01 - Overview
The Hintergebirgsweg (R9) follows the former Waldbahn Reichraming forest railway for around 36 kilometres through the roadless Reichraminger Hintergebirge in the Nationalpark Kalkalpen - eleven rideable tunnels, a karst gorge, and the one and only food stop for many kilometres. Riding the full route from Reichraming over the Mooshöhe (~849 m) to Unterlaussa calls for a gravel or mountain bike, lights for the tunnels, provisions for the day, and a taste for genuine wilderness.
The former narrow-gauge Waldbahn Reichraming opened up the Reichraminger Hintergebirge for timber transport until its closure in 1971; today its embankment is the cycle route, leading deep into the Nationalpark Kalkalpen. The route starts in Reichraming in the Ennstal, at the national park visitor centre right on the Ennsradweg R7, and follows the Großer Bach upstream: easy gravel on the old railway bed, the first tunnels appearing within a few kilometres. The Große Klause, a historic timber-float dam, marks the end of the family-suitable section; beyond it stands the Klaushütte (a foresters hut from 1758, open May to October Wednesday to Sunday), the only place to eat on the entire route. From the Klaushütte the terrain turns wild: the Große Schlucht squeezes through a karst gate, the Schleierfall waterfall thunders from the walls, and one tunnel follows the next. Deep in the Hintergebirge lies Weißwasser, an abandoned bauxite-mining settlement in operation until 1964 - nothing but ruins in the forest today. The final section brings the steepest climb of the trip, over the Mooshöhe (~849 m), before dropping into the Laussatal to Unterlaussa, where the R9 meets the Nationalpark-Kalkalpen-Radweg R31 and the Ennsradweg R7. Official route distances vary by scope from roughly 29 to 49 km depending on which access arms are included; our measured main spine comes to 36 km. No mobile signal in the karst interior, no food after the Klaushütte, two bivouac spots (Weißwasser, Steyrsteg). The national park shuttle bus with a bike trailer makes the classic one-way variant possible: ride up, then coast back down through tunnels and gorge to Reichraming.
- Regions
- Upper Austria
- Start
- Reichraming
- Finish
- Unterlaussa
- Surface
- Paved · Gravel
- Network
- Regional
- Best season
- May - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Road-bike friendly
- Partly · Mixed surfacewell documented
68 % comfortably ridable, but a 3.3 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.
02 - Stages
3 stages · 36 km
01Reichraming - KlaushütteReichraming · Große Klause · Klaushütte12 km
Starting at the national park visitor centre in Reichraming, right on the Ennsradweg R7. The route follows the Großer Bach up the valley into the Hintergebirge on the former Waldbahn trackbed: a wide, steady path with a gentle gradient and the first tunnels appearing early on. Toward the end of this section the Große Klause comes into view, a massive historic timber-float dam - the last timber-float here took place in 1937. This lower section to the Klaushütte is the only part suited to a family outing or a relaxed out-and-back. The Klaushütte (a foresters hut recorded since 1758) at the stage end is the one and only food stop on the entire tour, open May to October, Wednesday to Sunday.
- Ascent
- 248 m
- Descent
- 60 m
- Duration
- approx. 1.5 h
- Surface
- Gravel on old railway bed; paved through Reichraming village
Surface (measured): paved
02Klaushütte - WeißwasserKlaushütte · Große Schlucht · Schleierfall · Weißwasser12 km
Beyond the Klaushütte the wildest stretch of the Hintergebirgsweg begins. The path pushes through the Große Schlucht, a tight karst gorge where the Schleierfall waterfall drops from the cliff walls. The majority of the eleven rideable tunnels are concentrated here - lights are essential, and the longest tunnel runs about 339 metres. No food, no drinking water, no mobile signal: anyone venturing this way must be self-sufficient. At the end of the stage lies Weißwasser, a former mining settlement in the middle of the forest; bauxite was extracted here until 1964, leaving only ruins behind. Two bivouac spots at Weißwasser and Steyrsteg offer basic shelter.
- Ascent
- 518 m
- Descent
- 66 m
- Duration
- approx. 2 h
- Surface
- Gravel and natural track, former forest railway; narrow and rough through the gorge
Surface (measured): gravel 84 % · fine gravel 16 %
03Weißwasser - UnterlaussaWeißwasser · Mooshöhe · Unterlaussa12 km
The final stage is the most technically demanding. From Weißwasser a short, steep ramp climbs to the Mooshöhe (~849 m), the high point and the only significant pass on the route; the bulk of the climbing, though, lies back in the gorge section before it. At the top a wide view opens across the Reichraminger Hintergebirge, then a long descent drops into the Laussatal to Unterlaussa. Here the Hintergebirgsweg joins the Nationalpark-Kalkalpen-Radweg R31 and connects onward to the Ennsradweg R7, making it straightforward to combine the full crossing with train and bus for a loop day.
