Directions to Bicycle from Salzburg, to Munich, Innsbruck Austria and Germany

All routes: From Salzburg, Austria to Prien a Chiemsee, Germany via Berchtesgaden: 102 kilometers. Train connection in Prien, or continue. 2 nights (or more) in Salzburg; 2 nights (or more) in Berechtesgaden; 2 nights on the Chiemsee at one or a combination of Chieming, Seebruck or Prien.

In Salzburg, one tourist office is at the train station, another at Mozart Platz (place) one block from the river below the fort and near the cathedral. The tourist office distributes a free regional bicycle map.

There are two good routes out of Salzburg towards Berchtesgaden: The shortest one is to cross west from the old city through the pedestrian-biking tunnel in the hillside just north of the Festspielhaus (Festival Playhouse). You emerge to a bike lane by the sidewalk; the road turns slightly right (do not turn sharply right). Continue to the second (?) stoplight, and turn left on Moonstrasse (bike lane). Follow this straight for several kilometers until you eventually cross the autobahn superhighway. Take the next left and follow into Grödigl. Now, bearing right, follow signs to St. Leonhard. You will intersect highway B160, where you turn right. With a very short exception, a sidewalk bike way or a wide shoulder "bikelane" goes all the way to Berchtesgaden, about 27 kilometers from Salburg.

The other route follows a bike path along the west bank of the Salzach river south from Salzburg. Just after crossing over the autoroute(before a little stream) turn right on a road near the stream. Cross highway B159 and continue to St. Leonhard. Turn left on B160, and continue as above to Berchtesgaden.

The Berchtesgaden Tourist Office provides an excellent map of the area, and is very helpful in finding lodgings.

There are two possible general routes from Berchtesgaden to the Chiemsee: The first, via highway 305 and 306 direct to Siegsdorf is more hilly, and runs through narrow mountain valleys. It bypasses several interesting areas, and is not shown as being good for cycling by the ADFC map.

The second route follows highway B20. If you are starting from the center of Berchtesgaden, you can just continue on Mazimilian Strasse, which later joins B20.

When the bicycle lanes end along the highway, you sometimes have the choice of taking detours on side roads or riding on the main highway. At one point the bike lane angles off to the right behind a small lake. At the first Y you bear right (the left branch goes to the house) and ride on gravel and dirt roads through the forest; although slower, this was very pleasant. When you emerge from the woods, on a paved bicycle path alongside the road, as you ride down hill you will come to a Y in the path. The left branch is for Bad Reichenhall, the right one for Gmain (and Marzoll?). Even though it is slightly longer, the left branch into Bad Richenhall passes through the scenic town, while the right branch leads to a maze of unmarked roads where you can not help but get badly lost.

You curve to the Northeast, along a lake and the Saalach river. You cross this on a bridge, following something called the Saalinen-Radweg, there are signs with "Salz" as their major label as far is Traunstein. If you should become lost along the river, ask cyclists for directions to Pidding.

From Pidding, ride to Anger, to near Teisendorf, and then via Wolf and Lauter to Traunstein. Some of the riding is on gravel paths, and some in over rolling hills, but unless time is a key element, you will find these byways much more rewarding than the highway.

From Traunstein, all the main bike routes all follow the south shore of the Chiemsee. To be sure, this is substantially the shortest way, and it is entirely on bicycle paths, but the author rode, and suggests you ride, the northern shore, for three reasons: You don't ride beside the Autobahn expressway; you pass through several charming towns; and you have wonderful views of the lake framed by the Alps in the background. If you do decide to ride the northern shore, proceed west from Traunstein on minor roads to Chieming, or if time is short, via Nussdorf to Seebruck. You can choose, then, to follow either the lakeside gravel bike path, or the adjacent road bearing light to moderate traffic.

Continuation from Prien am Chiemsee

To Munich (München in German) Direct, 81 kilometers. 1 night or more in Munich.

If you are riding directly back to Munich, from the northwest corner of the Chiemsee lake ride due north to Höslwang, and then turn west-north-west towards Munich on minor roads and bike paths.

To the Innsbruck, Austria via the Inn river: 112 kilometers 1 night along the Inn River in Kufstein, Wörgl, Rattenberg (or elsewhere), Austria; 1 night or more in Innsbruck.

