Road cycling holiday in Carinthia: the best rides from Rosegg near Lake Wörthersee

Carinthia is a little paradise for road cyclists: warm lakes, quiet back roads, real Alpine passes and three countries within reach. Rosegg sits right in the middle of it, directly on the classic bike course of Ironman Austria. Mario, one of your two hosts, is a passionate road cyclist and has ridden every route in this article himself. The figures are guide values and vary a little depending on the variant and starting point.

1. Warm-up: the Lake Faak loop

The perfect first ride starts right at the house: from Rosegg along the Drava to St. Niklas, on to Egg am Faaker See, along the shore via Ledenitzen and back to Rosegg via St. Peter. The loop is flat to rolling, with just one short, punchy climb at Lake Faak. This very stretch is part of the Ironman course, so you are on famous tarmac on day one.

2. The classic: the Ironman loop with the Rupertiberg

The Ironman loop runs from Klagenfurt via Maria Wörth to Velden, through Rosegg, around Lake Faak and back via Schiefling, St. Egyden and the Rupertiberg to Köttmannsdorf and Viktring. One lap is about 90 kilometres; in the race it is ridden twice. The Rupertiberg is the longest climb of the lap, steady with gradients of around 6 to 8%. Long, fast straights alternate with lots of small rollers that are easy to underestimate. Because Rosegg lies right on the loop, you simply join it at the front door.

3. Lake Wörthersee and the Keutschach lake valley

Along the north shore from Velden to Klagenfurt, then up into the Keutschach lake valley and back via Schiefling: from Velden that is about 45 to 50 kilometres with roughly 300 metres of climbing. There is no continuous cycle path on the south shore, so on a road bike you ride on the road there. In high summer it pays to start early in the morning before the traffic builds.

4. Lake Ossiach and the Gerlitzen

The loop around Lake Ossiach is about 27 kilometres with hardly any climbing, ideal for an easy day. If you want more, ride the bigger loop around the Gerlitzen Alpe with just over 50 kilometres and about 800 metres of climbing. From us, you reach the lake via Villach.

5. Three countries in one day: the Wurzenpass

The Wurzenpass links Carinthia with Slovenia. The climb from Riegersdorf is only about 7 kilometres long but packs in a good 550 metres at around 8% on average, with short ramps of about 20%. On a loop of under 50 kilometres via Arnoldstein, the Wurzenpass, Rateče and Tarvisio you ride through Austria, Slovenia and Italy. From Lake Wörthersee it becomes a ride of about 105 kilometres with roughly 1,100 metres of climbing, returning on the Alpe-Adria cycle route. At weekends there are many motorbikes on the pass; on weekdays it is much quieter.

6. The long climb: the Villacher Alpenstraße to the Dobratsch

The Villacher Alpenstraße climbs about 1,200 metres over 16.5 kilometres and seven hairpins up to the Rosstratte. The gradient is steady and rarely steeper than 10 to 12%, and at the top you look out over the Carinthian lakes to the Julian Alps. It is a toll road, so check opening times and conditions for cyclists in advance.

7. For climbers: the Loiblpass

From Ferlach it is just under 12 kilometres and about 1,000 metres of climbing up to the Slovenian border. The gradient is irregular and gets really steep at the double hairpin, at 12 to 15%. At the top is the Loibl tunnel, a good 1.5 kilometres long, and the road often carries a lot of traffic. Still, scenically and physically it is a true queen stage.

Best time to go

Road cycling in Carinthia is at its best in May, June, September and October: pleasant temperatures, quieter roads and warm lakes to cool off in after the ride. On Ironman weekend in June, parts of the course are closed on race day; if you want to watch, book early.

After the ride at our place

Your bikes are stored safely overnight, the small workshop has tools and a floor pump, and your cycling kit goes into the washing machine so it is ready again the next morning. Then you sit on the terrace with a mountain view. And if you are not sure which ride suits tomorrow, ask Mario, he is happy to help.