Biken on Austrian "Wanderwege"

We are planning to make some MTB tours in Austria - Kärnten (at this moment in the region around Millstadt). Of course, our dreams are single trails (we found quite many on maps), but that means that we want to ride our bikes on the same paths that as hikers.

As we don`t want to come into conflict with hikers, hunters or any other person, we are looking for useful information.

So at this point we want to know what are general (legal) rules for biking on single trails in Austria. Is it allowed by law? Are there any restrictions, if there are, how are they shown? What is general (common) opinion of public about MTB?

All useful information are welcome

Denis

Biking in carinthia is a very nice idea. If you visit. http://www.kaernten.at or follow this link you will see, that there are lots of legal trails.

Another good idea would be, asking the public tourist-office. Usualy there are Maps and charts with allowed trails of your region to buy.

If you take into consideration that you only must use the official trails, you won´t have troubles with hikers or forresters.

Using unallowed tracks is forbidden in austria.

I think, that are the most important guidlines for a bike-holiday in austria

All useful information are welcome

Dear Denis,

if you use hiking trails ("Wanderwege") you have to know, in generaly biking on them is forbidden in Austria - the same as on "Forststrassen", which are the lanes to mountain pastures or through forests. But there are tons of "more or less official" mtb-tracks in Carinthia (Kärnten) too. You can find them on platforms like http://www.gps-tour.info (120 mtb-tracks in Carinthia).

Wish you a nice holiday in Austria!

...if you use hiking trails ("Wanderwege") you have to know, in generaly biking on them is forbidden in Austria...

 

But there are tons of "more or less official" mtb-tracks in Carinthia (Kärnten) too. You can find them on platforms like http://www.gps-tour.info (120 mtb-tracks in Carinthia).

so it is something similar as in our country

But anyway, what is a probability to be punished because of biking on a trail? What's the penalty? Are there controls or something like that?

What kind are these "more or less official" trails with gps tracks on internet - does it simply mean that somebody was there, made the tour and then published the tack on internet?

We have checked some of these tracks, but often they are quite "uninteresting" - they usually use good roads to go uphill and a bit worse roads for downhill. We would like to use these worse roads for uphill and find single trails for downhill and if possible, to have some "ridge riding" with nice views around.

By the way, are the same rules valid also for Tirol - "Transalp region"?

There are many organized tours there, many descriptions in Bike magazin (like trails to and from Similaunhuette, Heilbronnerhuette, Heilderbergerhuette...) and on internet.

Denis

In general the same rules are valid in whole Austria, but as I can see from internet sites, people in Tirol are supporting bikers much more as the others, for example:

http://www.tirol.gv.at/themen/sport/radfahren/mountainbike/modell/singletrail/

I don`t understand everything, but as I can get from it, the Tirol people are officially opening at least some single trails for bikers and they understand that biking on wide forest ways is not a challenge for many bikers

Denis

to say it honestly: Some trails are forbitten. Forestworkes, hunters and some other people will bitch on you. Some of them are private also. Locals know these forbitten trails, but you not.

Officially all Trails, which are no "official" Trails are not allowed to bike. On "wanderwege" ist is not allowed to bike.

so it is better to use the Trails in the maps. It is also better for you, so you do not loose the way and you will not have an accident in the mountains.

In general the same rules are valid in whole Austria, but as I can see from internet sites, people in Tirol are supporting bikers much more as the others, for example:

http://www.tirol.gv.at/themen/sport/radfahren/mountainbike/modell/singletrail/

 

I don`t understand everything, but as I can get from it, the Tirol people are officially opening at least some single trails for bikers and they understand that biking on wide forest ways is not a challenge for many bikers

 

Denis

the reason why the provincial government supports mountain biking (and found a viable solution for tirol) are financial reasons (tourism and related leisure time acitivities are very important)

Most official routes are forestry roads.

The number of official singletracks (singletrails) is (still) very limited.

As my colleagues already mentioned...Kärnten is a beautifull country

with very high people and mountains...and its nice to have some Schwechater or Goesser in a Wiartshaus after your bikeride.

The "Nockberge" is a region with some dedicated and quite decent MTB tracks. You should be able to buy the "Nockbike"-Maps in most tourist informations in the area. It's a nice, small map package, quite suitable for biking.

If you take a look at http://tinyurl.com/5upd9q you'll find 13 tracks including description, there you can see what to expect. in my opinion the beautiful landscape and sometimes breathtaking vista makes the Nockberge an A+ MTB-region for any level of difficulty.

And - as already recommended, take a look at gps-tour.info (all 120 tours in carinthia: http://tinyurl.com/5tzock)