Nockalmstraße by road bike: One of the most beautiful panoramic tours in the Alps
Professional cyclist Günther will take you on a fantastic road bike tour along the Nockalm Road to the Schiestlscharte Pass in the Nockberge Mountains near Bad Kleinkirchheim in Carinthia, Austria.
The professional road biker welcomes you from the Explorer Hotel Bad Kleinkirchheim. From there, he starts his tour into the Nockberge Mountains. After a short descent, he rides his road bike into a valley towards Turracher Höhe. After 10 kilometers, he turns left to the Nockalm.
The road bike tour is 55 kilometers long and takes 2 to 4 hours. It climbs 1,000 meters in elevation. The route leads through the beautiful nature and mountains of the Nockberge Mountains. The Nockalm Road is a pass and perfect for road cycling.
The first stage of the road bike tour has been reached: Günther is now standing at the start of the Nockalm Road in Carinthia. This road has a maximum gradient of 12% and climbs for 9 kilometers with numerous curves. The professional road cyclist explains that they won't be riding the entire Nockalm Road, but rather the destination is the highest point: the Schiestlscharte with its beautiful view of the Nockberge Mountains.
Günther has completed the first section on his racing bike and is now standing in front of the Nockalm Road toll booth. In 1981, after 11 years of planning, the road was opened by then-Federal President Kirchschläger.
The Nockalm Road offers stunning natural scenery. It leads past flowing streams and green meadows lined with cows. The professional cyclist and his racing bike have completed two-thirds of the route. The road now leads out of the forest. At an elevation of 2,000 meters, you'll see a small lake, as Carinthia is known as a lake region. Günther cycles the last few kilometers and meters of elevation gain on his racing bike.
The racing cyclist has reached his destination. After 25 kilometers and 1,000 meters of elevation gain, there's a short break. Here you have the opportunity to stop at the Glockenhütte. From the top, you have a beautiful panoramic view of the Nockalm Road and the Carinthian Nockberge Mountains. If you want, you can continue your road bike ride along the Nockalm Road into the Grundtal Valley, or you can take a long detour around the pass road. Carinthia offers you many options for road bikers.
For this tour, you need some basic road cycling skills and a good level of fitness to climb the Nockalm Road. You can visit this viewpoint at the Schiestlscharte not only by road bike, but also by e-bike, motorcycle, or car. There are also beautiful hiking tours through the Nockberge Mountains.
Günther is now looking forward to the descent. There is little traffic on the road, which makes the descent on a road bike twice as much fun. After arriving safely at the Explorer Hotel Bad Kleinkirchheim in Carinthia over a coffee, Günther sums up. For the professional cyclist, the route was a casual and short road bike tour with a beautiful panorama of the Nockberge Mountains, which can be completed on short notice.
Around Bad Kleinkirchheim, you can choose any destination and pass for your next road bike tour. Why not cycle to a beautiful lake in Carinthia, such as Lake Millstatt, Lake Wörthersee, or Lake Ossiachersee? The Explorer Hotel offers you the perfect base camp with a bike area including a workbench, as well as a good starting point for beautiful routes through Carinthia by road bike or mountain bike. Thanks to the pleasant early temperatures in southern Austria, you can experience a wide variety of activities in the Nockberge Mountains around Bad Kleinkirchheim.