. Your trip starts in 856 m hight on a plateau in the upper Enns valley, surrounded by the two mountain groups (in the North) and Radstädter Tauern (in the South). Rental bikes and information material will be handed over in the afternoon.

2. day Radstadt - Gröbming 45 km

The idyllic Enns valley bike trail leads through fields and meadows, past the popular swimming lake and continues through more beautiful landscape to Schladming. Meadows, creeks, clear mointain lakes, pastures and mountains let the hearts beat higher! An unhurried break in the Old-town of Schladming upon Enns, this historical spot in the mountains, seems attractive before reaching today’s destination via Pruggern and Gröbming. Here, a visit of the sculpture park of Irdning is recommendable: a park to relax and to enjoy art.

3. day Gröbming - Admont 55 km

Passing Aigen in the Enns valley and Wörschach, you will arrive in the attractive shopping town Liezen! Capital of the Enns valley district, the town is not only a good point of departure for bike trips and excursions, but also a nice town to spend a few hours in for anyone. The local gastronomy supplies you with refreshing drinks and a culinary diversity. The pool of Liezen offers the possiblity to relax and cool down during the day. Should you wish to accomplish some more difference in altitude, it is possible to take a trip to the „Hinteregger Alm“, offering a terrific view over the mountain panorama of the Enns valley before continuing to Admont. A visit of the Benedectine monastery is worthwhile in Admont. It has been founded by archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg in 1074 and is thus the oldest existing monastery of the Steiermark. The main cultural attraction of the monastery is the baroque library, considered the world’s biggest library of a monastery, and the new museum.

4. day Admont - St. Gallen 55 km (30 km without Gesäuse)

Take your chance to get to know the magnificent Gesäuse in the morning (canyon, hardly any bike trails). The Gesäuse (17km length) is one of the most impressive canyons in Europe. It owes its name to the Enns roaring through its middle. The towns of Admont, Hall and Weng are situated in another basin next to the natural monument „Gesäuse-Eingang“ (entrance of the Gesäuse). Ardning lies westwards at the entrance of the Gesäuse region. In 2002, after the establishment of the „Gesäuse national park“, the Gesäuse has reached also international acknowledgement as a protection area of a unique biota. The national park extending over an area of about 11.000 ha is the most recent one of the six Austrian national parks. Four distinctive massifs of the Enns valley Alps limit the Steiermarks largest compact natural conservancy. Bizarre stone monuments, shady woods, dark caves and flowered mountain meadows are part of this untouched piece of nature. You will now continue to St Gallen via Wenig and the Buchauer Sattel (3 km of acclivity).

5. day St. Gallen - Großraming 45 km

Today’s first stage is the Mooshöhe (4 km of acclivity, option to accomplish the acclivity by bus, surcharge). A real recompensation awaits you now! 27 easy km through the heart of the Kalkalpen national park. With its almost 21.000 ha, it is he biggest protected forest area of Austria. The colorful mixed forests of the Reichraminger mountains and Sengsen mountains make you feel a hint of wilderness. Nature is the highest priority, as the conservancy is the home of many seldom animals and plants. The shy lynx returned here and the old tree giants offer habitats for the local mountain woodpecker. After 51 km you will reach Großraming, a municipality within the boundaries of the national park, awarded “The most beautiful village of Upper Austria”.

6. day Großraming - Steyr 40 km

It’s getting hilly today! The route with its slight hills leads you to the romantic town Steyr via Losenstein, Ternberg, Trattenbach and Garsten. Are you looking for something extraordinary? Then you should profit from a short trip on the slow steam trains. Get to know Austria’s oldest 760mm-narrow-gauge railway. 17 km of rail connect Steyr to Grünburg and Steinbach/Steyr. The route leads along the Steyr, among Austria’s cleanest rivers, and through wonderful woods and meadows. The steam engines and wagons have been restored with so much sensitivity to details, that you wouldn’t tell they have been in service for more than 100 years. And at night? A watch-man in his ancient traditional costume with halberd and lantern guides the visitors every Thursday at 9p.m. around the medieval town of Steyr, telling all kinds of stories and legends.

