Drau Cycle Route
Drau Cycle Route
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
1,869 reviews
Excellent
1,250
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501
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69
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28
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DeGustibus67
Turin, Italy16,768 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
We rented (€ 20/adult mountain bike; € 23 in high season + any extra € 5 helmet, € 3 basket, etc.) the bikes at the Pukka Bike Center of the Versciaco/Monte Elmo cable car and, well assisted and with an excellent map, we started cycling.
From here we took the relaxing cycle path that connects several towns and very small towns in the Puster Valley to Lienz, the first Austrian town along the Drava, the tributary stream of the Danube that plies this territory between meadows, the nearby state road, the railway and the surrounding mountains.
The distance is about 40 km (Versciaco gondola-Lienz), but the trip is also feasible for children and occasional cyclists because, especially on the way (the return has some climbs a little more challenging), there are many flat sections and / or with slight slopes.
Upon arrival in Lienz you can return by bike or, behind the train station, leave it at the Papin Sport Point depot at a cost of € 7 and return by train (€ 16.90/adult fare: Lienz-San Candido route).
Tiring but feasible and pleasant cycling day further successful for the overall good condition of the bike path and the possibility of making refreshing stops along the way (or at the arrival in Lienz).
Recommended for enthusiasts, adults and families with children!
From here we took the relaxing cycle path that connects several towns and very small towns in the Puster Valley to Lienz, the first Austrian town along the Drava, the tributary stream of the Danube that plies this territory between meadows, the nearby state road, the railway and the surrounding mountains.
The distance is about 40 km (Versciaco gondola-Lienz), but the trip is also feasible for children and occasional cyclists because, especially on the way (the return has some climbs a little more challenging), there are many flat sections and / or with slight slopes.
Upon arrival in Lienz you can return by bike or, behind the train station, leave it at the Papin Sport Point depot at a cost of € 7 and return by train (€ 16.90/adult fare: Lienz-San Candido route).
Tiring but feasible and pleasant cycling day further successful for the overall good condition of the bike path and the possibility of making refreshing stops along the way (or at the arrival in Lienz).
Recommended for enthusiasts, adults and families with children!
Automatically translated
Written August 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roberto B
Turin, Italy3,004 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Starting from San Candido (bike rental from Papin to the station 24€ per city bike more than enough + 7€ to leave it in Lienz. Almost all the way downhill and some flat sections. Duty stop at Loacker to stock up on candy. 44km a couple of hours of cycling (3 with stops). Route always flanking the river. Visit Lienz typical tidy Austrian town. Return by train 1 hour (without bike).
Automatically translated
Written August 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Matteo M
Rome, Italy458 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
It's the second time we've done it in a few years, it's a wonderful experience.
We rented bikes and the service was great. The route, environment and atmosphere are top, relaxing and fulfilling.
The Recommendation is to enjoy the route going slowly and without running everything.
We rented bikes and the service was great. The route, environment and atmosphere are top, relaxing and fulfilling.
The Recommendation is to enjoy the route going slowly and without running everything.
Automatically translated
Written September 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FrancescaM
Lido di Ostia, Italy3,190 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Fantastic ride along the banks of the Drava river, immersed in nature. The 44km route is not tiring at all, many sections are downhill and the asphalt is clean and well maintained.
It took us 3 hours in total: 1 hour to get to the Loacker factory (with a delicious 30' stop) and 1 hour and a half to reach Lienz, with a short stop in Sillian.
For rented bikes, the return service in Lienz is very convenient for getting around the city and then catching the train again. I bought the tickets at the station at the automatic machines just before leaving, price for 2 adults €20.60 and journey time Lienz-San Candido 53'.
To leave your car in San Candido, there is a large free car park (which is rare in those parts) near the station.
It took us 3 hours in total: 1 hour to get to the Loacker factory (with a delicious 30' stop) and 1 hour and a half to reach Lienz, with a short stop in Sillian.
For rented bikes, the return service in Lienz is very convenient for getting around the city and then catching the train again. I bought the tickets at the station at the automatic machines just before leaving, price for 2 adults €20.60 and journey time Lienz-San Candido 53'.
To leave your car in San Candido, there is a large free car park (which is rare in those parts) near the station.
