dossier

Austrian Lakes Multisport

Bergrose Hotel ****  Strobl

This a beautiful 30 room hotel based a 5 minute bike ride from the eastern shore of Lake Wolfgangsee on the outskirts of the village of Strobl. It is a traditional building with wooden balconies and Gothic script on the exterior, and is located on a riverbank next to a meadow. It has a lovely secluded garden, and three floors of perfect Austrian wood panelled luxury inside. Rooms here are suites with shower or bath, direct dial phones, satellite television (CNN and BBC), hairdryers. All the rooms are luxuriously decorated with quality pine furniture and comfortable beds.

Further details on the hotel website

Day 1 Arrive in Strobl

We meet you at Salzburg airport and take you to your hotel (1 hours) in Strobl where our rep will go through suggestions for the week with you before dinner .

Day 2  Walk or cycle to St Wolfgang 15km/9mi or 16km/10mi

A very gentle start to the week heading first by the river then along the north shore of the lake to St Wolfgang. Renowned for its beautiful C15 church, this famously pretty village boasts a maze of cobbled streets lined with attractive frescoed houses, shops and café terraces affording superb lake views. Culture and music are very much part of St Wolfgang’s fine tradition, so be sure to explore the boutique craft and chocolate shops! After lunch, perhaps hop on the antique cog railway as it chugs up to the summit of Schafberg (1,782m) for unrivalled Alpine views.

Day 3  Cycle to St Gilgen 28km/17.5mi

Keeping close to Lake Wolfgang’s southern lakeshore, a level cycling track through a tiny nature reserve brings you into lovely St Gilgen where the busy waterfront is filled with restaurants, cafés and attractive frescoed houses. Visit Mozart’s museum (his mother was born here!), or take the cable car up Zwolferhorn for stunning 360o views. Alternatively, try your hand at waterskiing on Lake Wolfgang, have a cooling swim on the beach then, perhaps, enjoy an afternoon of pampering at the hotel’s elegant spa.

Day 4  Cycle to Bad Ischl 26km or walk/ bus 14km/9mi

Freewheeling east this morning through poppy-strewn meadows, you soon arrive in the famous elitist holiday town of Bad Ischl. The late Emperor Franz Joseph was born here – make sure you visit his Kaiservilla – and the spirit of the monarchy remains strong. Lots of restaurants for lunch then, in the afternoon, why not visit the imperial hot spa that comprises salt baths, a 30-32oC outdoor swimming pool, Alhambra baths, steam room, hammam and oriental gardens? Cyclists return to Strobl along the banks of the River Ischl, passing tiny shrines hidden below the Leonsberg and Bleckwand peaks. Walkers simply hop on the local bus!

Day 5 Free day:  Exploring Salzburg

Why not give yourself a break from cycling today and take the local bus (80mins) to Mozart’s fairytale city of Salzburg? Described as a Baroque jewel, and recognised by UNESCO, its idyllic setting – surrounded by the Alps and bisected by the gentle Salzach river – cannot be bettered by any other city in Europe. Take time too to explore its historic heart and you’ll find a wealth of Baroque Palaces, Renaissance gardens, elegant Viennese cafés and the oldest open-air theatre in Europe.

Day 6  Cycle to Lake Nussen 14km/9mi

The cycling route takes you along quiet country lanes and through rural farming hamlets bordered by low Alpine meadows – look out for the neat woodpiles to be used for heating over the winter months. Lunch at the popular Zur Wacht restaurant then head down to beautiful Lake Nussen, a hidden gem completely off the tourist trail –look out for rare orchids scattered round its sun-kissed shore. Lots of time to swim, sunbathe, etc before completing a circular loop back to Strobl.

Day 7  Cycle or walk to Lake Schwarzen 22km/14mi or 14km/9mi

A choice of walking or cycling routes today across the valley and up through the forest towards Lake Schwarzen, perfectly positioned beneath the shadows of the Vormauerstein, Hoheneck and Breiten Berg peaks. Have lunch in one of the restaurants basking in sunshine beneath the snow-capped mountains then a delightful valley descent back to Strobl.

Day 8 Leave Strobl

We take you to Salzburg airport after breakfast. Either catch your flight home or opt to spend some extra nights in this beautiful city.