My Top 5 Tirol bike routes for leisure cyclists

I’m going to recommend some of my favourite cycle tours – ones which are delightfully easy to cope with and include leisurely stops along the way. Many of these tours also offer extension options or an opportunity to exit early, so you can push yourself as much or as little as you like. Challenging altitudes and long distances aren’t an issue on these routes and all tours run along bike paths or beside quiet roads. Travelling through gorgeous Tirol landscapes, the terrain is better suited to mountain bikes rather than racers. Detailed tour information can be found at www.tyrol.com/cycling.

1. From Jenbach to Achensee (Lake Achensee)

Cycle from Jenbach to Wiesing and along the bike path to Eben (home to a beautiful church). Continue to Maurach and ride alongside the Achensee lakeshore to Achenkirch. If you’d like to cycle further, carry on to Steinberg and pedal beside the Brandenberger Ache River back to Kramsach and the Inn Valley. The scenic highlights of this tour are the stunning vistas as you cycle beside Achensee – Tirol ’s largest lake.

2. Trip to the Wilder Kaiser

This is one of my absolute favourite tours. From the city of Kufstein, cycle on the bike path towards Ebbs and reach Walchsee (Lake Walchsee), stopping off for a dip if you fancy it. If you’re feeling ambitious, continue to Kössen, Schwendt and St Johann before riding to Kitzbühel where the Schwarzsee (Lake Schwarzsee) makes a wonderful end to the tour. From here, you can take the train to Wörgl or St Johann.

Details: The route is mostly along cycle routes and quiet roads. The moorland scenery at the Walchesee plateau is particularly beautiful, as is the ride from St Johann to Kitzbühel. But the biggest scenic highlight has to be the spectacular views of the Wilder Kaiser mountain range.

3. Zillertal valley tour

This beautiful tour from Strass (or Jenbach with the train) travels through Kaltenbach and Zell to Mayrhofen. The cycle path is mostly off-road, following the Ziller River. My favourite lunch-stop in the Zillertal valley is Hotel Linde – a five minute detour off the bike path. I also recommend popping into the Zillertal Dairy near Mayrhofen. Return via the Zillertal Railway from Mayrhofen (bike transport is free of charge).

4. Mieminger plateau tour

Start at Telfs and ride towards Wildermieming before riding past a forest to Obermieming, Barwies and Obsteig. The beautiful Mieminger plateau gives gorgeous mountain views and the cycling is easy-going. I’d recommended stopping at the Arzkasten Inn (directly on the bike path) and at the Maurer bakery in Mieming.

5. Along the Lech

A scenic tour which really stands out, this route takes you from the market town of Reutte and along the Lech River towards Elbigenalp and Steeg. Highlights include Oscar-worthy mountain scenery, Europe’s largest unspoilt wild river and idyllic villages which feature ‘Lüftlmalerei’ carvings and paintings. A hugely rewarding tour, for minimal effort.