The Austrian Bike Park in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is known mainly for the fact that it is built with the youngest users in mind. The local routes have repeatedly witnessed the unofficial Downhill Rookies World Championships, as well as the iXS Rookies DH Cup series. We first visited this place in 2018 & now we’re back! What has changed and is it worth coming there?
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis region
Once you’ve entered the gates to the sun terrace of Tyrol, you’ll never want to turn back. With more than 2,000 hours of sunshine per year, a stunning mountain scenery and impressive summits, it’s easy for families and pleasure-seekers to experience their own personal holiday joy in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis.
This is how the region is advertised on its official website and there is a lot of truth in it. This year, however, we did not enjoy the sun too much during our two-day stay, but it did not stop us from exploring the Bike Park and remembering why it is so nice.
The towns themselves are quite far apart. Perfectly located in the middle is Fiss, which is also the closest to the Bike Park & it’s an ideal accommodation base. Serfaus is 40 minutes away on foot and is closed to car traffic. On the other hand, Ladis, the lowest one, is an 1 hour walk in the opposite direction. Like the Livigno region we have described earlier, the tourist offer in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is also aimed at the whole family. Apart from cycling routes, there is plenty to do, and you can read more about local attractions here.
Mountainbiking in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis
When it comes to mountainbiking, we can ride in two ways. The first one is limited to the Bike Park, which offers 9 different trails, while the second option is 8 single trails & scenic paths around the region. This year, we focused only on Bike Park, so when it comes to the description of the singles, we can only say – it’s worth it!
Bikepark trails
1 Milky Way
Blue flow line, length: 3000m
This is the basic trail in the Bike Park that leads from the top to the very bottom. It is the perfect flow line for your first warm-up run or for beginners. In some sections you can gather a lot of speed on it, and you can also jump from less obvious places. Plus, it offers plenty of flow as well as easy jumps and big nice berms.
2 Vuelta
Blue flow line, length: 170m
Vuelta is the shortest line in the entire complex and is basically just a variant of the Milky Way blue trail. At 170 meters, we find several jumps and larger bands, so it can be a perfect training before moving on to the more advanced red trails.
3 Morning Glory
Blue flow line, length: 750m
The Morning Glory trail starts in the second section, where we will also find the start of the Downhill black trail. It leads to the half of the mountain, where we need to choose other way: red trail Strada del Sole or via the gravel road to blue Milky Way. Just like Milky Way, it is a beginner’s flow line with lots of flow, nice berms and some jumps.
11 Strada del Sole
Red flow & jump line, length: 2805m
According to the official description, Strada del Sole contains over 40 jumps. And it is not exaggerated, because you can really fly on this trail. If we add large and perfectly made berms, drops or different options of kickers off some jumps, we get a great jump line where you can spend the whole day and have a smile from ear to ear. This was definitely my favorite trail!
13 Freeride Trail
Red jump line, length: 370m
It is a variant of the Strada del Sole trail and in my opinion it is intended for more advanced riders. We find here a few big jumps, a large wooden wallride or a huge double hip. The trail was still under construction during our stay and I only actually managed to make only few runs at the end of the day. However, if you want to take on a little more challenge than on the Strada del Sole, this option is definitely worth choosing.
12 Supernatural
Red freeride & enduro trail, length: 610m
As the name suggests, Supernatural is a natural trail that will surely appeal to people who like smooth natural singles with a little bit of downhill. The first part is not very demanding and gives only a foretaste of what will be waiting for us on the natural extension, the Supernatural 2.0.
14 Supernatural 2.0
Red freeride & enduro trail, length: 1850m
It is a natural extension and enhancement of the existing Supernatural trail. This is a slightly less demanding version of Hill Bill and we find here a lot of flow, traverses, tight turns, some jumps and countless roots. In the weather we had (rain and mud), just going down through some sections was an interesting challenge.
21 Hill Bill
Black enduro trail, length: 2450m
The black enduro trail will surely provide you a lot of emotions. The entrance to it begins probably from the most famous element in the entire Bike Park, i.e. a drop from the cabin right next to the upper gondola station. The trail itself has the character of a typical enduro single trail, which will certainly test your riding skills on narrow traverses bristling with roots and rocks. In short – something for a true fan of natural enduro trails.
22 Downhill
Black downhill trail, length: 1480m
The only typical downhill trail in Bike Park, which is used for all events and was the arena of the unofficial iXS Downhill Rookies World Championships. It begins in the second section and immediately leads through numerous roots and steep slopes. In the lower part you will find more demanding elements and a few really steep sections, but nevertheless the trail is fully passable even for intermediate riders.
Training & begginer area
At the very end, right next to the lower gondola station, there is a training zone. There’s a pumptrack, airbag jump, short trail for beginners, drops of various sizes and several lines with jumps. A special tape is a great help, thanks to which you do not have to climb with your bike on foot to make a next run.
Bike trails in the region
In addition to the Bike Park, it is also worth to visit local single trails. This year, due to lack of time & bad weather, we must skipped the trails, but it is definitely worth staying one day longer. Officially, there are 8 trailss in the region (1 very easy, 3 easy, 4 medium) and we will certainly not be bored on them.
