When you are cycling for pleasure, the road is the goal and the best starting point is always Klagenfurt. The Carinthian provincial capital not only lies at the most beautiful end of Lake Wörthersee, but is also the main hub of the 1.300-kilometre network of cycle paths in Carinthia. So the Lindwurm city also makes an especially good base for enjoyable cycle tours between the mountains and the lakes. Below you will find everything you need to know about cycling for enjoyment around Klagenfurt am Wörthersee – valuable information, lovely tours and insider tips.
Discovering the attractions and culture by bike
Klagenfurt, and its surrounding area between Lake Wörthersee and the historic centres Maria Saal and Friesach, have been an economic centre, transport hub and cultural centre in southern Austria for centuries. The Celtic and Roman excavations on the nearby Magdalensberg bear witness to this, as do the numerous medieval fortresses and baroque castles, as well as the picturesque Renaissance centre of Klagenfurt itself. This makes every cycle trip here a small journey through time, filled with fascinating stories.
Well-armed pedal knights set off on the castle tour around Klagenfurt am Wörthersee (22.1 km).
Art and culture can also be enjoyed at a leisurely pace with every turn of the wheels along the cycle paths in Klagenfurt. Apart from the numerous museums, galleries and event venues in the city centre, you can also reach the idyllic Gustav Mahler composing hut (around 7 km) or the contemporary art space Kunstraum Lakeside (approximately 4 km) with just a few turns of the pedals.
(c) Franz Gerdl 
(c) Franz Gerdl 
(c) Franz Gerdl
When you get really hungry: culinary highlights for cyclists
When you cycle a lot, naturally you also get really hungry. So it is a good thing that there are all sorts of places to stop and eat just waiting along the cycle paths around Klagenfurt.
The classic choice for locals and guests is definitely the “Buffet zur Tramway” (or the “Tram” for short) in the east bay of Lake Wörthersee, situated directly on the Lend Canal. This is the place where exhausted performance athletes, mud-encrusted mountain bikers and unhurried connoisseurs meet up in an informal ambience after their cycle tours around Klagenfurt.
Here you can recharge your batteries with both electrolytes (tip: cellar-chilled beer from the Klagenfurt Schleppe Brewery) and carbohydrates (the best Burenwurst sausage outside Vienna and home-made Berner sausages are THE hit), while you report on your adventures on your bike.
Farmhouse taverns with Carinthian snacks
The summery farmhouse taverns with their classic Carinthian “Jause” snacks are typical of Carinthia. What makes them special are the delicacies produced on the spot on the tavern owners’ own farms: Carinthian salami, air-dried ham, Glundner cheese and herb-filled curd cheese. These make cyclists fit for new adventures again. As these family businesses are only open for a few weeks a year, hungry pleasure cyclists would do best to visit buschenschank.at to find out which are currently available. Spontaneous riders can look out for the so-called “Buschen” at the side of the path or on the direction signs: if there are a few branches displayed there, the farmhouse tavern is open.
Our tips for the surrounding area: the Schifferl farmhouse tavern in Tessendorf-Klagenfurt, the Taschek farmhouse tavern in Linsendorf, the Rabitsch farmhouse tavern in Moosburg, and the Melcher farmhouse tavern in Grafenstein.
Rural restaurants invite you to stop for a while
Cyclists are always welcome guests in the wide variety of rural restaurants around Klagenfurt too. Shady guest gardens are inviting spots to relax in, and the regional products are prepared with much love. So there is nothing to stand in the way of a lengthy break.
The Sandwirth in Maria Saal right on Domplatz is well worth a detour from the Glan Cycle Path. You are sure to be won over by the homemade stuffed peppers, or the fish and game specialities which vary with the season.
If you are cycling eastwards towards the Drau Cycle Path or returning from there via the cycle path alongside the railway track, you should definitely schedule a stop in Grafenstein with its two excellent restaurants:
“Der Hambrusch” directly on the cycle path in Grafenstein, east of Klagenfurt. This is a good spot for lunch if you are on your way to Lower Carinthia, or making a last rest stop on the way back.
The Restaurant Moritz offers award-winning cuisine – here they serve up creative, young dishes with influences from the Alps and the Adriatic. It is important to reserve a table! The cycle path alongside the railway runs straight as a die, and will take sated cyclists directly back again from Grafenstein to the heart of Klagenfurt.
Out and about with the family
What could be nicer than a cycle trip with all the family? The cycling city Klagenfurt offers the perfect conditions for this too. How about a short detour to Lake Wörthersee, for example? If you ride directly from Klagenfurt city centre, you can be in the sunny east bay of Lake Wörthersee in just a few minutes, where a varied leisure programme for kids is just waiting to be discovered.
(c) Franz Gerdl 
(c) Franz Gerdl 
(c) Franz Gerdl
Or maybe you’d prefer to go in a different direction? This is no problem for families either: the area south of Klagenfurt can easily be explored too along the “Sattnitz” (= Glanfurt). Special highlights for youngsters: the BMX track not far from the Tennisbuffet Weinländer, and the Jordan fish farm on the Polsterteich pond in Viktring, where you can catch your evening meal yourself.
