The Continental BIKE Festival in Saalfelden Leogang will take a break in 2020 and will not take place as planned from 11 to 13 September. Unfortunately, a festival of this size, which thrives on the colourful hustle and bustle at the exhibition centre and the lively exchange of the international mountain bike scene, is not yet possible again in this form. The new date for the third edition of the mountain bike event has already been set: from 24 to 26 September 2021, the area around the Epic Bikepark Leogang will once again become a meeting point for mountain bikers. Around 10,000 visitors, 80 exhibitors and 1,000 active participants: the Continental BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang with its outdoor trade fair, numerous testing opportunities and sporting races has been a hotspot for the international mountain bike scene since 2018. ‘Until the very end, we hoped to be able to hold the BIKE Festival this year after all and give visitors the opportunity to test brand new bikes for 2021 on the varied trails in and around the Epic Bikepark Leogang,’ says Monika Weber, Event Director of the organising Delius Klasing Verlag. ‘Unfortunately, however, after intensive reviews and discussions with the partners, exhibitors and sponsors involved, we have come to the conclusion that it is not yet possible to organise a festival in the way that the MTB scene has known from our events for many years. The requirements for major events simply restrict our classic festival concept too much,’ Monika Weber continues. Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik Gmbh, also regrets having to cancel the festival after all. ‘However, it would only have been possible to hold the festival if we had made extensive changes to the popular festival concept. Instead, we will now concentrate fully on organising the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, which will take place from 7 to 11 October 2020. An organisational challenge, as the originally planned double event turned into a quadruple World Championships after the Leogang organisers agreed to take over the cancelled cross country and E-MTB events from Albstadt (GER).’ Good news for all BIKE Festival fans: there is already a new date for next year. The third edition of the Continental BIKE Festival 2021 will take place in Saalfelden Leogang from 24 to 26 September and the organisers are already working flat out to put on a great event with a spectacular programme. Starting places already booked for one of the races will automatically remain valid for the new date in 2021. Participants can send their questions by email to service@yunique.de.
With the app you are well informed about the line-up and all venues. Discover this year’s artists while listening to the festival-playlist, mark your favorites and create your own timetable for the event. With the push-notifications you are always up-to-date and get informed about concert changes and weather conditions. You will also be notified via push-notifications when a concert is already full and where places are still available. The Jazz app is now available in all app stores of Apple (iOS) and Google (Android): Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.greencopper.jazzfestivalsaalfelden Apple: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1472556436 Jazz Saalfelden Weekender - Safety measures & ticket information This year's concerts can only take place with a limited number of visitors. It was therefore mandatory to register for the free concerts for a day pass. In the past few days, the last registrations for free day passes have been issued. The paid concerts are already sold out. If the situation changes, we will of course inform you immediately. Because of the venues’ different sizes, day passes do not automatically guarantee admission, which will be "FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED". We will hang on to our visitors’ personal data for 28 days after the event so that the authorities can track attendees rapidly in case any visitor has tested positive for COVID-19. Each day pass comes equipped with a QR code, which will be scanned directly at the entrances to the venues. Visitors therefore will not have to register at the ticket information booth prior to the event.
