Salzburg Alpine circuit over Mountain pass Thurn

Route details

134 km long Tour from Salzburg through the Bavarian Alpine foothills via St. Johann in Tirol and the Mountain pass Thurn to Lake Zell. The Route leads through two countries and offers a varied mix of main roads and mountain passes.

The Tour starts in the city of Salzburg and first leads southwest on the German side through the Bavarian Berchtesgadener Land. Near Bad Reichenhall, the route passes the Kibling dam on Lake Saalach, a dam built between 1910 and 1913 to generate electricity for the railroad and dam the Saalach to Lake Saalach. The dam, which is up to 13 meters high and 130 meters long, is a technical monument in the middle of a charming river landscape.

From there, the route continues into Austria, through the Salzburger Saalachtal valley towards St. Johann in Tirol. The route runs along well-maintained main roads with a moderate number of bends. St. Johann itself lies at the foot of the Wilder Kaiser and offers good opportunities for a break.

The cycling core of the Tour is the Mountain pass Thurn, which connects Tyrol with the Salzburger Land. With a summit height of 1,274 meters, it is one of the lower Alpine passes and is accessible all year round. The pass road is part of the B161 and, as an important traffic connection, has been expanded accordingly - with three lanes in places. The maximum gradient is 10 percent with 5 Hairpins over a length of 28 kilometers. The rhythm of the bends is even and smooth and the route is clearly laid out. The historic Pass Thurn vacation hotel is located at the summit of the mountain pass, with its tavern rights dating back to the 13th century. The view of the Hohe Tauern and the main Alpine ridge is clearly visible from here.

The descent towards Mittersill offers a more dynamic rhythm of bends in the lower section. In Mittersill, the 900-year-old Mittersill Castle, which is run as a Hotel, is enthroned on a spur 140 meters above the town.

The Tour ends at Lake Zell at an altitude of 750 meters. The lake is nestled between the Schmittenhöhe and the Hundstein and is a popular starting point for other Alpine tours, such as the Grossglockner High Alpine Road.

The road surface is good throughout, but a little dated in places on the Pass road. Traffic is to be expected on the Mountain pass Thurn due to its function as the main connection - cars, coaches and seasonal tourist traffic are typical. The Tour is suitable for riders of all experience levels and offers a solid beginner's tour of the Alps.