7. day Steyr - Linz 50 km

The last kilometres if the beautiful Enns bike trail are waiting for you now. You will first reach the town of Enns to continue to the mouth of the Danube. Before taking the ferry and following the broad stream of the Danube to the capital Linz, you should absolutely take your time in Enns. The old fortified town still remains caracteristic for the picture of Enns. It originally consisted of wall, trench, inner and outer city wall with altogether 15 peels and 4 gates! The fortress was built in 1193. Major parts of the city wall and 6 peels still exist today. Marvel at the beautiful houses of the Old-town with their impressive fronts and idyllic courtyards. The compact main place surrounded by magnificent houses seems to spread Italian flair. The town’s landmark, the tower of about 60 metres height once built as a bell- and surveillance tower, emerges visibly into the sky. Climb its 157 steps to enjoy the fantastic view.

8. day Linz Departure

Today the time to say goodbye to historical buildings, impressive churches and one of Europe’s biggest medieval main places has come. You will travel back to Radstadt by train. On demand, we are happy to book additional nights for you in this amazing town.

Worth knowing about your Enns Tour

Below please find more information about your bike trip. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us by phone: 0049 - (0)6421-886890.

Arrival by car

You can easily and quickly reach your starting point by car via the A 10 Tauern motorway (6 km from the Radstadt exit). At the beginning of the village, turn into the "RADSTADT WEST" entrance and follow the street. After about 600 meters you will see Hotel Brüggler on the left (2nd building on the left after the city pond).

Arrival by train

You can take the train via Salzburg to Radstadt train station. We recommend to take a taxi from the station to get to our partner hotels or use the hotel pick up (by prior arrangement). Current timetable information and price information can be found very practically at www.bahn.de.

Train schedule information

Parcing facilities in Radstadt und Linz

The first hotel has its own garage. For about 9 euros per day you can park there for the duration of the bike tour. Payment is made directly on spot. Reservation is not required. You can also park your car for free in Radstadt. There is an unguarded parking lot about 100 m from the hotel. If you arrive in Linz by car, we recommend parking in the underground car park, opposite the train station (Hotel Ibis / Wissensturm). The costs for 7 or 8 days are approx. 50 euros. The ticket must be ordered in advance (buerolinz@b-i-p.com) or Monday to Friday at Tel. 0043-732-78 36 02. Please state the parking time (exact arrival and departure days) and your address with email address. From Monday to Friday, the ticket must be picked up at the counter in the underground car park and paid for; on weekends it is deposited at the reception in the Hotel Ibis and must also be paid for there. Detailed information on parking at your hotel, you will receive together with the travel documents two weeks prior to departure.

Condition of cycle paths

There is a good 570 meters of altitude between Radstadt and Linz. So things tend to go downhill. The hilly tour with a series of small intermediate climbs is a challenge for every cyclist. The Enns Cycle Path mostly runs on cycle paths and side streets that are rarely used.

Available rental bikes

You can choose bicycles either with 7-speed gear shift and coaster brake or 27-speed gear shift and freewheel or electric bikes. You simply specify your wishes at time of booking.

Transfer back to the starting point of the journey

You can easily go by train back from Linz to Radstadt. Journey time approx. 2 hours 45 minutes. The return journey by train can be booked for EUR 39.00 per person (transfer of your own bike not included). A return bus transfer is offered every Saturday in season 3. The costs amount to EUR 169.00 per person including your own bike. Please specify the transfer request when booking.

Costs which are not included in the travel price

A possibly resulting tourist tax is not part of the travel price and therefore it has to be paid locally in the hotel (ca. € 1,00 – 2,50 per person/per night)

7 day hotline service

In case of chain breakdown, flooding or other bad surprises that makes a continuation of your tour impossible: no problem, we also work during weekends and you can reach us 7 days a week in case of emergency.

Passport and visa requirements, health regulations

For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.

Corona travel information:
Before booking your trip, please inform yourself about the measures in place to contain the Corona pandemic.

An up-to-date overview of applicable measures and travel and safety advice regarding Covid-19 for all countries in the EU and Switzerland can be found here:
https://reopen.europa.eu/en/

You can also find more information on our website at:
Corona virus and holiday planning

Travel insurance

The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.

Radstadt

Surrounded by high mountain peaks, set amid a breathtaking natural backdrop and only 70 kilometers south of Salzburg, lies the small city of Radstadt with a population of 5.000. Its central location in the Salzburg Sportwelt makes it an ideal departure point for hikers and bicyclists. The town’s medieval flair has a special allure.