To the south-east in Ebenthal the Kalmusbad invites you to take a long break including cooling off. While the children let off steam in the water, mums and dads can fortify themselves under the shady trees at the Gasthaus Mühle with a hearty snack and maybe a healthful calamus schnapps to aid digestion.
Perfect connections to the cycle path network in Carinthia
With its central location, Klagenfurt is also the intersection point for the most important cycle paths in the Carinthian cycle path network. The multi-award winning Drau Cycle Path (R1) can be reached easily and quickly; the Wörtherseeweg (R4), Glan-Gurkweg (R5), Völkermarkterweg (R6) and Friesacherweg or Loiblweg (R7) even run right through the city area. Ultimately nearly all the other cycle paths in the province can be ridden via these paths, making Klagenfurt the perfect starting point for a varied cycling holiday.
After all, almost all other cycle routes in the country can be cycled along these paths. This makes Klagenfurt the perfect starting point for a varied cycling holiday.
Short and medium cycle tours to enjoy around Klagenfurt
- From the city to the lake along the Lend Canal: the classic beginners’ tour. Simply pick up a Nextbike on Neuer Platz and pedal via the Lendhafen along the Klagenfurt waterway to the sunny bay (approximately 5 km).
- To the sources – south of Klagenfurt: an adventure in nature alongside the River Glan to the Ebenthal waterfalls, and then back to the old town via the Glanfurt/Sattnitz (14.9 km).
- Family-friendly circular cycle touring path around the Maria Saaler Berg mountain: on the trail of history to the north of the city. Highlights are the Herzogstuhl, Karnburg, and of course the imposing Maria Saal Cathedral as your starting and finishing point (18.5 km).
- Round the mountain – Kreuzbergl and Falkenberg: cycle round the local recreation area enjoyed by the people of Klagenfurt. Simply idyllic! (20.9 km)
- City, mountain, Wörthersee – the most beautiful places to the south-west of Klagenfurt: eventful destinations, unique places of interest and idyllic natural surroundings. This cycle tour will show you the Lindwurm city in all its variety (22.2 km).
- Travel through time – historic sites to the north of Klagenfurt: from the city centre to the Zollfeld, which is steeped in history, the Maria Saal Cathedral and back (25 km).
Longer cycle tours to enjoy around Klagenfurt
- Transromanica Tour 4: Klagenfurt – Keutschach lake valley – Maria Wörth: Follow the Romanesque trail via Viktring Abbey into the lake valley and then along the south shore of Lake Wörthersee to Maria Wörth (45 km).
- Transromanica Tour 5: Maria Wörth – Klagenfurt – Friesach: The continuation of the Transromanica Tour explores the cultural heart of Carinthia via the Zollfeld, which is steeped in history, and up to the castle town Friesach (63 km).
- Wörthersee circular tour: The classic around Carinthia’s largest lake. Well-developed cycle paths, great gastronomy and all sorts of places to swim. An absolute must! (39 km)
If the entire Wörthersee circuit is too long for you, you can take a “short cut” across the water at any time. There is a mooring point in almost every municipality for the boats that cross Lake Wörthersee, which will take you either back to Klagenfurt or simply to the opposite shore. By the way, especially shrewd pleasure cyclists use the breakfast offer on the boat to fortify themselves on the waterway to Velden for their return trip to Klagenfurt.
Cycle hire in Klagenfurt
- Nextbike is simple to use, inexpensive and flexible: the bikes can be hired via the app (Nextbike), BikeComputer, the terminal at the hire station or by calling the hotline. Simply register, hire and pedal off. Bikes can be handed back again at any of the 42 cycle hire stations in Klagenfurt and its surrounding municipalities. www.nextbike.at/klagenfurt
- The bikes hired out by SBK Soziale Betriebe Kärnten GmbH are the perfect choice for longer tours: bikes with gears, trekking bikes, cross bikes, mountain bikes, ladies’ and children’s bikes, and naturally also eBikes. Everyone is sure to find the right bike for them. The central hire point is in front of the Tourismusregion Klagenfurt am Wörthersee office at Neuer Platz 5 (April – October!). www.sbk.or.at
- SBK also has eBikes in its range. They can also be booked online via Papin Sport: kaernten.papinsport.at.
Klagenfurt: The ideal base for pleasure cyclists
If you are planning a cycling holiday in southern Austria, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee is just the right place for you. The buzzing life of the Mediterranean old town with its Alps-Adriatic ambience and all the shopping and eating options mean that the time will just fly between your pleasurable trips out. On these short, medium or long cycle tours you can discover Carinthia’s rich history, impressive scenery and hospitable people. In brief: Klagenfurt is the ideal base for every pleasure cyclist, or every person who wants to become one here.
