Is the largest bike-region any good? Saalbach in our Bikepark Check

Welcome to the largest bike region of Austria. Wow, so this is really happening now – we’re testing this huge realm of bike trails. Friends, this is going to be massive! We’ve been coming here for 8 years now. Back then, we always dreamed of riding the Hacklberg Trail in Saalbach someday. A lot has happened since then. The largest bike region is no longer just called Saalbach Hinterglemm and has expended and complemented with its mountain colleagues Fieberbrunn and Leogang. What else has changed and whether the largest bike region has perhaps even become too big, you’ll. find out. Let’s go with the Bikepark Check powered by Platzangst.

A dream became reality back then. When we entered the downhill sport at the age of about 13, we only knew Austria and Saalbach from the magazine. After the Hacklberg Trail was tested and promoted in the Freeride Magazin, itt was immediately clear to us that we had to go there. A few years later, when we got a car and a driver’s license, Austria was number 1 on our list. We started a road trip that took us via Serfaus and Brandnertal to Saalbach – and what can I say: we were in love from the first second. Saalbach has somehow always been our favorite. In this Bikeregion Check, however, we go far beyond the area of Saalbach Hinterglemm. Because almost directly on the other side of the opposite mountain, the Bikepark Leogang, as well as Fieberbrunn are waiting for the studs of your tires. You should still bring a fair amount of time when you go here, because even if you only focus on one area, you’re already stretching your bike park day to the max.

Let’s take a look at this giant playground:
If you’re looking for a typical bike park, the best place to start your journey is Leogang. Gathered in one place, you can really find everything you need. The infrastructure in the bike park, the hotel industry, as the infrastructure of the town of Leogang itself, offers everything you need for a successful bike vacation. Not in vain Leogang is one of the most famous bike parks in Europe. Not least because the Downhill World Cup is also held here – which, by the way, is also noticeable in the difficulty of the routes…

TRAILS

Leogang

But off we go up the mountain – that’s why we’re all here, right? Arrived at the parking lot, which offers plenty of space and is free to use, you pick up your bike ticket at the ticket office and go with the Asitzbahn on the way to the eponymous mountain peak of the Großer Asitz. Well, almost mountain top. I mean, you’re welcome to pedal up a few more meters to show off even better on Instagram and enjoy the gorgeous view, but the action happens right at the lift exit. Here you can choose between various trail entrances or directly take the first chance to stop for a quick meal. The second one would be our case. No, seriously, the gastronomy throughout the region is hard to beat, but more on that later. Defining our trail highlights was not easy at all, because the selection is large and very good.

Steinberg Line

The start of our selection is made by the Steinberg Line, which, by the way, is perfect for rolling in, as it is an easy route. Bikepark-typical this is also clearly signposted on site for each route. On a 929 descent, the route circles on 7.8km in the direction of the valley. Equipped with beautiful panoramic views, fast and straight sections, which also offer a few bumps to hop, beautiful long berms to technical and sometimes tight turns, densely overgrown forest sections with some stonier character makes the line live up to its name.

That many bikers feel comfortable here, especially beginners, is also noticeable, because the track also had a few breaking waves to offer during our visit. On the way down, there are also other trail entrances, as well as small parking bays, to take a breather in between or to mix up and freshen up your descent a bit. It’s actually not that far-fetched to take a few breaks during your adrenaline ride. Especially if you have never been in the alpine area before, the descents here can challenge you quite a bit, but also encourage you.

By the way, you are not only transported by the Asitzbahn, but also for some time now by the Steinbergbahn. This gondola is inevitably reached if you choose one of the just mentioned trail entrances during the descent. This includes, for example, the Matzalm Trail, which is certainly not recommended for the first ride.

Matzalm Trail

The Matzalm Trail attracts with its naturalness, which also immediately radiates a certain hardness. Keyword: root carpets – this makes the trail an expert trail. In wet conditions, the trail is even harder. Professionals can still let off steam here and challenge their skills. The trail is very diverse and offers dark, mysterious trail passages as well as open, dreamy passages. However, you should not dream here, because here 100% focus is required, not least because the trail turns into a shared trail in the course of the descent – meaning that hikers or even farmers are to be expected here. Once you’ve reached the bottom, the closest place to get back to the top is the Steinbergbahn, which I just mentioned. Of course, the Steinberg Line also leads to the same railroad – as long as you always stay on the signposted routes – because not only the Matzalm Trail may tempt you off the route.

