CONTRAST-RICH SUMMER HOLIDAYS IN SAALFELDEN LEOGANG

Hiking, biking, relaxing and plenty of cultur

Want to plan your summer holiday to be exactly the way you imagine? You can decide for a new activity every day! One day, for instance, you can conquer a steep trail or perhaps enjoy a leisurely tour up a rocky via ferrata. The next day you can head for a leisurely stroll on a forest path. In Saalfelden Leogang, about 70 kilometres southwest of the city of Salzburg, all this and more is possible.
From rugged limestone giants to gently sloping hillside meadows, from rural to urban, from traditional to innovatively modern, you’ll find exactly what makes a summer holiday in the mountains perfect for everyone.

Hiking with outdoor theatre, pole sharing and TONspur Islands
Rich in contrast aptly describes the offers for hikers available in Saalfelden Leogang. The paths in the valley below and the grassy hillsides offer hikers impressive panoramic views of the giant mountains that rise steeply above the lush green Alpine pastures. More sporty mountain lovers can choose between numerous high-Alpine mountain routes or long-distance hikes spanning several days. Luggage transport is even included.
In Saalfelden Leogang, the motto is “simply hiking” and so guests are encouraged to simply walk, enjoy nature and entertain themselves, far away from the stresses of everyday life. This is achieved with special attractions made in the region such as 360-degree wooden benches or wrought-iron swings from which you can sometimes gain rather unusual new perspectives.
As a special service for guests in Saalfelden Leogang, there are so-called “pole-sharing stations" at the starting points of the hiking trails. These natural wooden walking sticks are the perfect hiking companion for guests and may be simply returned at the end of the hike.
New in summer 2019 on the Asitz mountain: outdoor theatre and entertainment ‘islands’ where guests can see excerpts of special TONspur concerts.

Climbing in the Steinberge mountains region
Whether sport or Alpine climbing, it’s all uphill for climbing fans in Saalfelden Leogang. The Steinberge mountains region boasts the Loferer and Leoganger Steinberge mountains as well as the Steinplatte mountain. Due to the popularity of the area, you’re sure to meet up with climbing professionals here.

Four new trails and a new pump track - one region for all cycling fans
Saalfelden Leogang has the right offers for every biking enthusiast including numerous mountain bike routes, valley bike paths, and one of the most popular bike parks in Europe!
The extensive mountain-bike and trail-bike path network in Saalfelden Leogang features easy, short or difficult tours for beginners and advanced bikers. Guides from the bike school and the hoteliers of the excellent bike hotels are always happy to help guests with tour planning. At the Bikepark Leogang, one of the most renowned in Europe, beginners of all ages can practice in the so-called Riders Playground. It’s the ideal place to navigate the trails, stones and roots down the mountain.
In 2019, Saalfelden Leogang will invest a total of approx. one million euros, which will enable it to significantly expand its range of biking trails. Two new routes are also on offer at the bike park: the Antonius Trail and the Steinberg Line. The latter is one of the park's most flowy and easy trails with an average gradient of nine percent and an altitude difference of just under 1,000 metres. But that’s not all: The bike park will host the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Championships for the second time from 5 - 6 September 2020. This year already, however, bike fans will get their money's worth at the World Cup from 7-9 June and at the BIKE Festival from 13-15 September.
Also new in the region are the Forsthof and the Schwarzleo trails, which boast absolute riding fun and pure nature.
Those who aren’t quite ready to take a demanding bike tour, or who simply want to expand their range of possibilities, will benefit from offerings at one of the largest e-bike regions in the world in Saalfelden Leogang. At numerous places, you can rent e-bikes of any class and also quickly recharge batteries, even in the mountain huts. "Nowadays all manner of people are riding e-bikes," says Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Tourism. "Most cyclists use the e-bike to make longer, more substantial tours during a single day.”

Family holidays on the barefoot hiking trail and the Riders’ Playground
What does the perfect holiday look like? Members of the family both young and old have very different ideas about the matter. In Saalfelden Leogang, however, everyone will surely get their money's worth. The Asitz mountain is a wonderful excursion destination: In Saalfelden Leogang, it is called the "mountain of the senses" because visitors to the adventure park at the middle station are whisked away into a world of seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting and feeling. Along the barefoot path on the soft ground of an Alpine pasture, smell the scent of the mountains including the many wild herbs and Alpine plants. In the forest, your sense of hearing will be sharpened as you move very quietly, concentrating on the sounds. According to the motto "Silent waters at the Asitz," relaxation loungers, panoramic terraces, a Kneipp area and a swimming platform in the Speichersee reservoir offer ample opportunity to relax and enjoy nature with your eyes wide open as well.
Easier hikes lower down in the valley are suitable for parents with small children. Energetic children who have a great urge to move can let off steam on their bikes in the Riders’ Playground, or they can race down the Biberg mountain on the 1.6-km summer toboggan run.

