01 - Overview
The Tauern Cycle Path rolls down from the Krimml Falls, the highest in Austria, for almost 310 kilometres along the Salzach through the Pinzgau, Pongau and Tennengau to Salzburg, then on along the Salzach and Inn to the three-rivers city of Passau - predominantly downhill and largely paved, one of the most popular family cycle routes in the Alps.
From the roar of the Krimml Falls at around 1,070 metres the route heads steadily downhill: first through the broad Oberpinzgau at the foot of the Hohe Tauern National Park, then past Zell am See, through the gorges of the Pongau and beneath the castle of Hohenwerfen into the Tennengau. At Salzburg the path swaps the mountains for the city of Mozart with its baroque old town, before rolling north along the Salzach on the Bavarian border - past the Silent Night chapel in Oberndorf and the mighty castle of Burghausen. On the final section it follows the wide Inn to the headland at Passau, where the Inn, Danube and Ilz meet and the Danube Cycle Path (EuroVelo 6) takes over. Because it runs gently downhill almost the whole way on largely paved surfaces, the Tauern Cycle Path is a relaxed leisure and family route; the high-alpine stages up in the Pinzgau are best ridden from May to October.
- Regions
- Salzburg · Tyrol
- Start
- Krimml
- Finish
- Passau
- Surface
- Paved · Compacted · Fine gravel
- Network
- Regional
- Best season
- May - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Families
- well suited
- Road-bike friendly
- Partly · Mixed surfacewell documented
93 % comfortably ridable, but a 5.5 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.
02 - Stages
5 stages · 307 km
01Krimml - Zell am SeeNeukirchen · Mittersill · Uttendorf · Bruck64 km
The opening at the Krimml Falls: from around 1,070 metres the path rolls down through the Oberpinzgau at the foot of the Hohe Tauern National Park, past the national-park centre in Mittersill to the Zeller See. Gently downhill with glacier views - an easy, scenic start.
- Ascent
- 179 m
- Descent
- 455 m
- Duration
- 4-5 h
- Surface
- Paved · short gravel sections
Surface (measured): paved
02Zell am See - BischofshofenBruck · Taxenbach · Lend · St. Johann52 km
The Salzach cuts deeper into the valley: via Bruck and Taxenbach with the wild Kitzlochklamm gorge, through Lend and Schwarzach to St. Johann and Bischofshofen in the Pongau. Mostly paved and still pleasantly downhill.
- Ascent
- 239 m
- Descent
- 439 m
- Duration
- 3.5-4 h
- Surface
- Paved
Surface (measured): paved
03Bischofshofen - SalzburgWerfen · Golling · Hallein · Puch54 km
The most scenery-packed section: beneath the castle of Hohenwerfen, past the Golling waterfall and the salt mines of Hallein, then through the Tennengau into the baroque city of Mozart, Salzburg. Flat to gently rolling and fully paved.
- Ascent
- 247 m
- Descent
- 377 m
- Duration
- 3.5-4.5 h
- Surface
- Paved
Surface (measured): paved 81 % · gravel 10 % · fine gravel 9 %
04Salzburg - BurghausenOberndorf · Laufen · Tittmoning62 km
From Salzburg the route follows the Salzach north along the Bavarian-Austrian border - past the Silent Night chapel in Oberndorf and medieval Tittmoning to the castle of Burghausen, the longest castle complex in the world. Quiet riverside paths with barely a climb.
- Ascent
- 247 m
- Descent
- 331 m
- Duration
- 4-5 h
- Surface
- Paved
Surface (measured): paved 79 % · fine gravel 21 %
05Burghausen - PassauMarktl · Braunau · Schärding · Wernstein75 km
The wide Inn takes over: largely flat through Marktl, Braunau and baroque Schärding to the headland at Passau, where the Inn, Danube and Ilz converge. Here the Tauern Cycle Path ends and the Danube Cycle Path (EuroVelo 6) begins - the relaxed, level finale of the tour.
- Ascent
- 224 m
- Descent
- 282 m
- Duration
- 5-6 h
- Surface
- Paved
Surface (measured): paved 48 % · fine gravel 43 % · gravel 9 %
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 307 km. Ascent 1136 m, descent 1884 m. Lowest point 307 m, highest point 1065 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
- Krimml Waterfalls
- Hohe Tauern National Park Centre
- Kitzlochklamm Gorge
- Hohenwerfen Castle
- Golling Waterfall
- Celtic Museum & Salt Mines
- Old Town & Hohensalzburg Fortress
- Silent Night Chapel
- Burghausen Castle
- Three Rivers Corner
Services along the route
- Bett+BikeCyclist-friendly hosts along the Salzach and Inn
- Luggage transferStage-by-stage luggage transfer from many operators
- E-bikeRental and charging points in Mittersill, Zell am See and Salzburg
- Bike serviceWorkshops in Zell am See, Bischofshofen and Salzburg
- Refreshment stopsDrinking fountains and inns right by the river
Service points along the route
- Drinking water183
- Repair station42
- Bike shop55
- Bike rental11
- Charging station260
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
Paved Tauernradweg with a cyclist and a small bridge near Bischofshofen in the PongauPhoto: Tauernradweg path with cyclist near Bischofshofen · Eweht · CC BY-SA 4.0 The Tauernradweg path near Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße towards MittersillPhoto: Tauernradweg near Bruck heading towards Mittersill · Eweht · CC BY-SA 4.0 The Tauernradweg bridge crossing the Fischach near MuntiglPhoto: Tauernradweg bridge over the Fischach near Muntigl · Renardo la vulpo · CC BY-SA 4.0
06 - Public transit
- Pinzgauer LokalbahnZell am See - Mittersill, bikes carried with reservation (about €4 per direction)
- ÖBBMainline trains to Zell am See, Bischofshofen and Salzburg; bikes with reservation
- Salzburg S-BahnSalzburg - Golling and the surrounds, bikes carried
- Rail Schärding/Braunau - PassauÖBB/DB in the Inn valley, bikes carried subject to space
- Passau rail hubConnects to the Danube Cycle Path / EuroVelo 6
As of summer 2026 the Mittersill-Krimml section of the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn is still closed; the replacement buses carry bikes only in exceptional cases. Riders starting in Krimml should plan rail travel as far as Mittersill or Zell am See and cover the remaining stretch under their own steam.
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 (5)
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.