Hangman 2

Also, the Hangmann 2 is mixing things up further down. Let me tell you, such a fun part – except for the trail exit, maybe. Here you rather get spit out, then flowed out. That’s probably because there’s quite a bit of bike traffic converging here, due to the compact bundling of several trails. But let’s not dwell on trail exits, instead we’ll take care of Hangman’s namesake, Hangman 1, which also starts at the top of the Asitz lift exit.

Hangman 1

As described by Leogang, the medium-difficulty character fits well. The trail also offers so-called chicken lines to get around more difficult features or jumps. However, the trail is generally not recommended for pure beginners. On Hangman 1 you will find, in addition to the still overwhelming panorama, steep sections, roots and sharp stones, wooden drops, heels, roots and surprising jump elements such as Boner Locks. In short, an enduro route meets typical bike park elements, which also invites the downhill faction to warm up on the bike. Once you have made it down Hangman 1 alive, you have to decide between the Antonius Trail or the Flowlink.

Flowlink

I’m just thinking about the Flowlink and getting in the mood again – the part is literally small but nice. As the name suggests, the Flowlink only serves as a link – so it’s more or less a connecting piece. Nevertheless, I am happy every descent anew that the part exists. This part consists mainly of typical bike park curves and jumps that you can pass as tables. Perfect to feel your way around. However, you should also be a little careful, because sometimes it’s windy and if you are very lucky, the shape team was just at work and the jumps no longer kick as usual – this happened to us and has significantly affected our airtime. But this is a general bike park tip – Always look at everything calmly and be aware of your skills. Even if you think you already know certain features.

Antonius Trail

Oh yes, and if you take the Antonius Trail, you can expect several small sections in a section – yes, for real! The trail is divided into small, themed areas, which somewhat stimulate the imagination. With names like “The Dungeon” the environment immediately becomes a bit darker. You should have ridden the trail in any case. Well, actually several times, to be able to open the brakes and simply flow with the Enduro characteristics. The rest is done by the enormously beautiful nature, as well as features such as this bridge, on which you would like to drive over the other way around to enjoy the uniqueness even longer. The trail then ends in the already known Steinberg Line.

Whos’s wondering with what the flow link actually links: Either you’re deciding for the official entrance of the Hangman 2 or pedaling 1min in the direction of Asitzbahn. There you can start the way back up via the middle station or the second half of the mountain, full of features and routes, awaits you. Who thinks that the second part of the upcoming descent will be boring, is severely wrong. Because once under the Asitzbahn and up the slope, the dreaded Downhill World Cup course awaits, as well as the Flying Gangster.

Flying Gangster

Flying Gangster fits surprisingly well. The trail is passable for large and small Gangsters. With Gangster I cannot yet identify so well, but with flying even more. At least on this trail. What’s actually missing here are 5 windmills and a lighthouse. On this side of the mountain, you really feel like you’re at the North Sea. Almost every descent, we were blown from the trail entrance back towards the middle station of the Asitz lift. This makes jumping difficult to impossible. However, if you catch windless times or passages, the typical pinball effect occurs. You are literally pressed through the wallrides as you slowly approach the valley and the impressive Leoganger Steinberge shine at you. In addition to the gusts of wind, extra caution is called, because the course partially intersects with the World Cup – Literally. Good and fast riders meet on both lines. This makes the descent a bit stressful at times. When we have made it to the valley after 3.2 km, we honestly need a breather. The route demands a lot from the material and the body. Unfortunately, also because of some brake waves – which are unavoidable with this steepness. The valley also offers some attractions for young and old, though.

Riders Playground

The small Riederfeldlift allows you to discover the Riders Playground. Here, in addition to almost all trail exits, there is the possibility to send big jumps or simply let your soul dangle on the pump track. A really neat playground for every skill level.

Speedster

Let’s move on to the final trail highlights at Bikepark Leogang Do we need to talk about the downhill track? Unfortunately, yes. The track is definitely a flagship of the park. In our opinion, this is a real DH track, for which you actually need a downhill bike. The so-called Speedster starts right next to the Flying Gangster and goes cross-country for 2.3km downhill, so to speak.

We are talking about almost one kilometer less than the Flying Gangster and with the same altitude meters. This is also noticeable in the gradient. With our enduros we make a big detour here – also at the dreaded passage of Vali Höll – called Vali’s Hölle aka Hell.

Hot Shots

Now, only the HotShots route remains. For this one, we let ourselves be transported back to the top, to the exit of the Asitz. Attention, this is also a hot expert trail. The entrance makes quite an entrance. Without drop technique or the ability to master steep descents, the route is completely denied. And to be hones – that’s good. After 14 years of mountain biking, we would definitely describe ourselves as advanced amateurs – and this is just about enough to master the route to some extent.