Weightless gliding with the Flying Fox XXL zip line
At a length of 1,600 m and a height of up to 143 metres, the Flying Fox XXL zip line at the Asitz mountain in Leogang guarantees fun for the entire family. At speeds of up to 130 kilometres per hour, you’ll actually experience the sensation of flying while at the same time enjoying a wonderful view.

Golfing at the Steinernes Meer is rich in Variety
The two 18-hole courses, the Urslautal and Brandlhof, both feature breathtaking mountain scenery and transform golf into a rich experience. Both are classic championship courses and boast many interesting natural obstacles. Not far from the tees and greens there are several hotels that are perfectly suited to golfers: the Gut Brandlhof hotel, the Krallerhof, the Ritzenhof and the Puradies.

Recreation and cuisine: diverse, sustainable, regional
The outdoor offerings are not the only thing rich in contrast here: So too is the region’s wellness programme. For instance, Saalfelden Leogang is known for its first-class hotels and some establishments focus on sustainable recreation. Many feature regional natural materials such as wood and stone.
The WaldSPA at the Naturhotel Forsthofgut, the thermal spa at the Good Life Resort Riederalm, the "Alpine Holistic" lifestyle programme at the Ritzenhof – lakeside hotel & spa, or the superlative wellness offers at the Hotel Puradies are particularly suitable for relaxation. Pure relaxation is also available in the Priesteregg mountain village with its chalets, the Holzhotel Forsthofalm, the Salzburger Hof sports and wellness hotel, the Rupertus organic hotel, the unusual and modern yet traditional mama thresl hotel, and the 4-star Krallerhof hotel.
Some of these hotels emphasise sustainability and guests can hire electric cars to explore the local area. The hotels even use energy they produce from their own biomass heating plants, wood chip plants or composting plants.
In Austria, having a sense of wellbeing always includes delicious, regionally sourced cuisine. In Saalfelden Leogang, local specialties include various organic-quality sausages and other meat products. The many medicinal herbs that grow on the alpine meadows are also important. Through workshops and hikes focusing on medicinal plants, visitors can learn about the healing wisdom related to these herbs, which is well known in Pinzgau and even forms part of UNESCO’S Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Sense the forest: hikes in the bright, sunny woodlands on the forest magic tour
Forests have their own special charms: sometimes mystical and scary, but also kitschy beautiful and enchanting. As part of the summer adventure programme, guests can discover the forests of the region in various ways. Whether swimming in the woods, hiking in the bright, sunny woodlands or on a forest magic tour, here there is something to suit every taste.
The offer „Einatmen. Wald spüren. Ausatmen.“ (inhale, sense the forest, exhale) includes seven overnight stays, the Saalfelden Leogang Card, a hiking map, hiking socks, an Alpine snack, two hikes, and a TEH (Traditional European Medicine) workshop. Overnight in a bed and breakfast from 249 euros or in a ****hotel with half board from 564 euros.

Music, Art and Culture - International Jazz Festival, ALM:KULTUR and Tonspuren
The region's diverse cultural programme complements the many outdoor offerings. The focus of 2019 is an important anniversary: the Saalfelden International Jazz Festival will take place for the 40th time from 22 to 25 August, when jazz greats from all over the world will rock Saalfelden with more than 55 concerts. By the way, more than 30 concerts are free of charge.
The “TONspuren am Asitz” festival comprises five outdoor concerts performed between June and August on the Asitz, which is affectionately known as the ‘Mountain of the Senses.’
Meanwhile, something extra special takes place every Friday from the beginning of July to the end of September when hikers meet various artists and cultural aficionados. At the ALM:KULTUR mountain huts, there are concerts, fable tellings and workshops. Anyone can take part in the free-of-charge events and no registration is necessary.
The Kunsthaus Nexus offers exhibitions, theatre or cabaret performances, lectures, readings, workshops and concerts all year round.
The Mining and Gothic Museum in Leogang has been expanded, doubling its exhibition space and allowing guests to experience the history of the region. A visit to the Leogang show mine is also exciting, as it deals with the historical ore, silver and copper mining in the region.
In addition to the large nativity scene exhibition and the sacral treasures on display, the Schloss Ritzen Museum offers numerous special exhibitions.

New: The Saalfelden Leogang Card
Regardless of whether you prefer to be active on the mountain, to relax in the valley, to join a guided hike or to experience a change of scenery, with the new Saalfelden Leogang Card, which every guest receives at check-in at one of the partner hotels, you have absolute freedom to choose. The benefits of the card include a daily return ticket for the cable car with the Asitzbahn gondola lift in Leogang and the Saalbach Hinterglemm cable car as well as unlimited ascents and descents with the chair lift on the Biberg. Unlimited use of public transport in Pinzgau (bus and train), free entry to the Schloss Ritzen Museum and the Mining Museum in Leogang and also free entry to the Leogang/Sonnrain and Saalfelden/Obsmarkt swimming pools and the natural bathing complex at lake Ritzensee and to the Leogang sauna (leisure centre) and the Saalfelden sauna. The Saalfelden Leogang Card also features a changing kids’ programme and numerous guided hikes every week. And from the winter of 2019/20, there are many great winter offers!