Top 10 MTB Trails
in Austria

The home of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup downhill — and one of the most impressive bike parks on earth. The Bikepark Leogang uses the Asitz mountain above the Saalfelden-Leogang valley to deliver over a kilometre of vertical descent on the main DH track alone. The World Cup course is available for public riding between race events, and the surrounding trail network adds enduro lines, flow trails, and freeride sections that keep you busy for a full week. Read davidmtb's full Leogang guide →

Schladming's Bike Republic is built on the same mountain used for FIS Alpine Ski World Cup racing — so the scale is immediately apparent. Over 40 kilometres of purpose-built trails drop through dense forest and open alpine terrain with maximum vertical that rivals anything in the Alps. The variety is excellent — from beginner flow trails to the exposed, rock-garden-heavy black descents that define Styrian DH riding. Combine with a Dachstein visit for a proper Styrian MTB trip. See davidmtb's Schladming track review →

The Saalbach-Hinterglemm valley is covered in lift-accessed mountain bike trails from one end to the other. With 70 kilometres of sanctioned singletrack and a gondola network that makes repetition effortless, this is a bike destination you could spend a week in without riding the same trail twice. The terrain caters brilliantly for all levels — long, flowy blue trails for those building confidence and seriously gnarly black runs for experts who want to be tested.

Innsbruck is the only city in the world with a mountain attached. The Nordkette cable car rises 1,800m directly above the city centre, dropping you into serious Alpine terrain that would be jaw-dropping anywhere — but the fact that you descended into a city of 130,000 people makes it borderline surreal. The Nordkette Single Trail and the longer mountain bike descents through Mühlauer Klamm are among the most dramatic rides in the Alps. Urban MTB at its most extreme.

The Zillertal is one of Austria's most celebrated Alpine valleys and Mayrhofen's Penken Bikepark delivers everything you'd expect from that pedigree. The gondola hauls you to 2,000m and gravity does the rest — fast, technical descents through forest and open alpine terrain with the Zillertal Alps as backdrop. The DH track is proper — tight, rooty, and demanding — and the flow trails lower down give you options when your legs are shot.

The combination of Zell am See's lake setting and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier backdrop makes this one of the most beautiful MTB areas in Austria. The trail network spans multiple lift systems and offers everything from mellow lakeside rides to serious alpine descents. Close to Leogang and Saalbach, it fits perfectly into a Salzburg-region MTB week where you tick off multiple destinations in sequence.

Kitzbühel is world-famous for its Hahnenkamm ski race — the most dangerous in the world. In summer the same mountain reveals extraordinary MTB potential. The Bike Park Kitzbühel uses the Hahnenkamm and surrounding peaks to deliver a varied trail network through some of the most manicured alpine scenery in Tyrol. The town itself is beautiful and the infrastructure for bike tourists is excellent. A premium destination at a premium price — worth every cent.

Nassfeld sits near the Italian and Slovenian borders in Carinthia and is genuinely underrated by riders who focus on the Salzburg region. The Gartnerkofel mountain above the resort provides excellent gravity terrain and the cross-country network in the surrounding valleys is some of the best in southern Austria. The Italian influence on the local culture — food, pace of life — makes it a distinctive MTB destination compared to the more typical Austrian options.

Vorarlberg in western Austria is the gateway to the Alps from the west — and the Brandnertal delivers everything the region promises. Dramatic scenery, clean alpine air, and trails that make full use of the Schesaplana mountain's significant elevation. The enduro riding here is excellent, with long natural descents and a trail network that rewards exploratory riding. Close to Switzerland and Liechtenstein for a multi-country alpine trip.

The Dachstein massif is one of the most dramatic rock formations in the Alps — a vast limestone plateau rising above the Styrian plateau — and riding here has a completely different character from the forest-heavy trails elsewhere. The descents are open, rocky, and exposed, with views that stretch endlessly on clear days. The access gondola makes the serious upper terrain approachable, and the trails down through Ramsau village are excellent. Best combined with nearby Schladming for a full Styrian MTB week.