Written September 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
andiamocipresto
Vancouver, Canada76 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
This is a delightful, paved bike route. The final leg into Lienz station has a dedicated bike ‘road’ under the train tracks, and the elevators in Lienz Station fit people and their bikes. Very bike friendly.
Recommended to go from San Candido to Lienz, not just because it is downhill, but because there so many cyclists going this direction, that to bike the other way is probably frustrating, and according to the tourist office, dangerous.
Most people leave mid morning and return by train in the afternoon or evening.
Some trains have dedicated spaces within the passenger cars (and have a few more stops), and others have a separate train car just for bikes (fewer or no stops).
The return train journeys in the afternoon generally have dedicated rail cars just for the bikes, and the bikes are transported stacked beside each other with no protection or support. It’s a big empty boxcar filled with bikes. Absolutely fine if you have a beefier bike, but a delicate carbon fibre road bike frame may not do so well.
If you have a valuable road bike and don’t want it crushed in with heavy e-bikes, then a morning departure generally means you can take a nearly empty train back to San Candido, and have your bike beside you in the passenger car. We used our helmets to attach the bikes to the metal post, but the ride was so smooth that we probably did not need to. The trains that take bikes generally leaving 1x per hour.
We were on the path by 7 a.m. and virtually had it to ourselves. We arrived in Lienz and had 1-2 hours to visit Lienz, and then took the 10:50 train back to San Candido.
By 11 a.m., when we were on the train back to San Candido, the bike path was packed. People are there to enjoy the scenery, and have a tendency to stop without warning, bike across the middle of the path (i.e. into oncoming riders biking from Lienz), three abreast etc…
Highly recommended, but if you want a quieter experience, the early a.m. is fantastic.
There are limited number of bike spaces on the morning trains, but even in August everyone got on with their bikes. We arrived 25 minutes before train departure and it was easy to find a place for our bikes beside our seats.
I was also told that if you rent your bike at the Station, you can pay an extra fee to drop it off in Lienz and come home bike free.
.
Recommended to go from San Candido to Lienz, not just because it is downhill, but because there so many cyclists going this direction, that to bike the other way is probably frustrating, and according to the tourist office, dangerous.
Most people leave mid morning and return by train in the afternoon or evening.
Some trains have dedicated spaces within the passenger cars (and have a few more stops), and others have a separate train car just for bikes (fewer or no stops).
The return train journeys in the afternoon generally have dedicated rail cars just for the bikes, and the bikes are transported stacked beside each other with no protection or support. It’s a big empty boxcar filled with bikes. Absolutely fine if you have a beefier bike, but a delicate carbon fibre road bike frame may not do so well.
If you have a valuable road bike and don’t want it crushed in with heavy e-bikes, then a morning departure generally means you can take a nearly empty train back to San Candido, and have your bike beside you in the passenger car. We used our helmets to attach the bikes to the metal post, but the ride was so smooth that we probably did not need to. The trains that take bikes generally leaving 1x per hour.
We were on the path by 7 a.m. and virtually had it to ourselves. We arrived in Lienz and had 1-2 hours to visit Lienz, and then took the 10:50 train back to San Candido.
By 11 a.m., when we were on the train back to San Candido, the bike path was packed. People are there to enjoy the scenery, and have a tendency to stop without warning, bike across the middle of the path (i.e. into oncoming riders biking from Lienz), three abreast etc…
Highly recommended, but if you want a quieter experience, the early a.m. is fantastic.
There are limited number of bike spaces on the morning trains, but even in August everyone got on with their bikes. We arrived 25 minutes before train departure and it was easy to find a place for our bikes beside our seats.
I was also told that if you rent your bike at the Station, you can pay an extra fee to drop it off in Lienz and come home bike free.
.
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jjo
Chicago845 contributions
Sept 2021
We're hikers, not bikers, but this trip was a blast. It's virtually all downhill, and it's all on a well maintained bike trip, not roads with cars. The scenery is great and the town of Lienz is yet another beautiful, quaint, Alpine mountain town. After arriving, we dropped off our bikes, walked around and had lunch. The train back was a snap. Since we'd never been to Austria, this was also a great way to get a small taste of a new country.
