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The Tour

Over the Border to Austria: Bad Tölz - Maurach

Thursday May 31, 2007
Today, still not so far from home, we set out along the Isar and an amazing mountain panorama unfolds before our eyes. The peaks are highlighted by a light covering of fresh snow from the recent bad weather and cold snap. I wouldn't have liked to cycle in the storm, but I enjoy the results: the mountains are lovely to look at.

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Church on a hill overlooking Bad Tölz: as depicted in a facade fresco and today
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Looking back to Bad Tölz from the bike path along the Isar
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Isar bike path heading south from Bad Tölz
I notice a sign, "Little Kairo", pointing off the path toward the river bank and discover the Isar Pyramids, created by Karl-Heinz Fett, a 65-year-old retiree who has found a life-filling project. Karl-Heinz has built dozens of pyamids out of the smooth, eroded Isar stones which can be found in the river bed. And his job is never finished: each time the river floods his work is washed away and he must start all over again.

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Isar pyramids, near Bad Tölz
Our chosen route varies between unpaved dirt paths close to the river, small country roads with little traffic or paved bike paths next to the main road. The dirt paths are definitely slower. We switch back and forth until we reach Lenggries and see that we have dallied so long taking pictures and bumping along on dirth paths next to the river that it's already 11:00 and we have gotten nowhere - 15 km to be exact! But we did see some wild orchids.

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Wild orchids along the Isar bike path
Now it's time for some serious cycling. We continue on the road up to Sylvensteinsee, a mountain lake and reservoir on our way to the Austrian border. The ride is lovely, we have an asphalt bike path through the woods for the whole climb.

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Bicycle tunnel on the way to Sylvensteinsee
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Birdseye view of the route up to Sylvensteinsee
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Sylvensteinsee
We choose the road on the southern shore of the lake, go up a bit more and reach the Austrian border. It's a drive-through crossing, no officials, no formalities, no border controls, just a big sign letting us know that we are now in Austria.

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We made it this far at least: Austrian border
Our bicycle guide recommends the bike path around the other side of the lake, a detour with substantial uphill stretches on dirt paths which we don't fancy. On the main road we have no shoulder to ride on but the traffic is light. For the most part we stick to the road, eventually the bike path joins our route and only once are we tempted into trying it. Before we know it, the asphalted path dips down to the shore of the lake only to return on a steep unpaved path. We've learned our lesson again. I feel to indulge in these scenic detours is a luxury of the fittest.

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Back to the road
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Achenkirch: Idyllic scenes along the way
The next pretty lake, Achensee, is coming up. Should we camp? It's a bit cool and we ride past the campgrounds to the town of Maurach where we find a comfortable room in Hotel Klingler. This is a tourist area and we aren't finding any bargains. Hopefully, it will warm up and we will soon be sleeping in our tent.

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  • Home
  • Bicycle Tours
    • 2021 >
      • Autumn in the Allgäu
      • Austria Again
      • A Dip into Tyrol
      • Wertheim and Beyond
      • We got as far as Wertheim
      • Bavarian Getaways
    • 2020 >
      • Out and About in Bavaria >
        • Day 1: Gauting - Bad Tölz
        • Day 2: Bad Tölz - Bad Kohlgrub
        • Day 3: Bad Kohlgrub - Landsberg
        • Day 4: Landsberg - Gauting
    • 2019 >
      • The Season Has Begun
      • Pedaling and Shooting in Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
      • More Pedaling in Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
      • Cycling the Inn in Austria >
        • Day 1 Gautig to Tölz
        • Day 2 Tölz to Jenbach
        • Day 3 Jenbach to Innsbruck
        • Day 4 Innsbruck to Rietz
        • Day 5 Rietz to Landeck
        • Day 6 Landeck and Home
    • 2018 >
      • A Two Day Outing
      • A nine-day tour in Lower Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
        • Day 3
        • Day 4
        • Day 5
        • Day 6
        • Day 7
        • Day 8
        • Day 9
      • The Romantic Road >
        • Day 1 - Füssen to Peiting
        • Day 2 - Peiting to Klosterlechfeld
        • Day 3 - Kosterlechfeld to Gersthofen
        • Day 4 - Gersthofen to Donauwörth
        • Day 5 - Train Ride Home
      • Continuing on the Romantic Road >
        • Day 1 - Donauwörth to Raustetten
        • Day 2 - Raustetten to Dorfgütingen
        • Day 3 - Dorfgütingen to Creglingen
        • Day 4 - Creglingen to Hochhausen
        • Day 5: Hochhausen to Uettingen
        • Day 6 - Uettingen to Würzburg
      • Alpe-Adria Tour 2018 >
        • 1. Alsace or the Alps?
        • 2. We're Off: Munich to Bruckmühl
        • 3. Mountains Aready? Bruckmühl to Übersee
        • 4. Almost Salzburg: Übersee to Freilassing
        • 5. On the Ciclovia Alpe-Adria: Freilassing to Golling
        • 6. A Short Ride: Golling to Werfen
        • 7. A Patch of Blue Sky: Werfen to Sankt Veit
        • 8. Holed up in Sankt Veit
        • 9. The Big Climb: Sankt Veit to Unterkolbnitz
        • 10. Inching Our Way: Kolbnitz to Spittal
        • 11. Flat and Dry: Spittal to Arnoldstein
        • 12. Buongiorno Bella Italia: Arnoldstein to Chiusaforte
        • 13. Best Bike Path Ever: Chiusaforte to Tavagnacco
        • 14. Closer to the Sea: Tavagnacco to Palmanova
        • 15. Last Day on the Road: Palmanova to Grado
        • 16. Grado and How We Got Home
    • 2016 >
      • To Berlin and Beyond
    • 2013 >
      • Eight Wheels in Transit
    • 2011 >
      • From Passau to Vienna
    • 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006
  • Day Rides
    • Rides 2023
    • 2022 Rides
    • 2021 Walks and Rides
    • 2020 Bicycle Days
    • 2019 Rides >
      • Bicycle Days 2019
    • 2018 Rides >
      • Bicycle Days 2018
      • 2018 Monthly Challenges
      • Cycling in Circles
    • 2017 Rides and Challenges >
      • Late to the Party
      • The Munich Kaffeeklatsch
  • Bicycle Memories
    • 1981: Bicycling with Daniel
    • 1981 - Passau to Vienna
    • 1982 - Provence with Daniel
    • 1985: Believe It or Not
    • 1986 - Southwest France
  • About
  • Contact
  • My Blog
  • Miscellaneous
    • Hochbunkers in Munich