Drau cycle path – 7 days through the Dolomites & the southern alps

The Drau cycle path accompanies the Drau on its journey from the Dobbiaco field at the foot of the Sesto Dolomites to Varaždin in the Croatian Drava plain. On the approximately 460 kilometre long route, breathtaking alpine panoramas await you. The river meanders along the Carnic main ridge and the Gailtal Alps. It passes the Villgrater Alps, flows through the Klagenfurt basin and streams along the slopes of the Karawanken. After crossing the Slovenian Bacher Mountains, the Draufeld opens up and you cycle along the banks of the river as far as Croatia. On your way from the Dolomites and across Carinthia you glide on cycle paths off the road and every meter of the tour you will be spoiled with magnificent views. In addition there are comfortable accommodations in the stage destinations. Along the way, the villages, towns and hosts have adapted perfectly to cyclists – there are rest areas with tools, experienced bike repair shops and in Villach even a guarded bicycle parking garage. Taken together, this makes this international long-distance cycle route through the most beautiful part of the Southern Alps a cycling tour of the highest class - and rightly so, the Drau Cycle Path was awarded the highest distinction of five stars by the ADFC.

The 460 kilometre long Drau cycle route consists of seven daily stages. The first five stages take you from Dobbiaco in South Tyrol via the sunny town of Lienz and once across Carinthia to Lavamünd, just before the Austrian-Slovenian border. This section leads most of the time downhill and runs for long stretches on perfectly constructed and signposted cycle paths off the road. Only in a few places you cycle on quiet side roads through small villages and along fields. That's why this section in Italy and Austria is also perfect for pleasure cyclists and sporty families. Due to the beauty of the landscape and the excellent cycle paths, most cyclists only ride these first five stages - especially as five days is perfect for your holiday calendar. The last two stages through Slovenia and Croatia are more than 80 kilometres longer and are especially suitable for experienced touring cyclists. Alternatively, both stages can each be easily divided into two days.

An advantage of the first five stages: The destinations in East Tyrol and Carinthia have excellent rail connections. You can also react to changing weather forecasts or even plan individual stages as day trips. Maribor in Slovenia and Varaždin in Croatia also have a railway station, so you can comfortably travel home from your tour destination by train. Timetable information is available at bahn.de, oebb.at, sii.bz.it/de and slo-zeleznice.si/en.