By Bike

Day 11 (14^th August) – Bad Gastein to Lienz.

Known as the “Monte Carlo of the Alps,” Bad Gastein has been a famous and fashionable spa (“Bad”) town since the Middle Ages.

Particularly during the 19th century, the healing properties of the radon-rich waters became a fashionable retreat for European royalty and high society, and saw the construction of grand hotels and Belle Époque architecture. Set in a mineral-rich, glacially carved valley, with dramatic waterfalls adding to its allure.

Starting with a gruelling climb up ‘the Great Wall of Bad Gastein”, we took the 13 minute train ride under the mountains to Mallnitz then continued onto Lienz. Sue and Liz later drove the van onto a train also saving a couple of hours drive through winding mountain roads.

A rapid descent from Mallnitz into a wide and scenic valley, we headed west, meandering upstream along a river bank through forests and fields, again for the most part on bike paths and farm roads. Quieter than most trails we’ve been on, it was joyful cycling.

Along the way I started to notice a high number of dead trees on the slopes above us.

The reasons could be manifold: lack of water, damage following wind throws, poor forest hygienics, however over the last decade climate change has led to an increased appearance of bark beetle.

Another pass for the puncheurs over the category 2 Iselsberg Pass (1,204m) before dropping into Lienz. We are now in Tyrol with the Dolomites as our backdrop.

According to Garmin