We’d compare HotShots like playing with fire. The flow and airtime on this track feel heavenly, but once your head is somewhere else, or you adjust your bike’s suspension incorrectly, it’s easy to overshoot. Don’t get us wrong, the track definitely invites you to approach it once you’ve reached a certain skill level, but it’s still not to be taken lightly and is a balancing act between not underestimating and overestimating.

Fieberbrunn

Yes, Leogang is definitely a highlight on its own. Let’s see what the neighbours got to offer. Things are much calmer and relaxed in Fieberbrunn, for example. In only 20 minutes by car from Leogang, you can reach this cute little village with the familiar beautiful nature and mountain scenery. Quite easy, the whole family can roll in the Easypark and hook up with the Easyloop system at the Obingleitn lift. This makes lift riding fun for everyone. The Easy Park is far away from any excessive demands and the optimal place to go for people who are sitting on the MTB for the first time. Below the Streubödenbahn, you wind your way back towards the lift, which is already in sight from above.

Schweinestberg Trail

The highlight in Fieberbrunn is the Schweinestberg Trail – and friends, this is definitely not a trail that can only be seen as a siding of Austria’s largest bike region. Not only that all skill levels can let off steam here, also the beautiful nature and flowing berm combinations have absolute addiction factor. We personally would put the route on any bucket list. Checked out at the top of the lift, past the reflective Streuböden Lake, it goes directly over a straight into the jungle. Perfectly shaped turns, jumps and heels let you flow almost blindly through the trail. The course seems very well-thought-out and puts a smile on your face on every descent. The rest is done by the depth of nature, including the magical incidence of light in some passages.

If you have the opportunity, and even if it’s just one descent, to stop by here, you should take the chance. Compared to the other areas, though, one day is quite enough here – as long as you are an advanced rider. Families, or kids, will probably need much longer to get their fill of the trails here. And the best part? The Schweinestberg Trail Part 2 is almost already – we are excited! In terms of the trail selection, we are already at the end. We’ll take a look at the infrastructure in Fieberbrunn and the other regions in the Service category.

Saalbach Hinterglemm

But first, let’s move on to our favorite: Saalbach Hinterglemm – the home of lässig. Okay, first let’s take a deep breath.
I apologize in advance if I sound too amorous, but it will be hard to suppress. As mentioned in the beginning, Saalbach and we have a long history behind us. This is where dreams came true. And I’ll go as far as to say that for everyone who visits the region, a little dream could come true. The dream of the perfect sunset, the dream of the perfect Kaiserschmarrn or yet of the perfect downhill run. By the way, this applies to the entire region, including Leogang and Fieberbrunn. Nevertheless, Saalbach is somehow different. Here are our Saalbach Trail-Highlights.

What you should know: the area of Saalbach Hinterglemm extends over several mountains. Specifically, Saalbach and Hinterglemm divide into two village parts here. Since the area ends in a valley head, one always enters by car first through Saalbach. From Leogang, by the way, 30 minutes away. The best place to warm up is at the Kohlmaiskopf. Right at the foot of the mountain, the Learn to Ride Park incl. treadmill, or as the Home of Lässig calls it: magic carpet, offers some features for beginners to get used to the conditions of the awaiting trails.

Panorama-Line

With the Kohlmaisbahn you are transported to 1794 meters of altitude. If the fog does not take away your view at the exit, you have a tremendous view all the way over to Leogang. Matching the panorama, it goes on the Panorama Line. What a dream of a line this is, let me tell you. If you manage to not be distracted by the panorama, you can expect super fast speed sections that still can be dosed well for beginners with the brake, perfectly built tables, wide meadows and the classic smell of the alpine pastures that welcome you with fantastic food.

Monti-Line

Further down the track turns into the Monti Line. This track also offers what feels like infinite width and playful sections for young and old. Partially the track becomes a bit steeper, which is a good opportunity to practice your brake dosing skills, or to open the brakes completely and get used to the alpine slope. But let’s not waste time – we still have a whole mountain of tracks ahead of us – to be exact, there are several mountains. For example, directly opposite is already the final opponent – in all respects: The Schattberg. Even if the Westgipfel, which is also opposite, shoots another 74 meters above it, no mountain literally casts such a shadow into the valley.

