Mariazell - Austria

Mariazell Website

Mariazell is a picturesque, if a little kitschy, little town centred around a church perched high on a hill. Religious events a few centuries ago have turned it into a major place of pilgrimage - especially noticeable in the Summer, when you may well see groups of barefooted pilgrims walking in the surrounding country roads.
Bikers are numerous and welcome, especially on warm weekends. We stayed here once and it was totally dead in the evening once the tourist busses had left.

Often tight main-road sweepers.

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Resurfaced in 2003 for the 7km over the top, this little-used the road is alternative route from Mariazell to Mürzzuschlag. A low pass, the road runs along a valley and then a short climb up to the top. No traffic. Easy.

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Well surfaced and varies between moderately tight curves and sweepers, a nicer - and longer - road than the Niederalpl(above).The southern section runs through a very picturesque river gorge. If you're doing this then you should also try ...

Runs along wide, forested river valleys mostly. Sweepers. Fast. No nasty surprises and a very nice ride.

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This is a small road on the maps, running between the two main roads near Annaberg and St.Aegyd. It's a gem. It has a few fast sections and some realy twisty bits following the river.

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This road has one of the best sportsbike stretches in the whole of Austria - the 15km section at the eastern end, between Weichselboden and Gusswerk, over the minor Halspass. Extremely twisty, and a superb surface.

Otherwise it's generally fast sweepers with tighter bits in between - similar to the Gesäuse, in that it runs in a white-water river valley through trees. Can be hard work at speed and is bumpy in a few places. They have completed the new tunnels now (August 2000) and resurfaced about half of it so the road is generally in good condition. I'd seriously recommend this one, for the road and the scenery. If you get hot, there are tons of places to pull over and cool off in the river (if you can stand 8-10°C on your goolies). A very popular road with local bikers...for a reason.

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Almost a continuation of this road is the route from Palfau to Großreifling on the B115. Generally medium to twisty it has a great rebuilt section in the middle which is technically tricky - steep undulations combined with corners can unweight the bike a bit.

Main road, fast sweepers, great surface. Strangely quiet outside rush-hours. Fast ...

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Do this from the west - a long gradual snaking climb, then a bumpy, short drop down to the Erlauf lake which is a popular place on hot weekends. The new bypass from the top around the steep and terrible east side is now finished, and exceptionally it's turned east ramp into a good, twisty ride on a brand-new road. Great!

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One of my favourites. Heaven for sportsbikes in either direction. A popular road with local bikers. It suffers a lot in the winter and is patched-up every year, so it's a varying mix of superb surface with - if you're unlucky - some bits in need of repair.
It is mainly tight twisties with some wiggly bits in between, running through heavily wooded cliffsides. Take your shades off for this one.
The best bit is the north-western end just outside St. Anton an der Jesnitz.
Not to be missed.

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Coming from Puchenstuben (see route above), you come to a junction to the right marked "Frankenfels". Take this turning and about 400m on the left is a small, unlikeky looking road to Höbarten. It runs over up and down hills, goes nowhere, so has little traffic if any, and has recently been re-surfaced for most of its length. Don't miss it if you'r doing the Puchenstuben route anyway. I found this road this year (2000) after we had to make a detour because of roadworks around St.Anton an der Jesnitz. It runs for about 8km and the start and finish points are about 4km apart.

via Annaberg, fast, main-road sweepers; GTi boy racers ? Try and follow me and weep.

Narrow, bumpy north side. The south is longer and much more pleasant. An average ride but the roads to the south make it worthwhile, rather than going round on the S6

At the junction of the Ochssattel/Rohrer Sattel and Kleinzell roads is a large, lonely, fairly ordinary restaurant. If you come here on a wet day in autumn then that's what you'll see. Come here on a warm weekend in summer and it's a different story.There is a fairly big car-park out front, but this is normally packed with bikes of all descriptions lining both roads forabout 100yds. It's called the Kalte Küchl (Cold Kitchen) but it does serve hot food. It is within a leisurely day's ride from Vienna even on a chopper, and is at a junction of two brilliant roads. The food is OK, prices reasonable, and there's always someone to talk bike with or give route tips. It's also the ideal stop or start for the folowing routes:

The Ochssattel is very twisty in places and typical of the roads in the hills around here. The surface has a few bumpy bits, as it's quite narrow and can't be repaired too often.
The last couple of miles just before Kalte Kuchl is so twisty we reckon it's one of the most intensly gripping (no pun intended) sections we know. Great !

North from the Kalte Küchl is a small river along which runs one of the best roads in the area. And, of course, everyone knows that. The police have recently tried to ban bikes from the road because of the accidents (mostly, it must be said, due to Viennese "life-style" chopper riders thinking that their Harley can get round the bends the same as a Fireblade....). Luckily the police failed at the last attempt.
It's a narrow wooded valley with a sinuous, rather than twisty road.

Approach Schwarzau from either Pernitz, Hohenberg or Mariazell. Avoid during weekends, then you'll have the road to yourself. It's a tourist attraction, but that means a great surface running along a wide valley which narrows into a long gorge section.
Very varied, it includes fast straights and sweepers at the northern end, and some medium twisties in the southern and central bits. Because of the tourists there's nothing that busses couldn't easily negotiate. It can be very smooth in sections so take it easy when it's raining.
Watch-out for the corners marked with skull-and-crossbones....