EXPERIENCE FAAK AM SEE THE OTHER WAY AROUND

The Malta High Alpine Road is on the program

A new day and a new destination is on the agenda, after breakfast we want to ride the Malta High Alpine Road today. From Velden to Malta is a little over 70 kilometers, of course we are not talking about Malta in the Mediterranean, but about a small town in Austria, which lies at the foot of the Hochalmstraße.

The village of Malta belongs to the municipality of Carinthia and is now not a world tour if you are somewhere in the area of the Lake Faak you can quickly reach the Almstrasse. But that doesn't matter, we're set for a relaxed and beautiful day, we'll take it easy.

MALTE-HOCHALMSTRASSE

The destination is the dam and the restaurant behind the dam, which can be reached by driving a little further.

Geöffnet ist die Malta-Hochalmstrasse abhängig vom Wetter in der Regel von Anfang Mai, bis zum 1. November. Die Tageskarte kostet für das Motorrad 18,00€ und wenn man öfter dort hinauf möchte, gibt es ein 3 Wochen Ticket für 44,00€.

Malta-Hochalmstraße - Current toll

Motorcycles currently pay € 18 per day or get the 3-week pass for € 44. If you have the Kärnten Card, you can ride for free - but passengers still pay € 6 per person. The road opens every year in May and remains open until the end of October, from 07:00 to 18:00.

By the way: If you have several panoramic roads on your list, the panoramic road ticket for around € 54.50 is worthwhile - this saves a lot of money compared to individual tickets.

You can expect a route of 14.4 kilometers with 9 hairpin bends and 6 tunnels. Some of the tunnels can only be driven through in one direction and are regulated by traffic lights. At the reservoir you are at an altitude of 1,933 m, the air is already getting a little thinner, but you can still manage.

Driving requirements

After we had all paid, the ride began. Nine hairpin bends are actually manageable. It basically goes straight up the mountain and there are a few bends along the way. There is one hairpin bend in the middle of a tunnel where you have to be careful, as the road is usually wet and you have to go around a corner. Otherwise, it's an easy ride in beautiful surroundings.

Tours around the European Bike Week

It is roads like these that make the region around Lake Faak so attractive. Who wants to European Bike Week combines a festival atmosphere with impressive tours such as the Malta-Hochalmstraße, the Nockberge or the Wurzenpass. While the hustle and bustle is going on down by the lake, winding roads, panoramas and small adventures await in the mountains, making every ride something special. It is this mix of Harley spirit and Alpine landscape that makes Bike Week unique.

Text & picture credits: Harleysite