Drava Cycle Path Stage 1: Toblach-Lienz/Pustertal

The official starting point of the Drava Cycle Path is the Toblach train station, located slightly west of the Drava source. From the station, start by turning left onto an asphalted path parallel to the railway, passing the heating plant and continuing on a cycle path near the tracks to Innichen (about 3 kilometers of cycle path). At the beginning of Innichen, switch to the regular road and go straight at the first intersection into the traffic-calmed zone.

Innichen / S. Candido
At the Kupferdachl restaurant by the priority road, turn left at a sharp angle, then right at the next intersection, past the church, left again, and right onto the larger road. Before the Drava bridge, turn right onto the road passing the Botenbrücke and continue on the cycle path along the Drava to Obervierschach. In the town, follow the road towards the river, just before it turn right and cross the second wooden bridge over the Drava (straight ahead towards Ristorante Kathi). There you can already see a blue cycle path sign. A climb follows, at the group of houses turn right, following the signs, always on the left side of the Drava on the asphalted path, further to Winnebach. It sounds more complicated than it is.

Winnebach / Prato alla Drava
In Winnebach, cross the town road diagonally uphill and turn right before the apartment house onto an asphalted path, always following the Drava bank to the border station. You cross the border and after it continue on the embankment path. When the cycle path ends, turn left – at the next junction turn right back to the Drava and you reach Arnbach.
In Arnbach, go down to the main road, after crossing the federal road, cycle along the Drava continuing to Sillian. From the Kegelstube Sillian, follow the green cycle path signs to Lienz – you cycle traffic-free on the left bank.

Tassenbach
In Tassenbach, cross the Drava and the railway and leave the road to the left before the sports field. There you will find an information board of the Tyrolean hydropower plants at the recreation area. The route crosses the Drava and the railway again on a wooden bridge.

Strassen
At the foot of the northern slope lies Strassen.
The village of Hof announces itself with a magnificent farmhouse, and a wooden fence separates the grazing area from the farms – the small village Strassen lies to the left, but the route leads again over the Drava bridge.

Strassen-Hof
Turn left immediately after the bridge, in the village of Bach cross the Drava again, then keep right and do not follow the railway underpass but continue on the asphalted path over a small bridge – soon you reach the Drava again and cycle along the northern bank towards Abfaltersbach.
At the height of the church in Abfaltersbach, the route reaches a Drava bridge at a rest area; to the left you reach the village, but the main route continues straight ahead.

Abfaltersbach
From the Drava bridge, there is an alternative on the southern Drava bank for about 700 meters. The path there is unpaved but offers idyllic rest places and even a fire pit. However, the main route continues on the left bank towards Lienz. The cycle path runs close to the mountain and offers a fabulous view of the settlements on the sunny side of the valley. After about 400 meters, the path crosses the Jochbach inlet over a small bridge and continues beautifully along the right bank of the Drava. A narrow wooden footbridge allows crossing to Mittewald.

Mittewald
The asphalted riverbank path takes you swiftly through the Puster Valley away from all traffic. The route crosses the entrance to a gravel plant once. Shortly after this entrance, the sound of the Drava river rises to a roaring noise: a weir with a footbridge above it briefly holds back the water masses before releasing them with full force.
The path gently winds to the broad, gravelly mouth of the Gamsbach. The next contact with civilization are the sports and leisure facilities of Assling. There are many opportunities to relax, especially a refreshing bath.

Assling
The village of Assling is scattered into several parts on the slope on the other side of the Drava. A guesthouse with a garden is easily accessible directly after the bridge on the federal road. The village down in the valley is called Thal.
The route continues on the south bank. The Drava valley narrows increasingly and offers room for railway and road only on terraced levels on the other side of the river. Above the narrow valley Klause towers the ruin Burgfrieden. The inlet of the Galitzenbach stands out among the various tributaries. Over thousands of years the water of this brook has carved an impressive gorge into the rock, the bizarre rock formations are surrounded by roaring water. Strikingly beautiful wooden houses stand at the entrance to the Galitzen Gorge, which can be visited.
The cycle path continues on the south bank of the Drava, which now flows from this narrow passage into the Lienz basin. Surrounded by the Dolomites and the foothills of the Schober group lies Lienz, the capital of East Tyrol, at the confluence of the Isel and Drava. In this plain, the Illyrians already founded a settlement that the Romans developed into the city Aguntum.
The path leads over an idyllic wooden bridge along a smaller garden colony – following the Drava, the cycle path reaches a footbridge about 450 meters after the bridge, here you can get to Leisach. The Waldschenke already belongs to the municipality of Amlach, which lies on the south side of the river.

Lienz
Soon afterwards, you reach the first houses of Lienz – numerous sports facilities of all kinds line your way – shortly afterwards the cycle path immediately changes into the access road and the parking lot of the sports centre with swimming pool – the wide bridge that leads left over the Drava after the parking lot is equipped with a cycle path. Across this bridge, you reach the Lienz train station and the town centre.
If you want to stay on the cycle path, continue straight ahead along a chestnut avenue. At the first right curve of the street, at the end of the built-up area, watch out for the old wayside shrine, from where a narrow unpaved path branches off that you follow along the Drava to the Isel confluence – here you can now follow the Drava downstream.