Lofer as a destination for an ebike holiday? You will find plenty of tracks for beginners to intermediate ebikers. As Lofer sits in the Saalach Valley and you are looking for more level cycling, there are opportunities to do this along the river. There are also some good uphill ebiking tracks to use the ebike power effectively. So yes, Lofer is a great destination for an ebike holiday.
Lofer is where two valleys meet, so ample cycling possibilities lead towards Zell am See, Bad Reichenhall / Salzburg or St Johann in Tirol. You can travel a distance in each direction on off-road bike paths with good surfaces. The mountain routes are vast, with many opportunities to get high up for wonderful views.
Not just about ebiking
When you are not on your ebikes, you can go hiking, canoeing or white-water rafting. For a slower pace, you can have a BBQ afternoon lazing by the river in the Vorderkaserklamm, a natural bathing area. There is also a gorge walk at the end of this valley; make a day of it and take your ebikes with your BBQ and go for a walk through the gorge, then find one of the marked spots for a BBQ and lie in the sun for the afternoon before you have a gentle ebike ride back to the village. https://www.vorderkaserklamm.at/
Suggested routes
I would suggest four routes for your ebike while you are on a break in Lofer. Please note that the distance, times and ascents figures are all approximate. Please check the map for the most accurate information.
1. Lofer – Zell am See and return.
80kms, 370m of ascents & descent, 4 hours 30 mins approximately
This is an easy day out on an ebike for all the family. It is a total of 78kms which sounds like a long way, but you will find it is an easy distance with 340m climb and descent. The good news is the descent is on the way home. You could make a couple of stops along the way:
Weißbach, Seisenberg Gorge, (10k m from Lofer). You can walk up through the gorge and see details on the website https://www.naturgewalten.at/english/seisenberg-gorge/; it’s free if you have a Saalachtal Card. Ask your host for the card. https://www.salzburger-saalachtal.com/sommerurlaub/saalachtaler-sommercard . On the way home, you can visit Lamprechshöhle, the largest cave system in Europe at 58 km long. https://www.lamprechtshoehle.at/
Saalfelden (24km from Lofer) is the biggest town in the area and has a pretty centre with places to eat and shop. There is a farmers market every Friday in summer from 0800-1230 with delicious fresh produce. https://www.saalfelden-leogang.com/en
Zell am See (39km from Lofer) With a mountain backdrop; this lake has been photographed millions of times. It is a stunning setting over the lake with views up to the Glacier on the Kitzsteinhorn. If you have time, you could take a trip up the Schmittenhöhe cable car for lunch, and the fantastic surrounding views are from the top. https://www.zellamsee-kaprun.com/en/activities
This day could be split into two if you wish.
Lofer to Weißbach, where you could visit the Seisenberg gorge and walk through it or practice climbing on the walls surrounding the gorge. Afterwards, you could visit the Lamprechshöhle (cave) — This would give you a 19 km trip in total.
Lofer to Zell am See, return to Saalfelden on the train and then cycle back to Lofer. This shortens the trip to 63 km so that you can spend more time in Zell am See.
2. Lofer – St Ulrich am Pillersee
35kms, 265m ascent & descent, 2 hours approximately
The good news is that the climbing is done on the way to St Ulrich. Follow the signs for the Mozart Bike route. Then turn off in Waidring for St Ulrich. The mountain lake at St Ulrich doesn’t tend to go above 18°, which is a bit cold for a lot of swimming. There are, however, pedal boats and stand-up paddle boards, which are fun to try. This is a great day out on a sunny day, as the views are incredible.
To make a full day out, you can cycle a further 4 km onto St Jakob in Haus and take the chairlift up to the St Jakobs Kreuz (Cross). Buy a ticket which includes the chairlift and cross. The views from the cross will give you 360° of the area to the Wilder Kaiser in the West, the Hohetauern in the South and the Loferer Steinberge in the North, so remembering your camera is essential. https://www.kitzbueheler-alpen.com/en/pillerseetal/summer/cable-cars/bergbahn-pillersee-buchensteinwand.html
Alternatively, you could stop off in Waidring and take the cable car to Triassic Park, which will take you back to Prehistoric times. Dinosaurs in a mountainous setting? What more could you ask from an exciting day out. https://www.triassicpark.at/en/triassic-park-excursion-destination-tyrol.html
3. Lofer – Obermayrberg – Au – Lofer
16 km, 426m ascent, 1 hour 40 mins
This route will give you quite a bit of uphill quickly, so you really feel you are up in the mountains. After you leave Lofer, you head up a tarmac road, giving you fabulous views back down to the village and up the other side to the Loferer Steinberge.
The Jägerspitz viewing point is well worth a stop looking over the valley to Au and beyond towards the German border. Continue up this road getting deeper and higher up into the mountains. The road eventually turns to a hard pack track until you reach the Obermayr Berggasthof, which is good for a lunch or drink stop. From there, the downhill is all on a tarmac road and goes on for ages. No peddling is required, and lots of noises you made as a child as you whizz down the mountain. Once you get to Au, follow the signs for Scheffsnoth back to Lofer. I loved this route; it has pretty views and is a nice half-day on the bike.
Watch my little video of it. https://youtu.be/I7iePwfjrT4
4. Lofer – Lofereralm – Dietrichshorn – Unken – Lofer
26 km, 1050m ascent, 3 hours 30mins
Getting up into the mountains makes anyone feel fantastic, and the first part of this one to the Lofereralm will certainly get your heart pumping. It is pretty much straight up from the village on a tarmac road. It is quite steep in places, with some parts reaching 18-20%. Cars use this to get up to the plateau to go walking, but it is not a busy road.
You can take the cable car up to the middle station or top station and avoid the steep road, then start cycling from the plateau of the Lofereralm. The Lofereralm has several farmhouses and a few Guest houses, which, if you decide to cycle from the bottom, you might need to make a stop for a well-earned coffee and cake. Then on towards Dietrichshorn, there is another short sharp climb, and then most of the ascent is behind you now, and there is some great downhill into Unken. Bring a picnic and stop at one of the many viewing benches on the way down, offering views across the valley and into Germany.
Once in Unken, head back to the Lofer on the Mozart cycle path through the valley, following the River Saalach with a slight climb up to Lofer.
Alternatives from the Lofereralm
There are alternative routes once you get to the Lofereralm for longer distances. Both of these start on the same route, from the parking at Haus Schönblick. The routes split at the Fußtalstube, one going down the Unkenbachtal, where the path runs alongside a river bed with sheer-sided mountains. The other heads over to Germany to Winklmoos, then over the stunning valley of Heutal and down to Unken. Both are attractive, and to be honest, doing all three tours in a week would mean you take in some of the most beautiful parts of the area.
Map
To cover the tours mentioned, you will need the following Mayr maps that cover these areas. There is plenty of ebiking to ensure you have a full week of fun on your ebike as well as seeing some of the sights in this area.