Spring is the season all cyclists look forward to the most. The season when we can finally satisfy our desire to get back on our bikes and immerse ourselves totally in nature. Of the destinations that aspire to the role of seasonal “icebreaker”, one can be considered a great discovery in all respects.
Loser Mountain is the highest mountain in the Ausseerland region of Austria and has everything it takes to be the best route for the new cycling and leisure cycling season. For road bike performance enthusiasts, the routes branching off the Altausseer See, the lake that serves as the logistic base for cycling on the Loser Panoramastrasse, are ideal. They combine regular care of the road surface with panoramic views that heed the call to a certain romance.
This romantic aura, paired with the Panoramastrasse still marked by remnants of the abundant snowfalls, immerses the cyclist in a unique world. In fact, Loser Mountain was the favourite mountain of the famous Empress Elisabeth of Austria, wife of Emperor Franz Joseph.
However, romantic or not, Loser Panoramastrasse rises from 712 metres at Altausseer See to 1 643 metres at the highest point on the route; a climb suitable for anyone wanting to test their form at the beginning of the season.
Later, in summer, the routes winding from the Altausseer See feature everything a cycling lover could desire: from road bikes to trails that can be travelled only by mountain bike.
Protecting the panoramic view of Loser Mountain is the renowned air purity with an almost total absence of haze all year round.
Loser Panoramastrasse can also be an excellent starting point for cyclists wanting to mark their cycling year, because the mountain is situated a few kilometres from Salzburg. The proximity of the Austrian provinces of Salzburg and Ausseerland seems to have been designed specifically to create an ideal leisure cycling route. In fact, there are plenty of itineraries winding from the city of Mozart that branch off onto trails with a variety of surfaces along enchanting lakes, before culminating at Loser Mountain.
Even shortly before the start of spring, these places abounding with culture and nature, offer plenty of ways to satisfy a desire for cycling freedom. Plus, with the snow damping the noise, the relationship with the road bike becomes even closer and more intimate.
