Matzalm Trail

Natural landscape or not - at The Epic Bikepark Leogang you can forget about time and space and simply have a good MTB time. After two epic days at the park, however, we are drawn out into the wild. And if we're going to do it, we want it to be pure nature! So we start our tour without any lift assistance. Instead, we pedal leisurely up the mountain to the start of our trail. Alternating between the bike park and the varied tours is the norm here in Saalfelden Leogang. Why should you limit yourself in Austria's largest bike region?

It's not so much the downhill freaks who enjoy themselves here, but a wild and friendly mix of families, tourers and bike park riders. This atmosphere of diversity is particularly apparent when you arrive at the Asitzbahn valley station. Dozens of children are romping around in the Riders Playground practice area, taking part in courses or simply playing in the park. Right next door, wild tricks are tried out in the airbag and one step further up, the 5,000 m² pump track is populated. Everyone who enjoys mountain biking meets up here, regardless of age and ability.

In addition to the numerous trails in the bike park, the trail network around this hotspot has been further developed in recent years. The Matzalm Trail is one of the first trails to be created in this way. We follow the tranquil Schwarzbachtal valley to just below the Asitzbahn mountain station - where the entrance to the trail awaits us. In front of us is a marvellously natural path - winding down through the forest over roots, rocks and in some narrow bends. As if in a tunnel of green and brown - this is our very own definition of flow. We are completely focussed on the path, on dealing with wet roots and slippery stones, on circling around tight bends and reading the ground.

A narrow strip of earth shows us the way through ferns, mosses and primeval giant trees. Although this forest is located in Austria, it is surprisingly owned by the Bavarian State Forests. They acquired the forest back in the days of the monarchy to fire the salt works in Bad Reichenhall.

This special form of nature trails fits in perfectly with Saalfelden Leogang's self-image, as closeness to nature and sustainability seem to be mottos to which the region has committed itself:

• the majority of farms work organically
• most of the regional products are sold in the region to local tourism businesses
• there is a village shop and a self-service vending machine for milk and sausage products - for example at the valley station of the mountain railway

When it comes to trails, the approach has also been very close to nature for some time now: The Knappentrail, for example, is one of the newer hand-built MTB nature trails that opened in spring 2021. It branches off from the Schwarzleotrail and joins it again at the end.

We pass the eponymous Matzalm in the lower third of the trail and a little later the Embachalm - here we cross open alpine meadows, with the Leoganger Steinberge always in view. This huge karst mountain range is criss-crossed with caves and has an imposing appearance. In the village, we roll down to the valley station of the Asitzbahn cable car - get some fresh buttermilk and yoghurt from the vending machine and watch the colourful hustle and bustle in the bike park. It's exciting to see how different people come together here and have fun in the great outdoors. Bikers and hikers, downhillers and tourers, young and old.