The Zillertal region is well-known for its organic cuisine and award-winning dairy products, but it also offers an extensive network of scenic bike trails that will have you working up an appetite.
It?s all about being active
Anyone who has ever had the chance to bike in the fresh mountain air of the Zillertal knows that there are few better places in the world to be on two wheels. The impressive natural backdrop and well-developed route and trail network offers choices for both a family bike excursion to steeper and more adrenaline-raising challenges for the professional rider.
Over 800km of signposted mountainbike bike routes invite you to experience the unmistakable mountain panorama of the Zillertal, with its 55 peaks over 3000m, from the saddle. Choose between athletic bike tours covering up to a total of 30,000 vertical metres, and regenerative fitness tours, in combination with convenient bike transport provided by the mountain railways or the Zillertalbahn.
Several popular alpine roads are also a main attraction for racing cyclists ? the Zillertal High-Altitude Road, the roads of the side valleys of Zillertal and, as a test of fitness, the crossing of the Gerlos Pass to Salzburg. For families, the wide, sunny valley floor is available as a quiet cycle path. And, if one needs some incentive to get off the bike, the region has more than 130 chalets that heartily invite holidaymakers to enjoy the delicious natural products of the Zillertal.
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Singletrail Wiesenalm RideAble Project
The Zillertal Arena has just expanded to include another attraction! Whether you?re a part-time mountainbiker with a taste for adventure, or an experienced pro, the all-new Singletrail Wiesenalm RideAble Project offers excitement at its very finest. The 5.2km-long trail?s design not only means it?s perfect for sports-mad beginners, but also that it offers a whole new experience for bikers already familiar with the setting. The trail?s numerous serpentines, northshore elements and pumps demands that riders show off their skill levels and overall conditioning from start to finish. After making a gentle ascent on the Rosenalmbahn lift and getting off at the middle station, bikers start down the easy/moderately difficult Singletrail, riding through mainly forested terrain over an altitude? change of 700m, before finally arriving at the bottom station on the Rosenalmbahn. The trail features cable cars specially fitted-out to accommodate bikes, and a bike wash station, while the team from Intersport Strasser offers comprehensive care, including special bike rental and servicing, just a few steps from the bottom station on the Rosenalmbahn lift.
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Culinary highlights on the mountain and in the valley
After a day on the bike, it?s time to enjoy the culinary highlights of the Zillertal. It?s not just on the mountain, but also in the centres of gourmet dining in the valley where the traditional gastronomy of the Zillertal is being given a contemporary twist, evolving into new creations of modern, light cuisine using the natural products of the Zillertal Valley such as cheese made from pure pasture milk, and sausage and bacon from the village butcher.
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A wonderful meal at one of the many award-winning restaurants in the valley is the perfect way to wrap up an action-packed day in the Zillertal. In Hochf?gen, 2005 Austrian Chef of the Year, Alexander Fankhauser, indulges his guests with his creations. The Restaurant Alexander now enjoys a 3 Gault-Millau ?hat? status and a 17-point rating, along with its one star in the Guide Michelin, firmly establishing it as a shining jewel amongst top Austrian restaurants. Other fine restaurants in the valley similarly place great value on top organic quality and maximum product freshness. Restaurant Sieghard in Hippach, the Landgasthof Linde in Stumm, and the Restaurant Metzgerwirt in Uderns are drawing much visitor attention for their creative menus and dedication to their craft.
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For more information: Austrian National Tourist Office, Martina Jamnig Tel: +44-20 74403840, email: [email protected], newsroom-uk.austria.info,?Follow us on Twitter: @Austria_UK
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