With cycle paths threading along the banks of the milky turquoise Salzach River whisking you from meadow to the foothills of the Alps, getting on your bike in Salzburg is a brilliant way to give the crowds the slip – particularly when the city is fit to burst in the height of summer. Pack a picnic and your bathers, rent your wheels and roll on south, pausing for photogenic glimpses of the castle and domes and spires of the Altstadt.
Stop off at the Volksgarten park for a refreshing swim in the lido, or continue south to the lavish summer palace and trick fountains at Schloss Hellbrunn. On hot summer days, Waldbad Anif is lovelier still, with its glassy green-blue waters for swimming, canoeing, wakeboarding and stand-up paddleboarding.
Insider’s tip: E-bikes, city, mountain bikes and children’s bikes can be rented at aVelo at the Staatsbrücke from April to October.
Contact: avelosalzburg.com
Price: ££
