e2e.bike

Cycling adventures across Britain and beyond

Menu
  • End to Ends
    • Britain
    • Ireland
    • France
    • Belgium
    • Spain
    • Austria
    • Liechtenstein
    • Poland
    • Slovakia
    • Isle of Man
    • Faroes
    • Cuba
    • Sri Lanka
    • Taiwan
  • Coast to Coasts
  • Yorkshire Ridings
  • Others
  • Writings
Menu
← PreviousNext →

Austria 3: Langen am Arlberg to Innsbruck

Posted on 17 October 202214 November 2022 by Rob Ainsley

A sixty-mile descent to Innsbruck today, all in gloriously sunny autumn weather on beautiful car-free paths. First though we had to get up to the 1800m summit of the Arlberg Pass, fuelled by about half-a-dozen eggs each from our splendid guesthouse breakfast. Not your ordinary lays, but fresh quail’s eggs, from their own organic smallholding.

Mind you, it took us a few minutes to realise what they were, speckled and confectionery-like, nestled in a cute little drawstring bag on the breakfast table. I’d thought they were decorations of some kind.

And now, the Gallery

Which was understandable: I’d just tried to eat the muesli next to it and found it was pot-pourri.

Not too late to switch: Flexenstrasse rising up out of Stuben

Anyway, our morning ascent was a pleasure. First, a gradual rise up a valley with sharp mountains either side to the village of Stuben; then, the Flexenstrasse that zigzagged above its chalets and residential blocks like an ornamental staircase.

Summit’s up: Arlberg pass

The peak-ringed summit at St Christoph was lofty and fresh. There’s nothing like the meditative solitude of a timeless, unspoilt alpine ridgetop lane that you have to yourself. Which this wasn’t. Because it was on a main road, with a restaurant, coffee kiosk, and three-storey souvenir shop.

High times: Arlberg pass

Still, energised by a hot chocolate, we could revel in the long downhill that would essentially last for the rest of the day, abrupt at first, then gentler and finally only perceptible because you were in a gear lower than you expected.

Check you didn’t leave your camera at the top now. Not at the bottom.

First came a long Galerie – a sort of half-tunnel, with one side open, the roof supported by pillars – as we plummeted down the mountainside on the untrafficked old lane, now bypassed by the main road. It was chilly stuff, with braking difficult for freezing fingers: at St Anton we had to put on some gloves and extra layers. (The Dutch: ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.’ Captain Oates: ‘Cobblers.’)

Go with the flow: Out of St Anton

We followed the Stanzertal Radweg (a car-free tarmac path) along a small river that seemed impatient to get to Innsbruck through the damp woods and hutty villages.

The water knows where it’s going

After Wald and Landeck things levelled up, in much the same way as Northern England and Southern England never do, and we had to pedal a bit again.

Meadow larks

From here to Innsbruck it was essentially all flattish-downhillish riding on smooth untrafficked paths through sunny meadowland with mountains either side: green below, grey at both sides, blue above.

No cars here

Nigel remembered a motorway services from a previous bike trip that was different from the British model. No blocky concrete sheds flogging you cardboard burgers and wooden chips here: this consisted of alpine-meadow chalets with the motorway invisible behind trees, and we had a hearty and reassuringly inexpensive bowl of soup and bacon dumplings the size of a pillow.

Motorway services, Austria-style

The forty-odd miles from here to Innsbruck were a delight, all steady cycling in wonderful scenery. We rolled into town around five and headed to our hotel. It was sunny, warm, and lots of young people (it’s a lively student town) were lounging around the riverside with picnics and snacks.

All welcome on Austrian cycleways

Just one thing remained to make this a perfect day: a cool beer from the hotel bar. Unfortunately the hotel bar was out of beer. Ah well; if we ever were to have a perfect day, what would be the point of continuing? Philosophers, discuss.

The Inn crowd: Innsbruck locals chilling out

Fortunately, the town did offer not only a lovely historic centre full of salubrious restaurants and bistros, but also a nearby locals’ pub where they played darts, joked robustly with each other in incomprehensibly strong regional accents, and drank cheap beer.

Guess where we went.

Miles today: 74
Miles since Bangs: 113

Previous
←   Austria 2: Feldkirch to Langen am Arlberg
Next
Austria 4: Innsbruck to Kitzbühel →

You are here

e2e.bike > End to Ends > Austria > Austria 3: Langen am Arlberg to Innsbruck

Recent Posts

  • Birds Trail 2: Down to the reserves 23 March 2023
  • Birds Trail 1: Hiding in Norfolk 22 March 2023
  • Painters Trail 2: Marginal Gainsborough 21 March 2023

Random Posts

  • Map addict: Darlington to Whitby with an OS-meister31 August 2022
    My friend Mark Wedgwood is on a remarkable journey right now: cycling …
  • Cuba 16: Cienfuegos to Playa Girón14 April 2015
    After two weeks I’m beginning to get a bit of ennui. The …
  • Cuba 10: Guiámaro to Camagüey8 April 2015
    Today was the most enjoyable day so far in terms of pure …

Search e2e.bike

Find me

        
Facebook • Twitter • Linked In • Email
© 2023 e2e.bike | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme