Ride to the Sound of Music Berchtesgaden to Salzburg
Few mountain bike destinations in the Alps offer such an enchanting ambience of pastoral valleys, alpine meadows and significant historical sights along with a superb network of easy and epic bike trails. Add to this the scenery of one of the premier national parks in the Alps and the incredible panorama of Mount ‘Watzmann’ with its legendary 2,000 m (6,500 foot) East Face.
We have timed the dates for this tour to coincide with Munich’s Oktoberfest. Opt for this sporty tour as an alternative to just an ordinary trip by car or coach to Salzburg or Berchtesgaden. So come and enjoy the pleasures of Austrian-Bavarian hospitality in both bike shorts and ‘lederhosen’ on the same trip.
A word of caution: The format and fun of this exciting 3-day tour has been shown to raise interest in our longer rides across the Alps.
| Quick Facts | Ride to the 'Sound of Music' |
| Tour Length | 3 days |
| Days of Riding | 3 days |
| Tour Rating |  |
| 2006 Tour Dates | 27 - 29 September 2006 |
| Tour Price |
€ 495.- (taxes + rental bikes included; add € 495.- for single supplement) |
| Tour meeting point | Berchtesgaden Central Station (one-hour train ride from Munich) |
| Tour starting point | Berchtesgaden, Germany |
| Tour destination | Salzburg, Austria (one hour train ride from Munich) |
| Countries visited | Germany, Austria |
| Max. # of participants | 6 riders in two groups plus 1 guide |
| Min. # of participants | 3 riders in one group plus 1 guide |
| Total vertical | 2,400 m - 3,500 m / 8,000 ft. - 11,500 ft. (depending on group fitness) |
| Total distance | 100 - 150 km / 62 - 90 miles |
| Services included | 2 x accommodation, breakfast & dinner, 3 lunches; all fees & gratuities for 3rd-party services; accredited & multi-lingual guide(s);applicable transportation needs such as cable cars. |
| Additional info. avail. | comprehensive e-itinerary (tour prep. guide) upon your booking |
TRANSALP RIDERS offers the ‘Sound of Music’ ride as an invigorating, no-hassle alternative to conventional travel options in the popular Salzburg area. Why should you have to pass on mountain biking when visiting the world-famous sights - especially in such a rugged mountain setting? Knobby tires allow us to move around efficiently, avoid the tourist traps and enjoy the best vistas off-the-beaten-path.
This mountain bike tour focuses on visiting the most significant sights ‘through the backdoor’ while taking advantage of the exquisite trails between them. If still in doubt on what to expect, read through the abbreviated itinerary:
| Day | 'Sound of Music: stage itinerary |
| 1 | meet us in Berchtesgaden at the train station for a brief trip orientation and first explanations of sights and culture. We’ll head out of town and warm up spinning through rolling terrain. An invigorating ascent through beech – fir forests ends on a high alpine plateau, offering fantastic panoramic views of the famous Koenigssee and the breathtaking mountain setting to the south. We enjoy a hearty lunch at a traditional mountain inn and eventually descend into Berchtesgaden after the crowds of day tourists down low have left. After checking into our comfortable country-inn, we pay a relaxing visit to the hot-spring-fed thermal pool - prior to a sumptuous and much-earned dinner. |
| 2 | well rested, we ride to Obersalzberg, the humbling outdoor – indoor museum of the infamous Nazi bunker facilities above Berchtesgaden. We continue on to the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s Tea House perched high and precipitously on a rock outcrop. We are rewarded for the steep ascent with an technically challenging downhill and a panoramic border crossing via the Cock’s Comb into Austria. We spend the night in a wonderful country inn, high above the pastoral meadows of the Salzach River – a setting right out of the ‘Sound-of-Music’. |
| 3 | an early start allows a relaxed warm-up through a picturesque landscape of pastoral meadows, small farming hamlets and treed groves. We continue to drop elevation en route to the gardens of Hellbrunn Palace, our first but not last visit of a stage location in the movie ‘Sound of Music’. Upon arrival in Salzburg we make sure to take in Mozarts’ birthhouse, the Getreidegasse, the Citadel on Monk’s Hill for a city panorama, the ancient university campus, the picture-perfect gardens of Mirabell Castle and ‘grab a java’ one of the ‘turn-of-the-century’ coffee houses – all in all, an exhilarating program which you would not be able to pack in on foot or by coach. |
This tour itinerary is for guidance only. Forces of nature, trail closures or extraordinary opportunities may compel us to change the program at short notice for the sake of your safety, comfort and satisfaction. Our Transalp rides are de facto mountaineering endeavors and require some flexibility on your part.