X-Line

Because on this mountain waits the notorious X-Line. On 6 kilometers and with a loss of 1025 meters in altitude, you fly in free fall towards the valley station. In a European comparison, the X-Line has no need to hide. The route is an absolute expert trail, so beginners should rather give it a wide berth. The same applies to the trail exit, which may force you on your knees with the massive X-Line Gap. But don’t worry, even if the Schattberg seems scary, it offers a home for everyone. If you ride the first part of the X-Line, you’re already on challenging terrain – but beginners with basic bike skills should be able to make it to the Schattberg Sprinter station. This is an extended lift offer to the Schattberg X-press. While the Schattberg X-Press collects you in the valley of Saalbach and thus at the foot of the Schattberg, the Schattberg Sprinter is ready in the upper mountain area and transports you to the Westgipfel – the highest mountain with mountain railroad in the region.

Fairy-Line

But before we look at the Westgipfel, we take on step back to the Schattberg, where the wonderful Fairy Line is waiting for us. For this, you only have to go down the X-Line a few switchbacks further and then you are allowed to skilfully skip the rest of the route and turn onto the Fairy Line. I know the scheme is repetitive, but what can I say except that the track looks super fabulous and almost invites you to get off the bike to fully soak up the stunning nature. Oh yes, and by the way, the track characteristics are also super flowy. You can find wooden elements, big tasty curves and fun tables in the finale. The route reaches to the middle station of the Schattberg X-press, then it’s time to get back up again, or for those who can’t get enough, back onto the X-Line.

The race continues on the Westgipfel. From this point on, the question arises whether it would have been better to produce a summit check. Almost every mountain is peppered with so many highlights that I need to put up some pace. Long Story Short: In addition to the ingenious and very challenging Bergstadl Trail, the Sheepy Hollow Line now offers a relaxed contrast, as well as a new connection down to the X- and Fairyline.

Hacklberg-Trail

But the absolute highlight on this mountain is definitely the Hacklberg Trail. You still remember the intro? This is the trail that lured us here back then. And it still does today. The trail awakens the desire – no matter if you are riding it or not. Seemingly never-ending expanses collide with sharp stones and edges, which jut out towards you at high speeds. Divine actually sums it up quite well. And the best part? The trail is designed in such a way that you can fly over it at high speed but also feel your way down comfortably. Probably this is generally a compromise that you have to make in the entire bike region – the compromise between feeling and racing. That’s at least the case for us.

The Hacklberg Trail is divided into section 1 and 2, with the option of taking a break between the two sections. The second section in the lower part is also in a class of its own. For us as nature-loving people, the forest down here is just magical. If someone told us that magic mushrooms grow down here, we would believe it. After that, the trail flows into the Buchegg-Line. If you combine the Hacklberg and Buchegg Trail, you get a total of 8.7 kilometers of trail with 1017 meters of elevation loss. The descent is therefore a pleasure for every biker. But it is also challenging – fortunately, there are several opportunities to stop for a bite to eat on the way down and to extend the trail enjoyment with culinary delights. If the trails have not convinced you, at least this will.

Z-Line

That leaves for the Zwölferkogel and Reiterkogel in Hinterglemm. The Zwölferkogel is home to the Z-Line. I don’t want to bore you, but this line also delights. The 4 kilometer long line offers various features that make a biker’s heart beat faster. Great wooden elements that end in the forest and lead into playful berm combinations. Various line combinations past roots or directly over the top, up to controllable small and medium-sized jumps. The danger on the trail is well assessable, many passages well visible. A trail that can be enjoyed at any time of day.

Blue-Line

Almost opposite on the Reiterkogel, the Blue Line offers very similar conditions. Here, too, you’ll find the already familiar wooden features with meter-long wallrides. Like a roller coaster, you wind your way down over meadows and dense forest sections. Blue Line, by the way, adapts to the blue difficulty level. Beginners are welcome here. Only the exit could be a bit scary with its slope – so being able to dose the brakes doesn’t hurt here either.

Pro-Line

We conclude our trail highlights with the Pro-Line. Also, on the Reiterkogel and right next to the Blue Line, the steep trail entrance already announces the characteristics of the line. Yes, pros are definitely addressed here. Beginners are overtaxed. Nevertheless, you can also get down here with an enduro bike – so it’s not a classic extreme downhill route. Rather an all-inclusive pro package. That means, stable heels, wide jumps, nasty roots and rough stone fields. Almost everything is rollable though, so you can probably already hit some features on your first descent. I definitely don’t want to miss the track, the construction is on a very high level.

