The greatest Alpine cycle routes
When cyclists are asked about their most memorable cycling trips, almost all those who have undertaken Alpine crossings name them first. It’s true that if you look at their itineraries, you’ll come across breathtaking panoramas, protected natural areas, old villages and sumptuous lakes and rivers. For all these reasons, we would like to introduce you to the most beautiful Alpine crossings by bike, which we are also proud to have in our bikeline catalogue.
Alpe Adria
Start: Salzburg
Destination: Grado
Length: 414 km
Countries crossed: Austria and Italy
Elevation: ↗️ 1,528 m ↘️ 1,951 m
Overview of the route and cycling guide
Breathtaking scenery awaits you on this cycle route through the Alps to the Adriatic coast. This cycling trip through Austria and Italy offers the chance to immerse yourself in different linguistic and cultural worlds on a well-developed 400km cycle route. You leave the city of Mozart via the Salzach valley and its verdant mountain pastures. Next comes the Gastein valley, with the town of Bad Gastein as its highest point, in the truest sense of the word. We then board a train used to seeing cyclists, to return to the high mountain landscapes of the Drava valley, passing by some remarkable lakes. After the Gail valley, you arrive in Italy and cycle along an old railway line overlooking the wild and rugged Val Canale valley. You follow the Tagliamento and Cormor rivers, pass through Udine and cross the plain to reach the former fishing village of Grado, now a popular seaside resort.
Via Claudia Augusta
Start: Donauwörth
Destination: Venice or Ostiglia
Length: 800 km
Countries crossed: Germany, Austria and Italy
Elevation: ↗️ 5,380 m ↘️ 6,173 m
Overview of the route and cycling guide
The ancient Roman road links the Danube to the Adriatic, starting in Bavaria, crossing Tyrol, Trentino-Alto Adige and finally Veneto to reach Venice or Ostiglia on the banks of the Po.
It is an unforgettable journey through the Alps, taking in breathtaking scenery and discovering regions of Germany, Austria and Italy.
Following in the footsteps of the Roman generals Drusus and Tiberius, you’ll pass through such beautiful towns as Donauwörth on the beautiful blue Danube, Augsburg, the town of the Fuggers, Füssen in the Königswinkel, Imst and Landeck in the Austrian Tyrol, and Merano, Bolzano, Trento, Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet, and finally Venice in Italy.
Munich-Venice
Start: Munich
Destination: Venice
Length: 967 km
Countries crossed: Germany, Austria and Italy
Elevation: ↗️ 6,502 m ↘️ 7,086 m
Overview of the route and cycling guide
A route that links two world-famous cities across the Alps. Breathtaking scenery and a wealth of architectural, cultural and gastronomic diversity await you along the way.
Leaving Munich, you can either follow the Isar or pass the foot of Lake Tegernsee to reach the border between Germany and Austria near the Achen Pass. After skirting the shores of the fjord-like Achensee lake, you reach Tyrol and the Inn valley before crossing the main ridge of the Alps from Innsbruck via the Brenner pass. You descend the Eisack valley along an old railway line, before returning to the picturesque Pustertal valley at Franzensfeste. This is followed by the Dolomites and the peaceful Piavetal valley with its wild river. After crossing the Fadalto Pass, you arrive on the Venetian plain, passing through fields, meadows and beautiful towns such as Vittorio Veneto, Conegliano and Treviso before finishing your journey in Venice.
Adriabike
Start: Tarvisio
Destination: Ravenna
Length: 1,000 km
Countries crossed: Italy and Slovenia
Elevation: ↗️ 2,665 m ↘️ 3,405 m
Overview of the route and cycling guide
The journey starts in the Julian Alps from Tarvisio, offering breathtaking panoramic views of Slovenia’s highest mountain, Triglav, sparkling blue mountain lakes, waterfalls and original rock formations. Then comes the Adriatic coast, with its many historic sites, steep cliffs, islands, lagoons and beaches. The route passes through Trieste, Venice and Padua, and ends in Ravenna.
Other cycle routes in the Alps
Our cycling guides are very complete (with unrivalled accuracy), but most of them are only available in German. To make them easier to use, here you’ll find the map legends and the user manual in English.
Austria
Drava cycle route: 508 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Enns cycle route: 264 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Adige cycle route: 340 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Carinthian lake loop: 416 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Inn cycle path : 560 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Isar cycle route: 280 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Mozart cycle path: 436 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Mur cycle route: 470 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Salzkammergut cycle route: 308 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Salt and lakes tour: 140 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Slow Bike Tour (loop): 153,5 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Tauern cycle path : 321 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
France
Lake Geneva Loop: 192 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
ViaRhôna (starts in the Alps): 720 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Germany
Allgäu cycle route: 184 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Allgäu loop: 628 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
King Ludwig II of Bavaria castles loop (Schlossparkradrunde) : 219 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Ammer and Amper cycle route: 200 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Lake Constance-Königssee cycle route: 460 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Iller cycle route: 147 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Inn cycle path: 560 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Isar cycle route: 280 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Lech cycle route: 260 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Loisach cycle route: 141 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Mozart cycle path: 436 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Romantic road (Romantische Straße): 497 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Upper Bavaria water cycle paths: 985 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Wertach cycle route: 118 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Italy
Drava cycle route: 508 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Adige cycle route: 340 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Alto Adige cycle route: 276 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Slovenia
Drava cycle route: 508 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Switzerland
Aare cycle route: 315 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Inn cycle path: 560 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Rhine cycle route: 429 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Rhone cycle route: 332 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
Lake Geneva loop: 192 km ⇒ Overview of the route and cycling guide
And what about hiking?
Do you also like hiking? Our Hikeline collection includes 4 guides to hiking in the Alps: the Lechweg, the Via Valtellina, the Via Claudia Augusta and the romantic road (Romantische Straße), as well as a book presenting 50 long-distance hiking routes.
Enjoy your trip!
Picture: Marko – stock.adobe.com / redesigned with Canva