Written September 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dallyg
Worsley, UK82 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
We got the train from Lienz, 15 Euro's each including bike. You get off in San Candido with loads of others doing the same thing. Trip starts off in San Candido village so you are on the roads for a bit but there is a cycle lane and we found that motorists are very considerate of cyclists. Once out of San Candido you are on dedicated cycle paths all the way to lienz (about 45 kms away). The cycling isn't difficult since you are mostly coming downhill or on flat terrain following the river. Nice views all along. Worth doing its about a half day outing including the train ride.
Written August 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
westy54
Sydney, Australia13,472 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
Cycled the 44 kilometres from San Candido to Lienz. Great ride but lots of people - some who do some very silly and inconsiderate things - see separate review on the ride.
Rental from Papin Sport who have a very big bike storage area at one end of the station was extremely easy. We parked in a large free car park along the road parallel to the main road such that the station was on our left (coming from Cortina D'Ampezzo. From here it was only a 5 minute walk to the station.
The rental is a 3 stage process with separate Papin Sport people at each stage. 1 Register details and sign contract - need ID. Given a copy which you must give to the cashier at stage 3 and also to the people in Lienz.
2. Select your bike - they are pretty much all the same - and come with or without baskets on the front or rear. The same chap adjusts the seat in need and fits you with a helmet if you hired one.
3. Pay the cashier.
Cost for 1 bike with basket and helmet was Euro 20.
How long all this takes obviously depends upon how busy they are. When we arrived there was a queue of about 15 people ahead of us and it took about 25 minutes in total.
Great ride and great scenery.
Papin sport return centre is in the train station car park in Lienz. 2 options here, 1 take the bike on the train back to Lienz - trains leave every hour at 10 minutes to the hour or 2. Leave the bike with the Papin Sport people for a cost of Euro 5. They have a trailer were you deposit the bike then go to a little booth were they take the helmet, a copy of the contract saying you have returned everything and a receipt for the Euro 5.
Really all too easy.
Rental from Papin Sport who have a very big bike storage area at one end of the station was extremely easy. We parked in a large free car park along the road parallel to the main road such that the station was on our left (coming from Cortina D'Ampezzo. From here it was only a 5 minute walk to the station.
The rental is a 3 stage process with separate Papin Sport people at each stage. 1 Register details and sign contract - need ID. Given a copy which you must give to the cashier at stage 3 and also to the people in Lienz.
2. Select your bike - they are pretty much all the same - and come with or without baskets on the front or rear. The same chap adjusts the seat in need and fits you with a helmet if you hired one.
3. Pay the cashier.
Cost for 1 bike with basket and helmet was Euro 20.
How long all this takes obviously depends upon how busy they are. When we arrived there was a queue of about 15 people ahead of us and it took about 25 minutes in total.
Great ride and great scenery.
Papin sport return centre is in the train station car park in Lienz. 2 options here, 1 take the bike on the train back to Lienz - trains leave every hour at 10 minutes to the hour or 2. Leave the bike with the Papin Sport people for a cost of Euro 5. They have a trailer were you deposit the bike then go to a little booth were they take the helmet, a copy of the contract saying you have returned everything and a receipt for the Euro 5.
Really all too easy.
Written July 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lombardys
London, UK97 contributions
Sept 2013 • Family
Before renting a bike you can visit the small mountain town of San Candido,with its beautiful churches, the indoor Acquafun pool, and maybe a ride on the fun bob. The route to Lienz is actually part of St.James Way to Compostela. There are beautiful stops on the path and you can leave your bike in Lienz and return effortlessly by train.
Written April 16, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RacheleL_1992
Lancaster, England, United Kingdom32 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
The way from San Candido to Lienz is beautiful, all cycling in the woods downhill! simply amazing! The way back is a way harder, since the whole path is uphill, either only slightly or quite a bit!! me and my boyfriend made it there and back on the same day: a bit tiring but exciting and satisfying! now there's the possibility to leave the bike in Lienz for 5€ and to take the train back! a good option if you want to spend some more time in the city (which is rather beautiful by the way)! But if you like the adrenaline of a good ride, try to make it back as well....it took us less than 2 hours to get to Lienz, and 3 and a half hours back (including a 30 minutes stop at the Loacker factory - awesome shop)!!! Definitely a amazing day out!! (only 18€ to rent a bike for the whole day!)
Written September 7, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Buonasera, pernotteremo a Sillian. Da quanto ho capito il tratto da Sillian a Lienz è molto semplice e tutto in leggera discesa. Volevo sapere se invece il tratto da Sillian a San Candido è in salita e troppo faticoso per bambini di 8 anni e adulti non "sportivi".
