Ciclovia Alpe-Adria - Stage 3

Bad Gastein - Mallnitz - Spittal an der Drau - Villach (approx. 98km) - Rather than overestimating ourselves, we decided to complete the next two official stages in one go, primarily for weather-related reasons. The prospect of going more downhill than uphill also influenced this decision. So we started in the early morning freshness and actually set off from Bad Gastein to Böckstein for loading through the Tauern loop, still in sunshine. Let's ignore the around 185 meters of altitude gain up until then. The loading process went quite smoothly, and in just over 11 minutes, we had already reached the southern side of the Alps in Mallnitz, where we were greeted by dark rain clouds. Unfortunately, the alternative route through the Dös valley was closed due to construction, so we had to take the main road. With two layers plus a windbreaker, we tackled this section because the temperatures were quite frosty at 1100m above sea level. After a short ascent, we quickly descended over 500 meters of altitude, and the traffic on the main road was very thin, making the whole experience quite enjoyable. If it weren't for the sudden rain that occurred (contrary to the weather forecast). Fortunately, the shower was short-lived, so we mostly arrived in Obervellach dry.

The following section through the Möll valley was the most beautiful part of the route so far, with the weather getting better and better. The cycle path winds along both sides of the valley, which brings occasional uphill sections but also long descents through fields of flowers, pastures, sleepy villages, forests, and alongside the Möll River, where you can also observe rafters. There is virtually no traffic on these side roads.

At Möllbrücke, you finally reach the Drau River with the Drauradweg, which we cycled along 3 years ago, and it is always exciting to see something familiar again. We reached Spittal an der Drau very quickly and enjoyed excellent refreshments at the familiar Moser pastry shop from last time.

Now we had to pedal the last 40km to Villach, and they can be quite monotonous at times. Endless straight sections along the riverbank with little variety. Fortunately, a small thunderstorm shortly after Spittal provided some excitement. So we finally arrived in Villach late in the afternoon, an extremely lovely city that we already liked a lot last time. Our cool accommodation right on the main street made it even better, and the church festival, a traditional event that takes place every year, made everything perfect. It was nice to see people of all ages in their traditional costumes and celebrate the festivities, which were reduced this year due to Covid.

And so, we treated ourselves to a hearty final dinner in Austria - at least for this year.