Sonnhof Alpendorf has a lot to offer MTB and e-bike fans.
Cycling in the mountains can be exhausting, but anyone who has ever discovered the mountain world of the Salzburg Alps on a bike knows that the mountains give back the lost energy at the latest at the summit. The feeling of triumph, the breathtaking panorama and the prospect of a long downhill are too good. For others, speed is more important than altitude. They find the best conditions in the Pongau valleys with their winding, low-traffic mountain roads.
Freeriders & downhillers in the new bike park in Wagrain. There is nothing here in the Pongau that you can’t find in terms of biking.
Sankt Johann Alpendorf is an interesting destination for your biking holiday in Austria. The village is located directly on the Tauern Cycle Path, one of the most beautiful cycling routes in Austria. With a length of approx. 300 km, it leads from Krimml via Sankt Johann and Salzburg to Passau. The Alpe-Adria Cycle Path, which starts in the city of Salzburg, leads through the Salzach and Gastein valleys to Carinthia and ends in Grado, Italy, also passes through Sankt Johann Alpendorf. Apart from these sounding names, there are 26 signposted cycling tours in the immediate vicinity for both pleasure cyclists and competitive athletes. In the wider area there are a further 236 MTB tours, for each of which GPS map material is available via www.outdooractive.com.
Our personal favourites
The Salzburger Land and the Pongau region are a biker’s paradise. There are numerous bike tours – we present the best and most beautiful ones here. You can find more tours and descriptions as well as GPS map material on the interactive map of “outdooractive.com”.
After the short descent to St. Johann, follow the Wagrainerstrasse until you reach the turnoff towards the Ginau quarry. This asphalt road, which later turns into a gravel road, you follow in the direction of Hochgründeck where you can stop at the Heinrich Kiener Haus. You will be rewarded with a unique view.
Just before the hotel you follow the road to the Kreistenalm. From there you continue via the Buchaubauern to the Wagrainerstraße. (Attention the Buchau Gipfelbahn is not correctly marked in the map and runs further west). Along the Wagrainerstraße the route leads to St. Johann back to the Alpendorf.
Along the Salzach you cycle on the cycle path to Mitterberghütten from where the demanding tour leads on the Mühlbacherhöhe via the Roslalm to the Kinderalm. If you still feel like it at the Roslalm, follow the forest road in the direction of the Kinderalm (a silent monastery). In a sharp bend to the right, the bike has to be pushed a few meters along a steeper forest road before reaching the next forest road. From there the route runs past the Kinderalm to St. Veit and then along the Salzach back to St. Johann where the short climb to the Alpendorf awaits.
From Alpendorf you go via St. Johann to the Hahnbaum to the Vogei Hütt’n. Passing farms, pasture meadows and hay barns, the ascent leads along asphalt roads and gravel forest roads. The view over the Salzach valley and the Hochkönig mountain is wonderful. Once at the top, you can enjoy a cool drink or a Brettljause at the Vogei Hütt’n. You can enjoy the descent back to St. Johann on an asphalt road.
Popular e-bike tours in the region
Thanks to the now mature e-bike technology, everyone can nowadays master challenging bike tours and bike routes without difficulty. Guests with hip or knee problems sometimes find it more fun to conquer the world of mountains and alpine huts by e-bike rather than on foot. E-bikes can be rented directly at the Sonnhof by appointment for a fee. Further e-bike tours and descriptions can be found on the page of the TVB Sankt Johann Alpendorf
Steadily uphill from the hotel, you first head towards Sternhof on an asphalt road. Once there, you continue in the direction of Kreistenalm, driving on a forest road until the end of the tour from this point on. Past the alpine pasture it goes further up the mountain over the Gernkogel, until you come to the turquoise blue bubbling mountain lake. On the way back you can take a break at the Obergassalm, where you should enjoy a snack with a view of the Heukareck and the Salzach valley.
From the hotel we first go downhill to St. Johann, from there we go up to our local mountain, the Hahnbaum. Asphalt and forest road alternate on this tour. At the top you will be rewarded with a magnificent view over the Salzach valley and the Vogei Hütt’n (MO day off) will spoil you with local delicacies.
You ride downhill until you reach the Salzach/Tauernradweg. This meanders evenly along the Salzach to Schwarzach. In Schwarzach you turn left at the church into the “Putzen Graben”. This road leads to St. Veit. In the village, turn right up the mountain, where you come to a forest road on which you can cycle to the Meislsteinalm (closed Mon and Tue) (tip: walk 20 min to the Hirtenkapelle). After a refreshment at the Meislsteinalm, continue the loop down the mountain until you reach the Böndelsee, which is an excellent place to take a dip in the cool water. The tour leads you further around the Buchberg to Goldegg, past the castle and further to St. Veit until you come out again at the beginning of the road “Putzen Graben”.
From Sonnhof, head towards Sankt Johann and take the first entrance towards Liechtensteinklamm. Along the Salzach you go to Schwarzach, over the Putzengraben to the Goldegg district of Weng. Along the beautiful country road it goes to the Böndelsee. Here is the biggest climb those at the end back to the Alpendorf.
This tour runs along the Tauern Cycle Path directly along the Salzach River in the direction of Bischofshofen. The only longer climb is on the last kilometers back to Alpendorf.
+ 3 to 5 nights
+ Sonnhof culinary (half board)
+ up to 3 guided e-bike tours incl. rental (always Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays)
+ tiptop e-bike routes with GPS on outdooractive
+ Partial body massage (25 minutes) per person