Radstad

Radstadt, culture & history

Admont Abbey

Destination with a superior museum and the world largest monastery library. The Benedictine Abbey of Admont is the oldest existing monastery in Styria. It was founded in 1074 by archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg based on an endorsement by Saint Hemma of Gurk. The first monks came from St. Peter in Salzburg.

The library of Admont Abbey is one of the largest all-embracing creations of the late European Baroque. Within it are represented various artistic genres (architecture, frescoes, sculptures, manuscripts and printed works) that come together to form an impressive whole. It is a repository of the knowledge gleaned down the centuries.

Admont Abbey

Gesäuse National Park

Precipitous limestone peaks, green forests and mountain pastures, mountain huts with fabulous views and the turbulent, foaming river rapids which give this high Alpine region its name await you in the Gesäuse National Park. For centuries the Gesäuse has been famous for its breathtakingly beautiful, inaccessible scenery. Over millions of years the waters of the Enns have deeply eroded this mountain range. In the process it created a gorge with steep walls soaring up to 1,800 metres into the air. The Gesäuse is home to the last unregulated sections of this great Alpine river, starting at the entrance to the Gesäuse, where the gentle Enns turns into white water. It drops more than 150 metres over the 16 kilometre gorge.

Gesäuse National Park

Steyr Valley Railway

There is something very special for old steam train enthusiasts in the romantic town of Steyr : the oldest narrow-gauge railway in Austria!
The Steyr Valley railway is Austria’s oldest narrow-gauge railway with a track width of 760mm. The first section between Garsten (near Steyr) and Grünburg was already opened in 1889, but it was only in 1909, that the track between Agonitz bei Klaus on the Pyhrnbahn line was completed and the rail network reached its full capacity of 55 kilometres. In February 1892, it was closed for economic reasons. 

Steyr Valley Railway

Enns

Once known as Lauriacum during Roman times, Enns is considered to be Austria's oldest town. This past is reflected in Enn's well-preserved fortifications, churches and imposing old town houses, which are all mainly Gothic in style and often feature arcaded courtyards. The 60-m high belfry, Enn's landmark, stands in the centre of the great town square. From here, visitors can enjoy a superb panorama which, on a clear day, stretches to the Pre-Alps.

Enns

Enns, Museum Lauriacum

Founded in 1892, the Museum Lauriacum, the third-oldest museum in Upper Austria, is housed in the former town hall of the city of Enns. 
The diversity of Roman culture is presented in one of the most significant Romanesque Romanesque collections in the most important military base at Donaulimes in the province of Noricum. The monumental building inscription of the legacy camp Lauriacum, the military equipment, the memorial monuments, the numerous testimonies of Roman everyday life and the unique frescoed ceilings are among the numerous exhibits. 

Enns, Museum Lauriacum

Enns, Museum Lauraticum

Linz

In 2016, the European Capital of Culture 2009 invites its visitors to discover Linz as a contemporary city that looks to the future. The aim of Linz Tourismus is to enable guests to experience the UNESCO City of Media Arts with all their senses. An impetus for internationalisation that is a great opportunity for the Danube city. That’s why the tourist board has also decided to make the theme of media arts the focus for tourism in the Creative City for 2016. Linz is a symbiosis as a city of industry, culture and nature, and an international, contemporary Creative City – surrounded by stunning natural landscapes. The city’s designation as a UNESCO City of Media Arts shows that Linz, together with Lyon, Sapporo, Tel Aviv and Dakar, is one of the world’s most future-orientated locations. In addition to pioneering technology and visionary media arts, the city offers a variety of historical and cultural highlights, as well as culinary delights.

Linz

Pöstlingberg

For more than 110 years, the Pöstlingbergbahn (Pöstlingberg Railway) has been fascinating visitors from all over the world with its remarkable and idyllic route. The new Pöstlingbergbahn has established a direct connection between the Hauptplatz of Linz and the Pöstlingberg. Get on a train and enjoy a ride up to the hilltop overlooking Linz. The low-floor design of the new carriages makes the Pöstlingbergbahn easy and comfortable to use. For nostalgia fans, rides in revitalised old carriages are offered subject to availability. At the end of the journey you will enjoy a striking view over Linz or you can change trains and let the Grottenbahn take you to a world of dwarves and fairy tales.

Pöstlingbergbahn