Fast-paced trails with technical passages and jumps, challenging tours, and a comprehensive MTB infrastructure: Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel in the Zell am See-Kaprun region, Salzburg County, Austria, offer mountain and e-bikers plenty of action on varied trails and routes in a magnificent alpine to high alpine landscape. And it gets even better: you can combine all tours with comfortable panoramic cable car rides– you can always take your bike into the cabin for free!
If you love downhill biking, you can take one of the cable cars to the Alpincenter on the Kitzsteinhorn at 2,450 meters or to the Maiskogel at 1,570 meters. From there, MTB trails lead down into the valley. Mountain bikers who prefer to pedal uphill can choose between several routes, which they can tackle with pure muscle power, assisted by an electric motor, or combined with panoramic cable car rides. However, this unique natural area on the border of the Hohe Tauern National Park always offers exciting alpine landscapes of different vegetation zones from the valley to the high mountains.
For downhill fans: the MTB Trails
Depending on snow conditions, three trails for experienced mountain bikers are open on the Kitzsteinhorn from mid-June to mid-September, leading over a total of 11.8 kilometers and 2,005 vertical meters from high alpine terrain into the valley. The Geissstein Trail (3.4 km, 492 m difference in altitude), Wüstlau Trail (6.5 km, 1,100 m difference in altitude), and Bachler Trail (1.9 km, 413 m difference in altitude) require excellent bike control, high technical riding skills and appropriate equipment. On the nearby Maiskogel, the Maiskogel Trail (3.7 km, 381 m) offers the perfect terrain for families and beginners in particular.
For uphill bikers: Bike tours from Kaprun to the tree line – and beyond
During the bike tours on the Kitzsteinhorn and Maiskogel, you can experience a breathtaking change of scenery: the fields and meadows in the valley after the start at the Kaprun Center are followed by colorful deciduous forests as well as flowering pastures and alpine meadows until you reach the barren and rocky terrain above the tree line on the Kitzsteinhorn. The cable car network makes it easy to combine the tours with chilled panoramic rides. From the challenging Kitzsteinhorn Uphill (24.9 km, 2,179 m uphill), which leads to the Gletscherjet 3/4 middle station at 2,616 m, to the moderately difficult Maiskogel tour (19.5 km, 880 m uphill) and the moderately difficult 3K K-onnection tour (10.4 km, 732 m uphill), there is something for everyone. E-bikers will find charging stations at the MK Maiskogelbahn mountain station on the Maiskogel (1,570 m) and the Gletscherjet 2 mountain station on the Kitzsteinhorn (2,450 m).
For everybody: Trail Workshops & Wash Points
In addition to the free bike transportation in the cable cars, Kaprun is well prepared for mountain bikers in other ways as well. On the Trail Tuesday, held every Tuesday from the beginning of July to the beginning of September, professionals introduce interested bikers to the best downhill techniques for more fun and safety when riding on the MTB trails. At the Kids Bike Day every Monday from the beginning of July to the beginning of September, children from the age of eight learn the basics of trail riding in a fun way. Workshops are offered for beginners and advanced riders.
If you want to return home with a clean bike, use the Wash Points at the Kitzsteinhorn valley station and Langwied or the Kaprun Center and the Stanger station (MK Maiskogelbahn middle station).
Further information at https://www.kitzsteinhorn.at/en/summer/kitzsteinhorn/mountainbike