Styrian saddle tour

Ysper (Drei Hacken) - Ybbs - Puchenstuben - Terz - Mürzsteg - Semmering - Payerbach - Roh am Gebirge - Kalte Kuchl - Kirchber / Pielach - St. Leonhard - Ysper (Drei Hacken)

This time we need to get a good night's sleep, as we have 340 kilometres and 5,800 metres of climbing to tackle - not to mention the countless bends.

From the Drei Hacken we take the B36 towards the Danube, but soon turn right onto the L7278 and get used to the winding road. Via Wieselburg and Purgstall we take the B25 to Neustift. Here we turn left onto the B28 and the first highlight awaits us.

The approach to Styria is practically a 25 km long bend. Tip: We should stop shortly after Wastl am Wald at the Ötscherblick car park and enjoy the view of Lower Austria's local mountain.

At the junction with the B20, turn left towards Annaberg, then take the first right towards Schmelz and continue until just before Ulreichsberg. Here we leave the L101 to the right in the direction of Hubertussee, where we treat ourselves to a cappuccino. After a little refreshment, we continue through the Rechengraben on a small road to the B21 - here we turn left through the Halltal valley to Terz.

In Terz, we turn right onto the B23 over the Lahnsattel to Prein an der Mürz. We briefly interrupt the following winding road through the Mürz valley at the tunnel and visit the Toten Weib natural monument (at the tunnel exit, turn left 200 metres back onto the old road). We enjoy the following ride along the Mürz and the villages of Mürzsteg, Krampen and Neuberg an der Mürz to Kapellen and from here it really gets down to business. The ascent to the Preiner Gscheid awaits us.

A short break at the car park and then it's downhill, bend after bend, into Prein. The next highlight awaits at the Kräuterwirt - we take the small road on the right to Semmering and ride through the picturesque Adlitzgräben ditches, through viaducts and past rugged rocky outcrops to the turn-of-the-century spa town and admire the old villas and the reopened Panhans "Das Haus" on Semmering.

We leave the romantic spa town on the L4167 through a narrow valley and keep to the right, up to Klamm, round the Kreuzberg and swing down to Payerbach. From Payerbach, turn left to Reichenau an der Rax and from here continue on the B27.

After the valley station, it's one ride after another.

First 15 km through the valley of hell - also called Hölltal - then left into Klostertal towards Gutenstein, at the junction with the B21 we keep left towards Rohr am Gebirge. We reach the Kalte Kuchl via the Rohrersattel. We stop off at the bikers' pub and enjoy the marvellous view.

The next challenge is the Ochssattel. After a few kilometres of bends, we take the old L5211 down to Hohenberg and via Innerfahrafeld to Freiland, then left at Schrambach via the wonderful L5217 to Tradigist.

Shortly after Kirchberg, the Luft awaits us, a former mountain race track, now unfortunately restricted to motorbikes with a speed limit of 70 km/h, but on a weekday it can be travelled a little faster.

Then we head towards Yspertal (Drei Hacken) at cruising speed. We've really earned our cool blonde today and the scenery was also a highlight.

Intermediate destinations:

Totes Weib - a waterfall designated as a natural monument

Semmering - in the 19th century a popular climatic health resort for Viennese high society

Kalte Kuchl - the Viennese bikers' meeting place between Rohrer and Ochssattel

Refreshment tips:

Buchtelwirtin at the Hubertusee (Buchteln)

Hotel Panhans am Semmering

Kalte Kuchl (curd cheese strudel)

Photo stops:

Car park at Wastl with Ötscher view

Lake Hubertus

Totes Weib

Hölltal valley

Cross Mountain

Ysper (Drei Hacken) - Ybbs - Puchenstuben - Terz - Mürzsteg - Semmering - Payerbach - Roh am Gebirge - Kalte Kuchl - Kirchber / Pielach - St. Leonhard - Ysper (Drei Hacken)

This time we need to get a good night's sleep, as we have 340 kilometres and 5,800 metres of climbing to contend with - not to mention the countless bends.

From the Drei Hacken we take the B36 towards the Danube, but soon turn right onto the L7278 and get used to the winding road. Via Wieselburg and Purgstall we take the B25 to Neustift. Here we turn left onto the B28 and the first highlight awaits us.

The approach to Styria is practically a 25 km long bend. Tip: We should stop shortly after Wastl am Wald at the Ötscherblick car park and enjoy the view of Lower Austria's local mountain.

At the junction with the B20, turn left towards Annaberg, then take the first right towards Schmelz and continue until just before Ulreichsberg. Here we leave the L101 to the right in the direction of Hubertussee, where we treat ourselves to a cappuccino. After a little refreshment, we continue through the Rechengraben on a small road to the B21 - here we turn left through the Halltal valley to Terz.

In Terz, we turn right onto the B23 over the Lahnsattel to Prein an der Mürz. We briefly interrupt the following winding road through the Mürz valley at the tunnel and visit the Toten Weib natural monument (at the tunnel exit, turn left 200 metres back onto the old road). We enjoy the following ride along the Mürz and the villages of Mürzsteg, Krampen and Neuberg an der Mürz to Kapellen and from here it really gets down to business. The ascent to the Preiner Gscheid awaits us.

A short break at the car park and then it's downhill, bend after bend, into Prein. The next highlight awaits at the Kräuterwirt - we take the small road on the right to Semmering and ride through the picturesque Adlitzgräben ditches, through viaducts and past rugged rocky outcrops to the turn-of-the-century spa town and admire the old villas and the reopened Panhans "Das Haus" on Semmering.

We leave the romantic spa town on the L4167 through a narrow valley and keep to the right, up to Klamm, round the Kreuzberg and swing down to Payerbach. From Payerbach, turn left to Reichenau an der Rax and from here continue on the B27.

After the valley station, it's one ride after another.

First 15 km through the Valley of Hell - also known as Hölltal - then left into Klostertal towards Gutenstein, at the junction with the B21 we keep left towards Rohr am Gebirge. We reach the Kalte Kuchl via the Rohrersattel. We stop off at the bikers' pub and enjoy the marvellous view.

The next challenge is the Ochssattel. After a few kilometres of bends, we take the old L5211 down to Hohenberg and via Innerfahrafeld to Freiland, then left at Schrambach via the wonderful L5217 to Tradigist.

Shortly after Kirchberg, the Luft awaits us, a former mountain race track, now unfortunately restricted to motorbikes with a speed limit of 70 km/h, but on a weekday it can be travelled a little faster.

Then we head towards Yspertal (Drei Hacken) at cruising speed. We've really earned our cool blonde today and the scenery was also a highlight.

Intermediate destinations:

Totes Weib - a waterfall designated as a natural monument

Semmering - in the 19th century a popular climatic health resort for Viennese high society

Kalte Kuchl - the bikers' meeting place for the Viennese between Rohrer and Ochssattel

Refreshment tips:

Buchtelwirtin at the Hubertusee (Buchteln)

Hotel Panhans am Semmering

Kalte Kuchl (curd cheese strudel)

Photo stops:

Car park at Wastl with Ötscher view

Lake Hubertus

Totes Weib

Hölltal valley

Cross Mountain