01 - Overview
The Glockner-Möll Valley Cycle Path (R8) runs for some 77 kilometres from Heiligenblut, at the foot of the Großglockner, down through the Möll valley to the Drava. From around 1,300 metres the route descends steadily through the Hohe Tauern National Park - past former gold-mining villages, gorges and the Tauern railway - to Möllbrücke, where it joins the Drava Cycle Path.
Heiligenblut, with its steep-gabled pilgrimage church set against the Großglockner, is the alpine starting point - and the end of the Großglockner High Alpine Road. From around 1,300 metres the R8 follows the young Möll downstream: through the former gold-mining village of Großkirchheim and Mörtschach, and from Putschall onward mostly on its own cycle paths away from the main road. At Winklern, with its medieval toll tower, the valley opens up; via Rangersdorf, Stall and Flattach - the gateway to the Ragga Gorge and the Mölltal Glacier - you reach Obervellach, whose main square recalls the heyday of gold mining, beside the wild Groppenstein Gorge. Past the legend-shrouded Danielsberg, the Rottau reservoir and the bathing pond at Mühldorf, the route finally rolls into Möllbrücke, where the Möll joins the Drava and the R8 becomes the Drava Cycle Path, continuing towards Spittal an der Drau. Predominantly paved, with near-natural gravel sections in the upper valley; downhill throughout and therefore manageable even without much training.
- Regions
- Carinthia
- Start
- Heiligenblut
- Finish
- Möllbrücke
- Surface
- Paved · Compacted
- Network
- Regional
- Best season
- May - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Road-bike friendly
- Partly · Mixed surfacewell documented
96 % comfortably ridable, but a 1.9 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.
02 - Stages
3 stages · 77 km
01Heiligenblut - WinklernGroßkirchheim · Mörtschach · Putschall23 km
An alpine start: from Heiligenblut (around 1,300 m), with its pilgrimage church and views of the Großglockner, steadily downhill through the upper Möll valley, past the former gold-mining village of Großkirchheim. From Putschall the route mostly runs on its own cycle paths away from the main road to Winklern.
- Ascent
- 75 m
- Descent
- 509 m
- Duration
- 1.5-2 h
- Surface
- Asphalt with near-natural gravel sections
Surface (measured): paved 74 % · fine gravel 15 % · gravel 11 %
02Winklern - ObervellachRangersdorf · Stall · Flattach33 km
The longest leg, through the broad middle valley: via Rangersdorf, Stall and Flattach, the gateway to the Ragga Gorge and the Mölltal Glacier. Gently falling, you reach Obervellach with its historic main square, the Groppenstein Gorge and its Tauern-railway station.
- Ascent
- 248 m
- Descent
- 446 m
- Duration
- 2.5-3 h
- Surface
- Mostly asphalt, a few gravel stretches
Surface (measured): paved
03Obervellach - MöllbrückeKolbnitz · Mühldorf21 km
The lower Möll valley: past the legend-shrouded Danielsberg and the Rottau reservoir near Kolbnitz, along the bathing pond at Mühldorf and on to Möllbrücke. Here the Möll joins the Drava - and the R8 joins the Drava Cycle Path towards Spittal an der Drau.
- Ascent
- 175 m
- Descent
- 287 m
- Duration
- 1.5 h
- Surface
- Mostly asphalt, dedicated cycle paths
Surface (measured): paved 81 % · fine gravel 19 %
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 77 km. Ascent 498 m, descent 1242 m. Lowest point 557 m, highest point 1301 m.
Elevation from OSM geometry + Digital Terrain Model (DGM) Austria (10 m).
Hover the profile to see the point on the map - and vice versa.
04 - POIs & Services
- St Vincent pilgrimage church with Glockner view
- Großglockner High Alpine Road (ascent)
- Gold-mining village & Großkirchheim Castle
- Toll tower & tower museum
- Ragga Gorge
- Mölltal Glacier (side trip)
- Historic main square & Groppenstein Gorge
- Danielsberg & Rottau reservoir
Services along the route
- Möll Valley cycle busSummer bike bus Möllbrücke-Heiligenblut carrying bicycles - ideal for the uphill leg or the return
- One-way rentalBike and e-bike rental with drop-off at another station along the Möll valley
- E-bikeCharging points at inns and rental stations throughout the valley
- Bike serviceWorkshops in Obervellach and, at the valley end, in Spittal an der Drau
- Bett+BikeCyclist-friendly hosts across the Hohe Tauern National Park region in Carinthia
Service points along the route
- Drinking water21
- Repair station2
- Bike shop1
- Charging station9
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
Wooden bridge of cycle path R8 crossing the Möll near Mühldorf on the eastern stretch of the route.Photo: Wooden bridge and cycle path R8 over the Möll near Mühldorf · Naturpuur · CC BY 4.0 Niederfalkenstein Castle near Obervellach in front of the Tauern railway viaduct in the Möll valley.Photo: Burg Niederfalkenstein with the Tauernbahn viaduct near Obervellach · Johann Jaritz · CC BY-SA 3.0 AT Groppenstein Castle above Obervellach in the Möll valley, passed by the route.Photo: Burg Groppenstein above Obervellach · Joadl · CC BY-SA 3.0 AT
06 - Public transit
- Tauern railwayÖBB stop Mallnitz-Obervellach with bike carriage; the middle of the valley runs right along the line
- Spittal-Millstättersee rail hubReached at the valley end via the Drava Cycle Path; connections towards Villach, Salzburg and Klagenfurt
- Möll Valley cycle busSummer bike bus along the R8 between Möllbrücke and Heiligenblut
- Mallnitz car-trainCar shuttle Mallnitz-Böckstein through the Tauern - the Möll valley's rail link to the north
The natural direction is the descent Heiligenblut → Möllbrücke; the Möll Valley cycle bus (summer) and, from Spittal an der Drau, the train serve arrival and return. Heiligenblut itself has no railway station (connect by bus from Spittal or Lienz). Note: the Großglockner High Alpine Road is a tolled pass road, not a cycle path - the R8 stays in the valley.
07 - GPX & TCX download
Download for GPS devices & apps
Clean track with elevation - imports as a single tour, compatible with Komoot, Garmin, Wahoo, Strava, RideWithGPS, OsmAnd.
Download stages individually (3)
Route derived from OpenStreetMap geometry - may differ slightly from on-the-ground signage. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0) · Elevation © DGM Austria (CC BY 3.0 AT). Redistribute with attribution.