Action and pleasure - cycling around Leoben

After work or just for fun: road bike, mountain bike and E-bike tours along the Mur Cycle Path

Leoben is the ideal starting point for numerous cycling tours in Upper Styria. No matter in which geographical direction, there is something for every taste and requirement. Hotel Kongress Leoben is located directly on the R2 Mur Cycle Path, which is one of the most beautiful river cycle paths in Austria.

Leoben is also centrally located in the heart of Styria. Many guests therefore choose Hotel Kongress as their "base" and explore the Mur, Mürz and Liesingtal valleys on day trips.

Group cycle tours: ideal conditions at Hotel Kongress

Cycling tour operators also like to stop off at Hotel Kongress as they appreciate the availability of 65 rooms (some air-conditioned), a rich breakfast buffet, a bus parking lot at the hotel and the team's many years of experience in looking after group tours.

Traveling by train with your bike:

Thanks to the well-developed S-Bahn network, the outward or return journey to/from a planned tour can also be perfectly completed by public transport. You can reach Leoben main station from Hotel Kongress in 5 minutes. Suitable tickets are available at the ÖBB counters in the train station. Even easier - buy the tickets on your cell phone using the ÖBB app.

Gravel and tarmac - R(o)adtips from Hotel Kongress

Aim high (with your mountain bike)

In recent years, the range of legal mountain bike routes around Leoben has been constantly expanded. Whether it's a challenging all-day tour or a relaxed after-work ride - the tours are all perfectly signposted. You can reach all the starting points of the respective tours from the hotel in just a few minutes.

LE05 – Veitsberg tour (the fast one):

A quick bike ride after a conference or a day at work - the Veitsberg tour is ideal for you. The start at the miners' monument in Seegraben is just 5 minutes away. An information board tells you about the opportunities to burn off energy here in the former mining area.

If you like it steep, choose the variant straight ahead (clockwise), the opposite route is a little easier. Thanks to the new routes opened in 2023, numerous variants below the Himbergeck are possible from the same starting point. The tours at Tollinggraben or Laintal open up further connections to the routes in the neighboring communities.

LN7 – Tolling height (the cozy one):

It doesn't always have to be hard training session. Sometimes you just want to enjoy nature and life. In Styria, this always includes culinary delights. Both can be combined on this medium-difficulty tour, which takes you along the steel and rail production facilities of VOESTALPINE Donawitz into the Tollinggraben. The Apfelmaier wine tavern invites you to take a break about halfway along the route. Strengthened by homemade products and a cool drink, the route leads back to the hotel via Seegraben.

Speed, speed, speed: riding your racing bike in Styria

Murtal, Mürztal, Liesingtal - flat and fast
Gaberl, Präbichl, Teichalm - steep and imposing

This is a rough description of the challenges for racing cyclists around Leoben. While cycling in the valleys along the rivers and green meadows will enable you to complete many kilometers, the mountain passes in the region with their altitudes will rather challenge your thighs in a different way.

Taking the train is becoming increasingly popular for road cycling. Transportation to the starting point or return transportation from the destination of the bike tour avoids monotonous outward and return journeys along the same route and extends the radius of action. Depending on your level of ambition and fitness, Schladming, Klagenfurt, Semmering or even Vienna can be included in your route planning from Leoben.

Discover Styria by gravel bike

Chain right on the asphalt and yet no problem with rough tracks - it is the combination of two previously separate worlds that has given gravel bikes a real boost in recent years. The area around Leoben offers gravel bikers a number of treats that would be a real pain or simply impossible on a road bike. The tour up the Mugel is already described in the "Mountain biking" section and 1,000 meters of altitude is also a challenge on a gravel bike. However, our tip for gravel biking is the Hiaslegg tour.

A natural jewel - gravel biking to the Green Lake

From Hotel Kongress, you start your tour along the VOESTALPINE Donawitz facilities. The route leads via St. Peter Freienstein, mostly off the beaten track, to Trofaiach and from there into the Rötzgraben. Here the surface changes from tarmac to gravel. Up to the snack station at Hiaslegg (1150 m above sea level) there are now around 400 meters of altitude to overcome. From now on the route descends quickly, in Pichl-Großdorf it turns left, now again on tarmac, past the beautiful Kreuzteich pond to an absolute natural jewel of Styria - the green lake.

Surrounded by beautiful forest and mountain scenery, this place has a mystical and fairytale-like atmosphere and is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world for good reason. When the snow begins to melt on the mountains, it fills with crystal-clear spring water up to a maximum level of 10 meters. The height of the water level depends on the snow conditions in winter and rainfall.

From spring to late summer, the breathtaking lake is most beautiful. When the water level is high, you can discover sunken hiking trails, wooden bridges and benches. In fall and winter, the Green Lake disappears almost completely. You can stroll almost to the bottom of the lake and enjoy the silence and the breathtaking mountain panorama.

At some point, it is time to start the journey home. From Tragöß, the route now leads to the town Bruck an der Mur. The main square there is ideal for a final break before returning to Leoben and the Hotel Kongress on the R2 Murradweg.

In total, this tour is 75 kilometers long and - designed as a day tour - completely stress-free. The team has more tips for short or long gravel bike tours for you.

E-Bike journeys

The E-bike is getting more and more popular. Young and old, beginners and professionals can pursue their hobby together and can spend quality time on the bike, regardless of their fitness level. The battery makes it possible.

Your E-bike is in good hands at Hotel Kongress. There are sufficient charging facilities for the battery in the lockable bike room. You are also welcome to charge the battery in your room.

E-mountain bikers will be delighted with the 1,000 altitude meters of the Mugel loop. Some people are said to have "taken on" the Madereck or the Hochanger in Bruck an der Mur afterwards.

From Leoben, cyclists can discover the historical roots of the iron region or enjoy the tranquility of the R2 Mur Cycle Path. Head west along the Mur towards Judenburg. In St. Michael you meet the R15, the Rastland cycle path, which connects the Enns cycle path with the Mur cycle path. To the east, the route leads via Bruck an der Mur, where the R5 Mürztalradweg branches off, on to the Styrian capital of Graz.

Enduro and trail right next to the hotel:

The first legal trail for trail bikers was created in Leoben in mid-2023. The trail runs in the immediate vicinity of Hotel Kongress from the Pambichler Warte to the Massenburg. In addition to this highlight, the Bike-Arena Präbichl or the SchweizUNeben-Trail in the neighboring town of Bruck offer adrenaline kicks.

Bed & Bike - certified cycling pleasure at Hotel Kongress

As an excellent bed & bike hotel, Hotel Kongress offers you the relevant information for all tours. Guest bikes can be stored safely and locked in the bike cellar. E-bike batteries can also be recharged there.

Many hotel employees are passionate cyclists themselves and are happy to help with any questions.