Bergdoktor or Mountain Doctor Tour
The Berg Doktor (Mountain Doctor) – For those of you from any country outside of Germany and Austria, you may not know the significance of the “Bergdoktor” tour. So to explain, this is a much-beloved series on TV and has run for over ten years.
“Bergdoktor” Fever
There is “Bergdoktor” fever in the Wilder Kaiser area of Tirol, and the Tourist Office has cleverly built it up as a highlight for your summer holiday in the area. Focused around the series, you can meet the cast and visit the filming locations, there is also a fan club you can join, and of course, there are various ebike tours you can do. The ebike routes are easy and well signposted, all on either tarmac or hard-packed gravel tracks. These ebike tours can be done with or without a guide. You can find all the relevant information on the link below.
https://www.wilderkaiser.info/en/summer-holiday/destination-tyrol/tv-serie-der-bergdoktor.html
The story….
The storylines are all based around a community in a mountain village in Tirol. Obviously, the Doctor is front and centre of the action, hence the title. Dr Martin Gruber is the main character, and the stories are all about accidents, illness and lots of drama in the community in which this series is set. I love this programme as it is ‘easy’ viewing, has beautiful scenery, the Dr is rather easy on the eye, and it’s great when you see locations you recognise.
The Bergdoktor (Mountain Doctor) Ebike Tour
From St Johann, you head to Going, Ellmau, Scheffau and finally to Söll. The route takes you along the base of the Wilder Kaiser mountains, which are impressive from any angle but being right at the foot of them, looking up is an extraordinary way to see them.
You leave St Johann through farmland and head on the old Roman road towards Going. It’s a pretty ride, seeing the different architecture of Austrian houses and farmhouses. Watch out for cow poo on the roads, as that can be a little slippy. You will reach a point above, Going where you have the village in the distance and the Going outdoor lake with breathtaking views up to the Wilder Kaiser in one direction and over to the Kitzbüheler Horn in the other. This is a time to stop, breathe, and take in your surroundings.
Going & Ellmau
Once you are in Going, then a stop in the centre by the church is where one of the sets of the series is. It will generally be busy with Austrian and German guests who are show fans, taking photos and chatting about storylines. Onwards to Ellmau takes you on the back road and up to one of the most spectacular views of the mountain range. If you have a wide enough angle on your camera, then stop here and take a few photos. Ellmau is a quaint village and busy in the summer, but they have some great stops for ice cream, either on the way out or on your way home. Or both!
From here, it is quite a lot of downhill. You can relax and enjoy the scenery passing stables with some of our famous Haflinger horses, which are chestnut in colour with beautiful light manes and tails. They are sweet creatures, not very big but powerful and don’t seem to mind standing for photos.
You can take a detour up to the village of Scheffau. Otherwise, it is a bit of a building site on the main road for the next few years while they build an underpass. But once you are past that, you are onto a back road with fields and some fruit trees lining the route.
Söll
Turning up into Söll, you go through a gully with more horses and a lovely cool stretch on a hot day. In Söll, you can choose to cycle up to one of the sets on the series, or you can spend a little time at the lake, where you can cool off before making the journey back.
The journey home is a bit uphill until you reach Ellmau, a bit downhill to Going, and then you can either retrace the steps you took earlier in the day. However, I would suggest heading to the Stanglwirt Hotel, over Röhrebichl hill, down to Oberndorf, and back to St Johann. This gives you a different aspect of the Wilder Kaiser and Kitzbühler Horn.