- Ascent
- 164 m
- Descent
- 758 m
- Duration
- approx. 1.75 h
- Surface
- Gravel and natural track; short steep pull to the Mooshöhe, then a long descent
Surface (measured): paved
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 36 km. Ascent 930 m, descent 884 m. Lowest point 356 m, highest point 780 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
- Nationalpark Kalkalpen (founded 1997, largest wilderness forest in Austria, UNESCO beech forest World Heritage)
- Reichraminger Hintergebirge (roadless karst wilderness with 180 km of near-natural streams)
- Waldbahn Reichraming (former 760-mm narrow-gauge forest railway, closed in 1971, its trackbed is the cycle route)
- Große Klause (historic timber-float dam, last timber-float in 1937)
- Klaushütte (foresters hut recorded since 1758, only food stop on the route)
- Große Schlucht, Schleierfall waterfall and the 11 rideable tunnels (longest ~339 m)
- Weißwasser (abandoned bauxite-mining settlement, operational until 1964, ruins only today)
- Nationalpark visitor centre Ennstal (gateway to Nationalpark Kalkalpen, on the Ennsradweg R7)
Services along the route
- Bike service / e-bikeCycle shops and e-bike rental in Reichraming and Großraming in the Ennstal, right on the Ennsradweg. No facilities of any kind in the Hintergebirge itself.
- Food and drinkThe Klaushütte (around km 12, open May to October Wednesday to Sunday) is the only food stop. No inn or shop from there to Unterlaussa. Bring enough provisions from Reichraming.
- Drinking waterFill up in Reichraming before setting off. No reliable water source in the Hintergebirge except the Butterbrunnen (around km 28 per geodata). Carry water for the full distance.
- EquipmentLights for the tunnels (essential!), gravel or mountain bike recommended, spare tube and tools. No mobile signal in the karst interior. Two bivouac spots (Weißwasser, Steyrsteg) for emergency shelter.
Service points along the route
- Drinking water4
- Repair station2
- Bike rental1
- Charging station2
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
The Reichramingbach valley in the Nationalpark Kalkalpen, the northern gateway into the Hintergebirge.Photo: Reichramingbach-Tal · Leonhard Lenz · CC0 1.0 A karst gorge on the Reichramingbach in the Reichraminger Hintergebirge, near the Große Klause.Photo: Karstklamm nahe der Großen Klause · Haneburger · Public Domain A former forest-railway tunnel on the Hintergebirgsweg trackbed - one of eleven rideable tunnels.Photo: Waldbahn-Tunnel auf der Trasse · Tigerente · CC BY 4.0 The former Waldbahn trackbed, now the gravel cycle path through the Reichraminger Hintergebirge.Photo: Ehemalige Waldbahntrasse · Haneburger · Public Domain
06 - Public transit
- ÖBB Rudolfsbahn (St. Valentin - Kleinreifling)The Rudolfsbahn stops at Reichraming and Großraming in the Ennstal with passenger trains (bicycle carriage requires a reservation). Reichraming is right on the Ennsradweg R7 and is the most convenient starting point for the Hintergebirgsweg.
- Nationalpark hiking shuttle with bike trailer (seasonal)The Nationalpark Kalkalpen shuttle runs seasonally and carries bicycles on a trailer. This makes the classic one-way option possible: ride the shuttle into the Hintergebirge, then coast the ~30 km downhill through tunnels and gorge back to Reichraming. Check current timetables and booking at kalkalpen.at.
- Connections at the southern end (Unterlaussa)At Unterlaussa the R9 meets the Nationalpark-Kalkalpen-Radweg R31 and the Ennsradweg R7. Bus links into the Ennstal (Molln, Großraming) allow a return loop; check connections at oebb.at in advance.
The national park cycling season runs from 15 April to 31 October; riding is permitted only during daylight (no earlier than 2 hours after sunrise, no later than 1 hour before sunset). On certain sections forestry timber transport may be active on weekdays - check in advance with the Bundesforste or at kalkalpen.at.
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.