Or to Bad Tölz: 76 kilometers, train connection to Munich, or continue. 1 or 2 nights at Schliersee, Tegernsee and/or Bad Tölz

From Prien, ride straight west, past the rail station. Then turn left, and ride in rolling terrain in the back country to Umrathshausen. Do not make any turns off the main road, despite cycle signs pointing to various routes. When the road ends in the valley, just above the Autobahn expressway, turn left and in 4 or 5 kilometers pass under the Autobahn to Frasdorf. You bear right and then stay straight through town. You don't Y off to the right. You come to a bicycle path along the Autobahn which is always descending and very smooth. Follow signs for the "Bodensee Konigssee Radweg" (bicycle path) At Rohrdorf the BK Radweg follow back roads to Neubeuern.

For Innsbruck, Austria Just before the Inn river bridge, turn left on the unpaved "Inn Radweg" (Inn Bicycle Path path). Follow this, on gravel and paved sections, until Innsbruck.

For Bad Tölz, Cross the Inn River on the bridge, continuing to fall signs for the BK Radweg on minor roads. If you lose the marked bike route, from Bad Feifnbach follow signs for "Au". If you miss the route crossing again, from Au take the road which gradually climbs from town to the west towards Niklasreuth (highway 814??). You will pick up the BK Radweg again. After Fischbachau, you ride on minor roads, then can choose between the Radweg (which follows dirt roads) or the main road To Schliersee, Gmund am Tegernsee, and Bad Tölz.

 

Continuation from Bad Tölz

To Munich (München): about 60 kilometers to the main train station

Cross the bridge from Bad Tölz over the Isar River, and turn right through the riverside park. Continue northward, choosing between the Isar Bicycle Path and the secondary road. In either case, at the east-west tiny canal just before Wolfratshausen, you must cross the canal, turn right along it, and then in the forest, turn left to reach the bridge to the east bank of the Isar. (You could choose to follow minor roads on the West bank if you have a specific reason for doing so.

At one point the paved path leaves the river, and on a slow-going dirt road you make a switchback in the forest. From the map it appears you can bypass this section by staying on the road, which may be much faster. After this, you emerge from the rough road to a hard-pack road on the ridge above the Isar river, and enter Munich's suburbs. You may again choose between unpaved bicycle path or take the much faster main road, not very busy, near the tracks in Harlaching, still near the Isar River. After you pass under two railroad tracks, you should definitely get on the bike path along the river, which is now paved and very pleasant. Ask directions for the Munich "Hauptbahnhof" (main railway station) if you think you have gone too far. Most people will speak some English.

After passing under another railroad bridge, take the next left at the Wittelsbacher Bridge over the Isar, and follow this road, which veers to the right, to the main railway station (The road often changes its name: Kapuziner Strasse, Herzog-Heinrich Strasse, Kaiser-Ludwig-Platz, Paul-Heyse Strasse. When you come to the bridge in central Munich under the rail tracks, the station entrance is a block to your right. Ask for help, if needed, from other cyclists or pedestrians.

Continuation west from Bad Tölz

(The author has not ridden this part of the itinerary, but visited much of the area previously by car.)

To Eschenlohe: 43 kilometers, train connections to Munich or Augsburg or Innsbruck or Italy, or continue.

Follow the Bodensee-Königssee Radweg to Eschenlohe.

Continuation from Eschenlohe

Follow the Bodensee-Königssee Bicycle Route westwards. If coming from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, you may choose to pass on minor roads through Ettal and Oberammergau, back to the BK route, or even to pass by Mad King Ludwig's Linderhof Castle (highway 23) and into Austria, before riding back to Füssen. On the BK Route, before the town of Oberreithe, it can be a very nice detour to follow the Könglich-bayerische Radtour (and the Romantische Strasse bike route) north for about 5 kilometers to see the historic Wies church, before returning to the main route.

Continuation from Füssen

A. To Lindau am Bodensee: 120 kilometers, train connections in Lindau to Munich, Ülm, Stuttgart, Strasbourg, France, and Zurich, Switzerland (in route to Lindau there are also connections at Immenstadt i.Allgäu.) 1 night in Immenstadt or elsewhere; 1 night in Lindau.

Follow the Bodensee-Königssee Route along minor roads and bike paths. Enjoy your long descent into the Bodensee valley.

Follow this Site link to continue cycling along the Bodensee and along the Rhine River to Basel, Switzerland and Alsace, France.

B over the Fernpass and Rechen pass to Italy. Shuttles are available. It is a very beautiful and ineresting itinerary. Complete information is available at this link: (click safely even if not private.)

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