Stage 6: St. Michael im Lungau – St. Michael im Lungau

All the beauty of the Lungau in one day: endless forest paths to sunny vantage points and enchanting meadow paths in wide, bright valleys.

Salzburg's Lungau region is surrounded by high mountains, all of which easily exceed the 2,000-metre mark. In the west, in the „Hohe Tauern“, the „Hoher Sonnblick“ even clears the 3,000-metre mark. Only in the middle has the master builder geology stacked things a little less high. Between St. Michael in the wide, sunny Mur Valley and the equally bright and friendly Taurach Valley near Tamsweg and Mariapfarr, the elongated ridge of the Mitterberg rises to an altitude of around 1,500 metres – about 400 to 500 metres above these valleys.

This is a small piece of low mountain range in the centre of a high alpine backdrop and therefore a very special mix that proves ideal for varied tours with a gravel bike. The panoramic spots on the hills are soon reached here. You can't get close to the boulders and year-round snow remnants. To do so, you would have to cycle far into the mountain valleys. Here in the centre, which the Mitterberg also defines with its name, vastness dominates.

The mountain backdrop is less inviting for taking portrait-format photos with your mobile phone; here, you hold it horizontally and try to get as many peaks in the frame as possible. There are three hills to climb on the last stage, including two ascents of the Mitterberg. The second ascent is a little steeper and more challenging. And at the end, the Hollerberg, St. Michael's local mountain, awaits, which is climbed from behind, from Begöriach. After a short push, the summit is reached and, with a sublime view over the Mur Valley and St. Michael, it is soon a rapid descent to the finish of the 6th stage. The icing on the cake on this final stage, however, are a few enchanting paths in the Taurach Valley from Tamsweg to Mauterndorf. Cruising through sun-drenched meadows with views of the mountains – it could hardly be more beautiful. Rating: Wonderful!