Dobratsch Süd-Trails

Dobratsch

The Dobratsch with its countless trail options and sometimes very impressive natural sections reveals some interesting trail combinations on historic paths in the southern area around Villach.

Description

The starting point of the tour is in Erlendorf, not far from Villach. From here, the route initially rides along the panoramic road in the Dobratsch Nature Park before turning off towards Oberschütt. On side roads and trail cut-offs in the direction of the Rote Wand, you steadily gain altitude. The highest point is reached at an altitude of almost 850 m above sea level, where you can enjoy a far-reaching view of the surrounding mountains, although the vantage points become rarer in summer as the vegetation grows. This is where the trail section begins with a challenging start, which then turns into a very smooth and homogeneous trail to ride. The difficulty level can be declared as "S2" and leads down to the Nepomuk bridge over the Gail. The Gail itself is an interesting and very natural river course along the Gailtal valley. You follow the direction of flow of the water and tackle a small ascent in Oberschütt before the next trail section follows.

With a southern flair, the trail descends a few meters through pine trees towards Villach. The trail then leads to Oberfederaun and onto the old Roman paths in the eastern area of the Dobratsch. Some of these paths are in very good original condition and you can even see the notches made by the wheels of the traders of the time. Near Villach-Warmbad, the route joins a side road or cycle path, which takes you back to the starting point along the Gail river. All in all, this is a short but extremely interesting cross-country tour that can be completed very early or very late in the year, depending on the weather.

Note: The route is located on Austrian territory and leads over routes that are not approved for mountain bikers. Riding this route on a mountain bike is the responsibility of each individual, in full awareness of the legal situation.

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