Grazie
Written June 22, 2022
Buonasera
in risposta alla domanda posso dire che è vero, il tratto da Sillan a Lienz è prevalentemente in discesa (qualche breve sali-scendi). Il ritorno a Sillan lo consiglio in treno…. Per quanto riguarda il tratto Sillan-San Candido è in leggera salita (1 - 2 % con qualche breve tratto al 4%). Io personalmente non ho mai visto bambini fare questa tratta ….. sono comunque circa 12 km in salita.
Se poi si vuole provare questo giro (per bambini e adulti non allenati) si può fare al mattino, con calma, per poi godersi San Candido e tornare in discesa!!!
Written June 23, 2022
...mi sapete dire quanto dista più o meno in bicicletta la fabbrica della Loacker da Dobbiaco? Devo prenotare il laboratorio e non so a che ora fare..grazie!!!
Written June 4, 2018
Buon giorno, vorrei fare in senso opposto ciclabile con la partenza da Lienz. Comé? É impegnativa? Grazie.
Written May 6, 2018
Marino
Spinea, Italy
Ciao a tutti.
Vorrei fare questa pista ciclabile a fine maggio con la mia famiglia utilizzando le nostre bici ed essendo bici di valore vorrei sapere se, usando il treno per il ritorno a S. Candido anche per le bici, è sicuro.
Grazie
Written March 31, 2018
Si è sicuro, le puoi legare e controllare durante il percorso
Written June 21, 2018
partendo da Lienz qualcuno ha noleggiato la bici in Austria? Non trovo riferimenti
Written October 12, 2017
Dovrebbe essere lo stesso Papin che raccogli le bici in arrivò nell’area della stazione ( c’è un piccolo ufficio). Per sicurezza si può sentire telefonicamente Papin a Dobbiaco: 0474913450.
Written October 18, 2017
Salve a tutti, volevo sapere se noleggiando la bici a San Candido e' divertente e bello arrivare fino al confine con l'Austria e tornare indietro o se conviene arrivare fino a Lienz (però c è scritto sul sito che ci voglio 3 ore 30) .
Grazie a chi risponderà
Written October 6, 2017
Ciao. mi associo, in ritardo, a coloro che ti hanno già risposto.
la cilabile da San Candido a Lienz è tutta bellissima! nel totale sono 42/43 km. da San Candido al confine ci sono brevi tratti in leggera salita, fattibilissimi, mentre dal confine a Lienz è praticamente tutta discesa con tratti fra i boschi! in piena estate è godibilissima anche per i bimbi... in questa stagione forse potrà essere un pò freschino, in compenso ti godrai anche il "changing color" dei boschi. CONSIGLIATA!
Written October 14, 2017
Salve,domenica.faremo la ciclabile san candido Lienz, con le.nostre bici...per tornare.in treno con le bici sapete gli orari del treno???
Grazie!
Written August 9, 2017
Non fidarsi degli orari sul sito della OBB. Solo pochi treni accettano le bici stipate in appositi vagoni merci in coda. Noi siamo arrivati in stazione alle 15.30 e abbiamo aspettato il treno delle 16.20 che è arrivato a San Candido solo alle 17.40.
Poi rimaniamo sbigottiti al momento di riprendere la bici dovendoci arrampicare da soli sul vagone adibito a trasporto bici con sponda alta circa un metro e cercare tra mille bici accatastate le nostre per poi calarle giù. Il tutto nel caos più completo.
Written August 14, 2017
È faticoso per persone poco allenate? Sarebbe meglio noleggiare una mountain bike normale o elettrica?
Written August 8, 2017
Direi che nella direzione da San Candido a Lienz, essendo la strada in continua discesa, la può affrontare chiunque anche poco allenato e con una bici tradizionale. Al ritorno si può lasciare comodamente in stazione e prendendo un treno, tornare al punto di partenza.
Written August 8, 2017
Serve la carta d'identità o va bene anche patente di guida? Servono tutti i documenti di tutto il gruppo? Siamo in tre e mio marito ha carta identità scaduta....
Written August 4, 2017
fatta oggi. nessuno mi.ha chiesto.documenti, solo per il noleggio bici serve documento, va bene la patente
Written August 5, 2017
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