A Road biker’s paradise in Kufsteinerland, Austria
Quiet roads, great climbs and beautiful descents. What else could you want from a cycling holiday trip?
Normally, I spend a week in early spring training in Mallorca. However, this year, I wanted to try something new. With tips from our partners at Roadbike-Holidays, I decided to try out the Kufsteinerland region, in the Austrian Alps. Roadbike-Holidays also set me up with the POSTwirt hotel in Ebbs, where I spent three nights. The rest of my time was spent in the saddle, with four days of great riding!
The hotel
My first impression of the POSTwirt hotel was very good. The entire building feels comfortable and the value placed on wellness is apparent. Cycling brochures and info about the surrounding area as well as their rental Road, MTB and E-bike options were easy to find and check out.
They also offer bike storage for those who bring their own, and my bike was taken well care of. Their bicycle facilities offer all the tools needed and is extremely secure. Everything here is made for cyclists to come back from a beautiful tour to relax in the sauna and enjoy top quality food. Even professional cyclists like Peter Sagan, have been to this wonderful hotel.
Tyrol and the Chiemgau: Road bike heaven
Whenever I have spent time in the Alps, I’ve always been a big fan of larger cols, but most of the time it was difficult to get out of the valleys to do see something else. In Tyrol this is very different. There are great flat rides that take you into the Chiemgau as well as epic cols to suck every last bit of energy out of you. The Kufsteinerland is not only a cyclist’s paradise, but hikers and families have plenty to do here as well. Especially, when the weather is bad, it is easy to enjoy the many other outings there are in the area.
The hotel was great at giving me tips on what routes to ride.
Tour 1: Around the Kaiser Mountains - 102 km / 875 vertical metres
A great route to get the holiday started, riding around the Kaiser Mountains offers beautiful landscapes and quiet roads. The distance and vertical metres are also the perfect way to get warmed for more rides in the days to come.
Tour 2: Chiemgau round trip - 168 km / 1480 vertical metres
This tour took me through the Chiemgau alpine foothills and around the Chiemsee and back to Ebbs. It is a very hilly tour that requires a lot of muscle, but hey that’s why we take bike holidays. Of course, after every climb there is a rewarding descent on great asphalt to keep things rolling.
Tour 3: Lake Tegernsee route - 128 km / 1750 vertical metres
You might not believe it when looking at the amount of kilometres, but this ride is a pure mountain stage. The entire day is spent riding up hills and bombing back down them. There’s only one way to handle this tour and that is to pedal!
Tour 4: Back to the Chiemgau - 73 km / 750 hm
Because of the last two tours, I decided to pick a route that is known for its beauty and less for its athletic requirements and boy was I happy I did. However, there are a few 18 % climbs that will still get your heart pumping. With a few beautiful lakes along the way, this is the perfect way to get some memorable pictures.
Tour 5: Up to the Kitzbüheler Horn
The hotel owner told me that I had to ride the Horn, and I still had one day left so why not?! The view on top the Horn is really amazing, but getting up there requires some effort. There was a 7 km section that was a 13 % climb the entire way, which proved to be hard to overcome. However, when you get to the top, every bit of the climbs was worth it. The way down is also a real highlight.
I’ll be back!
My time in the POSTwirt hotel was fantastic. They met all my needs and more! The helpful tip on which tours to take and how I should enjoy the region where priceless.
One can do everything from base training to hard mountain stages!
The entire Kufsteinerland is unbelievably beautiful with quiet roads, polite drivers and great people. It is easy to tell that this area is pro-cyclist and I will definitely be back to discover more!
