BICYCLING IN AUSTRIA
On the Donauradweg (Danube Bike Path) approaching Tulln in Lower Austria. Although it doesn't look like it here, the Donauradweg is the Autobahn or Interstate Highway of bike paths. The only place you will find more cyclists in the US is at organized rides like RAGBRAI or GOBA. You'll see fully loaded tourists, roadies, day trippers, school groups on an expedition, friends heading to a radlertreff (literally "bicyclist's meeting place" - actually a snack bar or restaurant along a bike path), and little old ladies going to the store.(2004)
Donauradweg crossing the Danube on a hydro-electric power plant near Steyregg in Upper Austria. For most of the way in Austria, the Danube has paved bike paths on both sides of the river. Periodically, you can switch sides via power plant dams like this, bike ferries, and regular bridges. (2004)
Transitioning from the Donauradweg to a bridge across the Danube in Vienna. (2004)
Innradweg (Inn River Bike Path) at Passau, Germany. The Innradweg follows the course of the Inn River which begins by flowing southeastward from the St. Moritz area of Switzerland, flows eastward through the Tyrol province of Austria, turns north into Germany at Kufstein, turns east again until meeting the Austrian border again at the confluence of the Salzach River north of Salzburg, and finally turns north again until empting into the Danube at Passau. The confluence with the Danube is just around the corner in this picture. (2004).
Most of the rivers in Austria, along which bike routes are found, begin high in the Alps and drop dramatically for a short distance. Then they flow through a relatively high, flat, approximately mile wide valley that can accommodate railroad, highway, and bike path. But sooner or latter, it enters a gorge that forces the bike route high above the valley floor (next picture). Not long afterwards, the valley opens up again and the bike path drops back down; but there are still mountains on both sides. Gradually, the mountains become smaller and farther away, until you find yourself riding along a very flat levee.
We have just made a short, steep climb on the Innradweg out of the Inn river valley near Karas in Tyrol. After rolling through the forest for about 8 miles, we had a long gradual downhill back to the Inn and the next picture. (2001)
Bike bridge over the Inn River along the Innradweg near Ötztal Bahnhof in western Tyrol. (2003)
On the levee along the Innradweg in Bavaria, Germany, just north of the Austrian border at Kuftstein. The first time in two weeks our view didn't have high mountains in the background. (2001)
Early morning along the Ennsradweg (Enns Bike Path) east of Radstadt in Salzburg Province. The Ennsradweg follows the Enns River which begins in the Alps just south of Flachau in Salzburg province, flows eastward through northern Steiermark, turns north and forms the boundary between Upper and Lower Austria, and eventually flows into the Danube at the city of Enns. The Dachstein Alps are seen in the background (2000, 2003)
Along the Ybbstalradweg (Ybbs Valley Bike Route). It follows the Ybbs river which makes a wide arc from Lunz am See, through the Alpine foothills to the Danube. Despite the fact that it runs from the Alps to the Danube, the elevation change going upstream was almost imperceptible. (2004)
Crossing the Ybbs River on the Ybbstalradweg near Göstling an der Ybbs in Lower Austria.(2004)
Issarradweg near Freising, Germany. The Issarradweg follows the Issar River from the Bavarian Alps via Munich to the Danube at Plattling. (2004)
Along the Drauradweg (Drau Bike Path) in Südtirol (South Tyrol), the German speaking section of Italy. The Drauradweg begins in Italy and runs through the Austrian provinces of East Tyrol and Kärten (Carinthia) to the Slovenian border. (1999)
Tauernradweg - along the Salzach River south of Salzburg near Bishofshofen. The Tauerenradweg runs from the Krimml waterfall at the source of the Salzach River, past Salzburg, to Passau, where it connects with the Donauradweg. (2000)
Rheintalradweg (Rhine Valley Bike Path) on the Swiss side looking toward Lichtenstein. The principality of Lichtenstein is about 20 miles long and 5 miles wide. The western half, which is along the Rhine, is flat with nice bike routes. I didn't try the other half. (2003)
Salzkammergut Radweg - looking across Wolfgangsee (lake) to St. Wolfgang. The Salzkammergut Radweg is a network of bike paths and country roads connecting many of the lakes in the Salzkammergut region east of Salzburg. (2002)
Zillertalradweg (Ziller Valley Bike Path) in Tirol. The Zillertalradweg runs south from the Inn at Strass im Zillertal near Jenbach up to Mayerhofen. The lead bike is towing the rear bike because the latter's chain is kaputt. (2001)
Passing through Pfaffenschlag on the Ötscherlandweg at the high point between the Ybbs and Erlauf river valleys in Lower Austria. (2004)
Murradweg - along the Mur River in the Lungau district of Salzburg Province. The Murradweg runs from the Stickler Hütte (an Alpine hut) near the source of the Mur River in the Lungau region of Salzburg province, past Leoben and Graz, the capital of Steiermark, to Bad Radkersburg in the far southeast corner of the country on the Slovenian border. (2002)
In the Reichramminger Hintergeberge (a mountain range) in Upper Austria. The bike path was formerly a logging railroad and has 20 tunnels in 11 miles. Several long ones were illuminated by motion sensitive, solar powered lights. (2000)
St. Florian Radweg on a side road near St. Florian in Upper Austria. Town of St. Florian and St. Florian Augustinian Monastery are in background. (2004)
The previous picture demonstrates the difference between Austria and the US. There you have town, farms, town, farms, etc. Here you have town, franchise road town, ugly tin shed and cinder block businesses, abandoned houses and businesses, McMansions, trailer homes, junk yards, farms, ugly tin shed and cinder block businesses, McMansions, abandoned houses and businesses, trailer homes, junk yards, franchise road town, town, etc.
Bike and pedestrian paths along the Ringstraße, boulevard circling the medieval section of the city of Vienna. (2004)
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