Gravel Around the Salzkammergut

Gravel Around the Salzkammergut

24.06.26 09:37 69Text: PM, NoMan (translated by AI)Photos: Erwin Haiden, VeranstalterThe RAA is gaining another endurance event: a gravel-road dash through the beautiful Salzkammergut. The start is on August 15. Attention: participant limit!24.06.26 09:37 77

Gravel Around the Salzkammergut

24.06.26 09:37 77 PM, NoMan (translated by AI) Erwin Haiden, Veranstalter
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The RAA is gaining another endurance event: a gravel-road dash through the beautiful Salzkammergut. The start is on August 15. Attention: participant limit!24.06.26 09:37 77

With the new Gravel Around Salzkammergut , the Race Around Austria organising team expands its portfolio with an endurance test on gravel. Two routes are offered, and both promise, in terms of scenery, everything the World Heritage region has to offer: spectacular lake landscapes, scenic alpine pastures, hidden passes and the finest gravel sections away from traffic.

  • Gravel Around the Salzkammergut

Two routes, one epicenter

Either a loop of 163 km / 3,000 m of climbing through the Upper Austrian part of the Salzkammergut is on offer, or a southern loop into Styria complemented by a return via the Rettenbachalm to Lake Hallstatt: 217 km / 3,800 m of climbing.
Dreamlike sections over the Grünberg and the Laudachsee, the Rettenbachalm or the Eisenau alternate with crossings unknown even to many locals, such as the Gschirrsattel between the Almsee and the Offensee. In the connecting valleys the route planners also deliberately made sure to stay off the main traffic routes that are otherwise so often associated with the Salzkammergut. “We ourselves were surprised at how many great gravel sections the Salzkammergut has – especially where you wouldn't necessarily expect them,” says race director Michael Nußbaumer.

The event starts and finishes in St. Georgen im Attergau – the same place where, at the same time, all road-race distances of the Race Around Austria also begin and end. “We are particularly pleased that, alongside the Race Around Austria and the Challenge around Upper Austria, we have now also created a format that circles the entire Salzkammergut,” Nußbaumer adds.
For the gravel racers this means: they too get to enjoy the very special RAA atmosphere. Together with around 5,000 visitors in the start and finish area they will experience a backdrop that has hardly ever been seen at a gravel event until now.

  • Gravel Around the Salzkammergut

Not just for pros

Route planning placed great emphasis on quality and environmental compatibility. In close coordination with the Austrian Federal Forests and numerous path owners, a route was created that runs on approximately 99 percent low-traffic paths – largely away from town centers and heavily trafficked roads. The result is a gravel experience of exceptional tranquility and immersion in nature – the way a cyclist rarely experiences the Salzkammergut itself.
The insights gained by the organizing team are made available to participants in a dedicated route guide. Gravel sectors are described in detail, including information on length, difficulty and elevation gain. The guide is complemented by numerous tips for optimal race pacing and course management.
Except for a short push section, both routes are very rideable even for gravel beginners and participants who are less technically experienced. Many of the central route sections also run on officially designated cycle paths. The organizers state the gravel proportion as 40%, and 3.5 km of the route runs on a singletrack.

Registrations are still possible until August 1 at € 160,-, but note: for quality reasons the event is limited to a maximum of 300 participants!
Detailed info on route, format, start time etc. at www.gravelaroundsalzkammergut.at

  • The RAA's hullabaloo is included at the gravel event, just like at the Ultracycling World Championships.
    The RAA's hullabaloo is included at the gravel event, just like at the Ultracycling World Championships.
    The RAA's hullabaloo is included at the gravel event, just like at the Ultracycling World Championships.

RAA: High tension in the fight for the World Championship title

Speaking of Race Around Austria: This year a high-caliber field of competitors is expected here in the fight for the world championship title in ultra-cycling. Among those taking part are, among others, defending champion Rainer Steinberger, vice-world champion Tina Büttner, and the German ultra-cyclist Sebastian Trimborn, who most recently drew attention with strong performances at the Atlas Mountain Race and has just completed a major Africa project. From a regional perspective, many hopes rest on local favorite Simon Harringer, already the winner of the Race Around NÖ in 2026 and the winner of the 1,500-kilometer distance in 2025.

There is (again) a change regarding the route of the Race Around Austria: the Silvretta High Alpine Road will likely remain closed for the long term due to extensive stabilization and reconstruction work after several debris-flow and rockfall events. A return of the traditional section to the program is therefore unlikely in the foreseeable future. As in recent years, the route will therefore run via the Arlberg.

All info at www.racearoundaustria.at

  • Gravel Around the Salzkammergut
Two routes, one epicenter
Not just for pros
RAA: High tension in the fight for the World Championship title
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