Gerlitzen Alp to Lake Ossiach - Stages 1 + 2

A scenic biking tour, beginning with a gondola ride that will also transport your bike up the mountain.

These two routes are also available nearby!

Arriach-middle point of Carinthia

Arriach-restaurant hiking path

A suitable bike for the area with tested breaks, bike helmet, leisure clothes, wind jacket, sun-glasses, drinks, etc.

This scenic biking tour begins at the foot of the Gerlitzen alps with a gondola ride. After purchasing a ticket for both sections of the tour, the gondola and the chairlift (including bike transport), you take the gondola to 1410 beautiful meters above sea level, then take the chairlift to the peak at 1911 meters where a breathtaking panoramic view awaits.

After getting off the lift, take an immediate left to follow “Schotterstrasse” (a dirt road) to “Berggasthof Pacheiner,” a restaurant/inn. The descent begins right behind the inn, going over the “Gipfelstrasse” (summit road) of Gerlitzen, over the “Stifterboden,” all the way through to Arriach without any significant turns. You stay on the “Mautstrasse” (turnpike) until it ends at the L46 “Teuchern Landesstrasse” which you ride downwards to “Millstaetter Bundesstrasse” (B98), where you take a left towards “Innere Einöde.”

From here you take the R2b bike path towards “Ossiacher See.” The bike path leads you through Treffen then later through Neudorf, where you cross “Ossiacher See Strasse” by Billa towards the “Unterführung,” or underpass. Before the underpass you take a right and follow the bike path further towards “Ausfluss Ossiacher See.” Shortly before the bridge, the path goes north along “St. Andraer Strasse.” You must cross St. Andraer Strasse again at the campground. After a few minutes you will arrive at the starting point of the tour on the shores of “Ossiacher See,” or Lake Ossiach. From the shore there is a railway crossing back to the parking lot.

There are plenty of parking spots available near the Gerlitzen gondola station.

There are busses that drive to Annenheim from the Villach train station in regular intervals.

All mountain bikers are kindly asked to only use the officially authorized streets on their descent, in this case "Gerlitzen Gipfelstrasse" to Arriach! Mountain bikers do not count as tourists for the right to use the trails because they are already using the roads and therefore excluded from the hiking paths and forest roads.

Please be considerate about your speed on the descent and pay attention to other bikers! Remember to abide by the "Mountain Bike Fairplay" rules :-)