There are also gravel roads, where you can plan, for example, a all day long bike trip with the family. Of course you can also choose more demanding trails – the choice is yours.
Our impressions
When I first came to Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis in 2018, I was expecting a nice Bike Park where I will just have a good time. On my first visit, I was definitely not disappointed and that’s why I would love to come back here some time later. Unfortunately, not much has changed here, only cosmetic changes have been made, but very positive. Especially the new sections of my favorite Strada del Sole trail appealed to me and it was the line I traveled most often.
I kind of regret that we were in the area for only two days and we were accompanied by rainfall. As a result, we did not have enough time to do all the trails properly, and to go to the surrounding enduro area, which offers really nice trails. It is definitely a place that I would love to come back to in the future, because riding in this Bike Park is simply fun.
– Tomasz Profic, 43RIDE
I had a few unfinished business with Bike Park Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, and since 3 years since the last visit is quite a lot, I managed to persuade editor Tomasz to visit this place again. The trail network has not changed, but “cosmetic” changes have been made to affect the smoothness of the trails and the joy of riding. To my satisfaction, the line of drops in the training area has been rebuilt, adding a larger drop that allows you to make few warmup jumps before taking the hut challenge.
Generally, every Bike Park should have such a zone that allows you to improve the skills of both beginners and advanced – with isolated drops, interesting jumps or a line of berms.
All in all, I didn’t make it to the Downhill trail, which I knew from my previous visit, and I planned to explore any changes on the second day of riding. The overloaded knee allowed me only to hobble with the camera on the second day and watch other riders (including editor Tomas). However, I did not notice any major changes compared to the 2018 version, which at the same time made me sad, because this trail is one of my favorites in the private ranking of DH trails in European Bike Parks, and I cannot ride here… so I have an excuse to visit this place again :)
As at the beginning of August, the trails were not perfect, which can be attributed to regular heavy rain, but the team of builders was constantly working to restore the obstacles to their original state, and also created new elements, mainly on the Freeride Trail.
Comparing my visit to Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis in 2018 on a downhill bike and the current one on an enduro bike, I would recommend you to take a bike with a smaller suspension – it is lighter, easier to handle and just more fun, and the obstacles on the DH trails are built in such a way that they do not require so much suspension travel. Yes, you can, which also made me a lot of fun, but we will get much more flow on easier trails with a smaller bike.
I would recommend Bike Park from the level of advancement to beginners plus. In my opinion, even the blue trails require basic riding skills to appreciate their smoothness. There are also steep sections – this is not a mountain gravel road cut on the naked slope, but a Bike Park made of flesh and blood. Nevertheless, even a little embracing kids or beginners will have something to do here.
– Justyna John, 43RIDE
Practical information
- The route from Warsaw to Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is about 1250 km (~13-14 hours drive), depends on which route you choose. You can choose a route through the Czech Republic and Austria (we remember about vignettes) or through Germany. Via Germany you can also travel without buying an Austrian vignette, but the journey will take a little longer.
- When coming to Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, we have to take into account slightly higher prices than in other popular cycling regions in Austria. This is especially true for meals, where you have to spend at least €20 for a dinner per person.
- Przyjeżdżając do Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis musimy liczyć się z trochę wyższymi cenami niż w innych popularnych regionach rowerowej Austrii. Dotyczy to zwłaszcza wyżywienia, gdzie za obiad dla jednej osoby trzeba wydać co najmniej 20€.
- During our stay, the number of restaurants in both Fiss and Serfaus was quite… poor. We do not know if this is the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic or something else. During our previous stay, the town was almost teeming with life.
- You should try to interest in the Sommer Card, which you can get free of charge in the accommodation and thanks to it you get free access to many local attractions.
- The Gravity Card is accepted in Bike Park, which in the 2021 season included 22 Bike Parks across Europe. A normal 1-day ticket costs 41€ and it also entitles you to a single trip with the Sunliner lifts from Serfaus or the Sonnenbahn from Ladis. The full price list can be found here.
- The restrictions related to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in early August were not bothersome at all. Here and there they asked us about vaccinations / tests and the masks were only used in stores.
About the region Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis
About the region Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis
Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis is the place to be for a family holiday. Regardless whether it is summer or winter there is always something going on. In summer the cable cars and bus shuttles connect the mountainous region of Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. Apart from many other attractions the Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis high plateau offers bike fun for the whole family. From gentle bike rides for young and old, to mountain bike tours in the middle of breath-taking mountain scenery, to action-packed descents on single trails or courses through in Bikepark Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. Visitors can reach all singletrails by using the Schönjochbahn. The Waldbahn takes riders and their bikes to the trails within the bike park, which have different levels of difficulty from blue (easy) and red (medium) to black (expert). There is also a kids park, slopestyle area with a landing bag, pump track, dirt line and training area at the bottom station, where beginners can try out and get used to their new equipment. Experts in the bike shop advise in bike and safety equipment matters and the bike school and rental office can also be found here. Beside the shop there is also a chill out area and a snack bar.
Official website: serfaus-fiss-ladis.at/en, bike-sfl.at/en
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