In fact, we were allowed to build a bit on the track a few years ago, but that’s another story. So, and who now says that is not enough for me. THE CHALLENGE is waiting for you. This challenge stretches over almost 93 kilometers – don’t worry, most of the time it’s downhill. Nevertheless, you pretty much rattle every route of the entire region. A great way to explore with the bike – literally everything. For pure beginners, an e-bike is recommended. Who wants to learn more about it, can check out our video about it. We drove the Challenge with a pure beginner at that time. But you can also commute between all areas by bike without a challenge. We like the connection from Saalbach to Leogang and vice versa best. The Wurzel Trail is ready for this, which is a little challenge on it’s own. More info on the Connection can be found on the website saalbach.com

Lift

You probably already got a good impression of the lift. Nevertheless, this category offers another good opportunity to cover the entire range of the region and to study the trail network. A total of 9 mountain lifts are available. In Saalbach alone, there are 6 of them. In Leogang two and in Fieberbrunn one. Then there are the smaller lifts, or so called magic carpets, in all regions to access the practice park trails. So as far as uphill comfort is concerned, no one can beat this region in the near future.

By the way, all the mountain lifts are gondolas, which means you are protected from wind and weather. The procedures are on point, the gondolas offer plenty of space and at every ascent, both at the entrance and exit, staff are on site to help. Only the Reiterkogelbahn in Saalbach is a bit narrower, so you have to puzzle a bit if you get on in pairs. By the way, the Kohlmaisbahn can be called a region connector. Over this mountain you can to Fieberbrunn, as well as to Leogang by bike. From Leogang, you take the Steinbergbahn or Asitzbahn to the top and then find the Wurzel Trail after 2 minutes of pedaling up, which spits you out after 3.4 km at the Panorama Line in Saalbach.

From there you can then have fun in Saalbach Hinterglemm or via the Panorama Trail, which also invites you to leave at the middle and make a small detour via the Spielberghaus to then get to Fieberbrunn. If that was too fast for you – please check out Saalbach’s website to analyze and plan all routes in detail.

Service

Oh yes, finally we get to the service. I’ve been looking forward to it all along, because in this category we’re finally going into more detail about infrastructure and gastronomy. And here, too, Austria’s largest bike region is an absolute pioneer. Please don’t tell anyone, but the food is one of the reasons we come here every year. I don’t know if it’s the air up here, but it feels like Austrian cuisine was invented here. You get such delicious food both at small alpine huts waiting far up the mountain and down in the city that it really makes the vacation perfect. In the city areas, the selection is usually larger – but the higher up the mountain you eat, the tastier it usually is. In general, most of the mountain huts and restaurants are super quaint and cozy. There is something for every budget – so you don’t have to starve.

Otherwise, all regions offer an infrastructure that is second to none. Bike store, bike and protector rental, guiding tours & bike wash stations at every lift. If you stay longer in the largest biker region in Austria, it sometimes happens that you have to repair something on your bike. The bike stores are very well positioned, the employees are super chill and have always been able to help us out. E-bikes are also available for rent – because in addition to the trail network, there is also a large touring network – including charging stations. More information about charging stations and tours is also available online. We recommend the large selection of hotels for your stay. Almost all hotels are wellpprepared for bikers and some even offer an in-house workshop and bike garage. In addition, most hotels work together with the tourism association, so you can get a special guest card at partner establishments.

In Saalbach Hinterglemm, for example, the Joker Card. With it, you then receive additional free entries to various attractions as well as discounts for bike tickets. No matter where the ticket is purchased – the entire mountain railroad spectrum goes all-inclusive. All-inclusive is the final keyword of this category. Once you’ve found a nice hotel, there’s nothing standing in the way of the perfect biking vacation. We have tested several hotels in recent years and none has disappointed us so far. If you are looking for a wellness vacation, but do not want to give up your sporting activities, the entire region literally screams for you. Depending on the price you pay, you’ll get extra class luxury on top. Whereas the real luxury of this region is probably the welcoming nature.

Price/Performance

The price for a bike ticket, is the same in each bike park, or each of the regions – in 2023, 57€ for a day ticket. 1 week for example sums then up for 274€. What we have to say at this point, if you’re an budget, the vacation here might not be for you. From the bike ticket to the hotel, the entire region is rather in the upper range of European bike areas. But you also get the all-round carefree package with alpine adrenaline rushes, as well as luxury and relaxation served. There is something for every budget, but if you are looking for an inexpensive camping vacation and at the same time want to savor the entire region, you won’t hit the bull’s eye here. Here luxury meets idyll and that has its price.