I watched the Leogang World Cup DH on YouTube before I ever rode a mountain bike properly. The image of that opening rock garden, the riders exploding out of the start gate at 2,000 frames per second, the crowd lining the entire mountainside — it planted a seed that led to a very expensive hobby. Leogang is the reason I ride mountain bikes.
And the incredible thing is: anyone can ride that mountain. The same gondola that carries the world's best DH racers to the start of the World Cup track carries you. The same trails are open between events. You can stand at the top of the Leogang DH track, look down the same line that Aaron Gwin, Loic Bruni, and Valentina Höll have descended at 70kph, and then choose whether to commit or take the bail line. It's one of the most extraordinary things that mountain biking allows you to do.
The Mountain
The Bikepark Leogang uses the Asitz mountain (1,978m) above the Saalfelden-Leogang valley in the Austrian Alps. The Steinbergbahn gondola from Leogang village rises to 1,753m, giving a maximum vertical drop of over 1,000m — one of the largest in any European bike park. The trail network extends to over 40 kilometres of purpose-built singletrack across every difficulty level.
The park layout is sensible and well-signed. From the gondola mid-station you can access the flow trails and lower blue/red terrain; from the upper station the more demanding red and black trails and the World Cup DH course. The chairlift on the mountain's upper section allows efficient repetition of the upper trails without returning to the valley.
The Trails — What to Ride
The UCI World Cup DH Course
This is why you came. The course runs from 1,900m to just above the valley at 900m — 1,032m of vertical on 3.8km of trail. The opening rock garden is as intimidating as it looks on TV. The middle section has several high-speed berms and compression sections. The final forest section is rooty and technical. If you're an experienced rider who pushes limits, this track will test you thoroughly. The trail is open for public riding outside of race periods — check the park calendar for race dates when it's closed.
Gravity Park Flow Trails
Leogang's gravity park on the mid-mountain section has some of the best flow trail construction in Austria. The bermed corners are perfectly shaped, the jumps are well-graduated from small rollers to proper tabletops, and the trail surface is maintained to an excellent standard. This is where you warm up, where you build confidence, and where you find the rhythm that carries through to the harder terrain.
Enduro Lines
Beyond the DH and flow trails, Leogang has developed a significant enduro network that extends across the Asitz mountain and connects with neighbouring resort terrain. These trails have a more natural character than the bike park's engineered lines — following the mountain's natural features and demanding more technical skill. The enduro loop from the summit back to the village via the forest is a full day's adventure for a strong rider.
The Steinbergbahn Trail
The trail that runs alongside the gondola line from mid-mountain to the valley is excellent for warm-up laps and for riders building confidence. It's faster and more engaging than a blue label might suggest and you'll do multiple laps of this before graduating to the harder terrain.
Planning Your Trip
Getting to Leogang
Fly into Salzburg (SZG) — the easiest airport for Leogang with a straightforward 75-minute transfer by rental car or shuttle. Munich airport is also viable (2 hours). Innsbruck airport works if you're combining Leogang with other Tyrolean destinations.
Transfer options: Rental car is the most flexible (Sixt, Europcar, and Hertz all operate from Salzburg airport). Shared shuttles run from Salzburg airport to Leogang and can be booked through Leogang tourist office. Budget around 90 minutes from airport to village.
Where to Stay
Leogang village has excellent accommodation across all budgets. The Asitzbräu hotel is directly at the gondola base — can't be more convenient. Numerous Gasthöfe (traditional Austrian guesthouses) in the village offer excellent value with the famous Austrian breakfast included. For groups, self-catering apartments in Leogang or neighbouring Saalfelden represent excellent value.
The Salzburg region pass covers multiple bike parks including Saalbach-Hinterglemm (20 minutes) which makes multi-destination day trips easy. If you're staying a week, the regional pass makes financial sense compared to daily park tickets.
When to Go
The park opens typically in late May/early June (snow conditions dependent) and runs through mid-October. Peak season is July and August — busiest lifts, best weather reliability, highest prices. For quieter trails and better value: early June (some upper terrain may still be snow-affected) or September (excellent conditions, dramatically fewer people, better accommodation prices).
The UCI World Cup DH weekend at Leogang (typically mid-June) is worth attending as a spectator even if the main course is closed for public riding during race week — the atmosphere is extraordinary and you can ride all other park trails throughout race week.
Lift Passes and Costs
- Daily bike park pass: ~€35–45 (2026 pricing)
- Multi-day passes progressively cheaper per day
- Salzburg Super Ski & Bike card covers Leogang + Saalbach + others for multi-day visits
- Bike hire: excellent options in village, ~€60–90/day for quality enduro/DH bike
The Wider Salzburg Region
Leogang is the anchor destination but the Salzburg region has extraordinary depth for an MTB trip. The nearby Saalbach-Hinterglemm valley is accessible via trail (strong riders can ride directly between resorts) and has its own 70km of lift-accessed trail. Schladming in Styria — home of another UCI World Cup track — is 80 minutes drive. Zell am See is 55 minutes. The density of world-class riding within a 2-hour radius of Salzburg airport is simply unmatched in Europe.
A recommended week: fly into Salzburg Sunday evening, Leogang Monday–Wednesday, Saalbach Thursday, Schladming Friday–Saturday, fly home Sunday. Four of the best bike parks in Europe in one week. This is the Austria MTB trip that everyone should do at least once.
The World Cup DH course is open for public riding on most weekdays outside of race preparation periods. Ride it first thing in the morning before the flow park gets busy — the upper mountain is often quiet at 9am while everyone is warming up on the lower trails. This gives you the best conditions on the WC track (surfaces not yet torn up) with minimal waiting. Go slow, respect the trail, and take the bail lines when you're unsure. You came to experience it, not to survive it.
See the full davidmtb Austria trail guide for more destinations: davidmtb's Austria Top 20 MTB Trails →
And for the full track-by-track review from a previous davidmtb trip: Leogang Bikepark — davidmtb Track Review →