On arrival in Salzburg make your way to your hotel. After check-in you’re free to explore the city of Mozart. As well as being the great composer’s birthplace, Salzburg has plenty to offer. You shouldn’t miss the imposing Hohensalzburg Castle and Mirabell Palace, but we also highly recommend simply sitting in a traditional café and enjoying a coffee and indulgent pastry whilst absorbing the atmosphere of this lovely old town.

Your first day’s cycling leads you south, out of the city and along the beautiful Salzach Valley. The wide green valley is bordered by towering peaks and dotted with pretty alpine towns and villages. The riverside cycle path is charming and the scenery sublime. Stop to admire the thundering waterfall at Golling before riding through the narrow Salzach Canyon with its steep pine-clad flanks. As the valley widens once more you’ll see the 900 year old Hohenwerfen Castle sitting high on its own hill above the village of Werfen. Nearby you will also find the largest ice cave in the world and we highly recommend a visit (more info eisriesenwelt.at ). Your first day of riding ends in the ski resort town St. Johann im Pongau.

You continue your journey south on the riverside cycle path today. Just after St. Johann im Pongau you may wish to make a small detour to the impressive Liechtensteinklamm, a deep and narrow gorge through which a wooden walk-way has been constructed for safe viewing. A little further on you bid the Salzach River ‘auf wiedersehen‘ and turn into the picturesque Gastein Valley. Near the end of the valley you arrive in the beautiful spa town of Badgastein with a natural waterfall tumbling through its centre. A couple of kilometres further, at the top of the valley, you arrive in the hamlet of Böckstein and here you board a train for the 11 minute journey through the Tauern Tunnel to Mallnitz (Train journey not included, payable locally). You are now on the sunny side of the Alps, having just passed under the backbone of the famous mountain range, and you’ll spend the night in the charming alpine village of Mallnitz, deep in the Hohe Tauern National Park.

Today’s gentle descent along the serene Möll Valley is a truly unforgettable experience. Charming villages, towering granite peaks, sparkling mountain streams and vivid green meadows create picturesque scenes that will live long in the memory. As you’re slowly going downhill the riding is easy so there’s nothing to distract you from enjoying the incredible views all around. In the village of Kolbnitz you may wish to take a break and ascend to 1200m on the cogwheel railway for some lovely views across the valley. You'll stop for the night in the adjacent villages of Mühldorf or Sachsenburg.

More easy cycling today as you follow the Drau River on it’s gentle descent towards Villach. You’ll pass through the bustling town of Spital an der Drau and here you might like to make a short detour to enjoy the serene views over nearby Lake Millstatt – also perfect for a swim if the weather is suitable. Your goal today is the large town of Villach, located at the meeting point of four valleys. The weather tends to come from the south here and you may notice a distinctly Mediterranean feel to the place. Enjoy a stroll through the lovely old-town centre or, if you’re still feeling active, head to nearby Lake Ossiach for more cycling, a walk or even a swim.

Today’s route follows the River Gail south-west from Villach. You then cross the border into Italy for a brief spell, where you may be tempted to stop for some italian delights such as a cappuccino or gelato, before heading eastwards along the Romana Valley. After about 10 km you cross the border into Slovenia and once again the alpine scenery takes centre-stage with cathedral-like granite spires rising up above thick pine forested hillsides. The sparsely populated valley is peaceful and you’re riding on a wonderful traffic-free cycle path. You’ll stop for the night in the alpine resort of Kranjska Gora, a bustling little place in a beautiful setting. Popular with skiers in the winter months, the town also attracts summer thrill seekers too, offering an exhilarating high-speed zip line on the town’s ski-jump as well as tandem paragliding and a free-fall wind-tunnel. You may be pleased to hear there are also more sedate activities available such as some excellent walking trails in the surrounding mountains.

From Kranjska Gora the route follows the Sava Dolinka River southwards to join the Sava Bohinjka where it becomes teh Sava River. At Mojstrana, you leave the Sava Valley and follow a quiet, shaded lane up over a low ridge and into the magically remote Radovna Valley. Riding through this valley feels like you have stepped back in time as the only man-made object, in the unadulterated natural beauty, is the cycle path itself. At the end of the valley you reach Lake Bled and the sight is a fitting finale to such a scenic cycling holiday. The stunning glacial lake, surrounded by mountains with the tiny island church seeming to float on its surface has to be one of the most picturesque sights in the whole of the alps. Let one of the boatmen row you out to the church if you like but our top tip is to hike the steep trail at the south western edge of the lake to enjoy the view shown in the adjacent photograph. You should also visit the castle on the bluff overlooking the lake for more spectacular views before finding a nice restaurant in Bled to celebrate completing your Salzburg to Lake Bled Cycling holiday.

After breakfast it’s time to head for home or your next adventure.