Bike Parks and Regions in Austria: The Best Trails for Beginners, Families & Pros

As soon as the snow on the mountains melts, the ski resorts prepare for the bike season. The trails are shaped, the lifts are converted for bike park operation, and the focus shifts from skiers to mountain bikers and downhill riders.

• But which area is best for summer biking?
• Which bike parks are there in Austria?
• And what distinguishes the individual bike areas?

We will answer all these questions in the following blog post before presenting an overview table of some relevant bike parks in Austria at the end.

Family and beginner areas

For families, kids, and beginners, easy, blue flow trails are best suited. Meanwhile, almost every bike area offers this type of trail in some way. This means that no matter where in Austria, a beginner trail can be found even in areas that are actually known for tough, challenging World Cup downhill tracks and big jumps. Nevertheless, there are some areas that are better suited than others due to the number of beginner-friendly trails and the gradient of the slopes. A perfect beginner area in the very east of Austria is the Hohe Wand Wiese in the Vienna Woods. A few kilometers further south, the Wexl Trails are also known for flowy, not too steep lines for maximum riding fun. Also in Lower Austria, the Zauberberg Semmering offers everything you need for a great bike day, even for families and beginners. In the very west, on the other hand, the Tyrolean area Serfauss-Fiss-Ladis is known for its beginner-friendly trail offerings and cool flow trails. The bike park in Lienz, East Tyrol, also offers an easy trail, for example, the Peter Sagan Trail. In Central Austria, the Enns Valley with the Reiteralm offers a bike park with rather easy trails and a lot of flow. Also at Weissensee in Carinthia, there is now a bike park with beginner trails, but also for advanced riders.

Looking for maximum flow & plenty of airtime?

Since flow trails and jump lines are usually quite easy to master, areas with beginner-friendly trails are usually also at the forefront when it comes to flow and airtime. Therefore, fans of smooth berms, tables, and jumps often get their money's worth on technically rather easy trails. The Wexl Trails, the Reiteralm Trails, as well as the trails in Lienz can therefore also be mentioned in this category. In addition, there is the Schladming bike park, which, in addition to the tough downhill tracks, also features one of the most famous and popular jump lines in Austria. Of course, the Petzen area in Carinthia cannot be left out when it comes to flow. It boasts the longest flow trail in Europe, at 11.5 km. Near the Tyrolean capital Innsbruck, the Innsbruck Bike Park on the Muttereralm is also perfect for a flowy day on the bike, or for a quick after-work lap. The brand new Alpen Bike Park Schneeberg in Lower Austria is also suitable for a flowy evening ride or a nice bike day with family and friends. Those seeking flow will also get their money's worth in the Kitzbike area.

The best enduro lines for long trail days

The Kitzbike area mentioned above is not only known for flowtrails but especially for varied long routes. It is therefore less a bike park and more a huge mountain bike nature playground with countless extensive tours and routes. Anyone looking for long enduro descents and variety should also consider the Bike Republic Sölden. There, many long descents and endless biking fun await in breathtaking alpine terrain. About an hour's drive from Sölden is another enduro paradise. The 3-Länder-Endurotrails in Nauders am Reschenpass are probably familiar to all bike enthusiasts and make the hearts of all natural trail fans beat faster. Another mountain bike mecca that should not be forgotten is Saalbach-Hinterglemm. On the legendary Hackelbergtrail and many other trails of various difficulty levels, bike tourists and frequent riders get their money's worth here. Also, because the area is more or less connected to the Leogang Bike Park and a day ticket is valid in both areas.

Gravity, Downhill, and PRO trails

Speaking of Leogang Bike Park – for all adrenaline junkies and fans of big jumps and wild downhill lines, the Epic Bikepark in Leogang offers everything your heart desires. Leogang is known to every biker not only because of the Downhill and Mountain Bike World Cup but also because of its diverse and challenging trails. It is not without a reason that you constantly encounter professionals training on the trails in Leogang. In addition to Leogang, the Schladming Bike Park is also a popular destination for professional cyclists and very ambitious bikers. The World Cup-worthy downhill trails, as well as the countless features in Schladming, make the bike park one of the best and most popular in Austria, or perhaps even Europe. The Graz local mountain the Schöckl is also known for its rough and difficult trails. As proof: the Schöckl is one of the main training mountains for Downhill Vice World Champion David Trummer. In addition to these three gravity parks, hardcore downhill fans also get their money's worth in areas such as: Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis, Sölden, Semmering or Saalbach.

Maximum biking fun without a lift

If you have the energy to get up the mountain without a lift, or if you have electric assistance from your bike, you can also enjoy first-class biking in smaller areas without lifts. In eastern Austria, for example, this is possible at the Trailcenter Wachau on the mountain of Göttweig Abbey. Here, countless short single trails wind down the mountain, providing pure riding fun. You go up via entertaining uphill trails. Even further east in Burgenland – yes, you heard right – there are the Burgenlandtrails around the Geschriebenstein. Here, you can expect about 40 kilometers of trails for a varied trail tour. If you want to take your biking skills to the next level, you should check out the Skillcenter Obermillstatt. At Lake Millstatt, there are many different trails of various difficulty levels – perfect for slowly getting started and steadily improving. The initiator of these trails was none other than bike professional Stefan Müller. Another brand new bike park without a lift is located in Bergheim near Salzburg. In the Bikepark Bergheim, natural trails are less of a focus; instead, fans of berms and airtime will get their money's worth. 10 trails with jumps, berms, and rock gardens in a confined space provide a bike park feeling almost directly in Salzburg. In addition, there are two asphalted pump tracks – one for beginners and one for advanced riders.

As you can see, Austria has a lot to offer bike enthusiasts. But at least as important for an unforgettable day on the bike as a good trail is adequate equipment. A safe helmet to protect your head, gloves to protect your hands, and bike glasses for UV protection are absolute must-haves here. In the bike park, protectors and a full-face helmet with matching bike goggles are added for optimal protection.

Finally, you will find a table with all mentioned bike parks and their special features:

Credits: Elias Neier