In addition to the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill and Cross Country World Championships, the Red Bull UCI Pump Track World Championships and the medal decisions in the e-mountain bike discipline will also take place for the first time. Eight years after the biking region's first appearance on the world championship stage, the international bike scene will once again be competing for world championship honours in Saalfelden Leogang in October 2020. From 7 to 11 October, five days of pure action await with a whopping 15 golden decisions - the World Championship organiser Saalfelden Leogang is thus giving the hard-hit mountain bike calendar planning security. ‘We have increasingly seen it as our responsibility to make the World Championships possible for the riders, teams and sponsors, but also for the fans,’ explains Kornel Grundner, World Championships organiser and Managing Director of Leoganger Bergbahnen. An organisational challenge, as the originally planned double event became a quadruple World Championships after the Leogang organisers agreed to take over the cancelled Cross Country and E-MTB competitions from Albstadt (GER): ‘The UCI approached us and asked whether we saw a way to integrate the Cross Country and E-MTB competitions from the cancelled Albstadt World Championships into our Downhill and Pump Track World Championships. After we had checked everything internally, it was clear to us that we could manage a quadruple World Championships and wanted to take on the challenge,’ says Marco Pointner, World Championships organiser and Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik. Safety has top priority Around ten weeks before the start of the UCI 2020 Mountain Bike and Pump Track World Championships, the downhill, cross country, e-mountain bike and pump track championships are continuing to take shape. Despite the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting difficulties in planning, the organisers are trying to make the championships accessible to spectators: ‘We are currently working closely with the authorities and are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to hold the event with a limited number of visitors,’ says Marco Pointner. ‘Of course we want spectators on the course, that's simply part of it and is what makes Leogang and the sport of mountain biking so special. However, our top priority is to be able to organise the World Championships and not endanger anyone,’ adds Kornel Grundner and explains: ’The biggest challenge is to be prepared for all eventualities. We are currently working on four different ‘corona-compatible’ concepts. Firstly for all athletes and teams, then for the entire media sector from journalists to the TV team, for all our own employees and helpers as well as for spectators along the route and in designated corridors.’ Austria's medal hopes eagerly await the World Championships Fans along the course would also like to see the two Austrian medal hopes Valentina Höll and Laura Stigger. Vali Höll is making her World Championship debut in the elite class on her home track. The Saalbach native knows the ‘Speedster’ downhill world championship track like the back of her hand. At the 2019 World Cup, she rode to a winning time in the junior class, which would have been enough for third place in the elite class. Good omens: ‘For us downhillers, the World Championships will be the first big race of the year. So I'm all the happier that it can take place at all and then at my home. I'm super happy that everyone is so positive and motivated, which gives me an extra boost.’ This is Laura Stigger's second home World Championships after she celebrated a sensational gold medal in the junior competition at the 2018 Road World Championships in Innsbruck: ‘As an athlete, you can only wish for a home World Championships. It's an absolute dream come true for me after we had to fear that nothing could take place this year. Of course, my motivation has increased accordingly. I'm particularly looking forward to the technically difficult new XCO course. It should suit me.’ Experienced organisers - positive signal The bike destination has been a successful venue for the Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup for a decade. The ‘quadruple World Championships’ at the beginning of October will once again give Saalfelden Leogang the chance to consolidate its status as Austria's top spot. ‘Of course, this is a great thing for us, for the Saalfelden Leogang region and for the Epic Bikepark Leogang. We have invested a lot over many years, have developed as a reliable partner of the UCI and can once again emphasise our status as a bike destination,’ says Pointner. Voices on the World Cup: Governor Dr Wilfried Haslauer: ‘It is an important sign that, with all the caution and professionalism and with all the precautions that are necessary, we are nevertheless sending a clear signal: We can organise major sporting events even in these difficult times and are ready for the future. That is our ambition and - despite our awareness of our responsibility - it also gives us courage and joy.’ Harald Mayer, President of the Austrian Cycling Federation: ‘The World Championships in Saalfelden Leogang are an important signal for the re-start of cycling, not only in Austria but also on a global level.’ Leo Bauernberger, CEO SalzburgerLand Tourismus GmbH: ‘Since the lockdown, Austria has helped to make major international events socially acceptable again. The strict measures allow us to present ourselves on the market as a safe holiday destination. This is a good basis for a major international event such as the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Saalfelden Leogang.’ Regional Sports Councillor Stefan Schnöll: ‘When the idea of turning the double World Championships into a quadruple World Championships came to us, we were convinced by the safety and event concept. I see the World Championships as an important sign of life for the sports scene in general.’ Picture description: from left: Leo Bauernberger, Marco Pointner, Laura Stigger, Stefan Schnöll, Vali Höll, Wilfried Haslauer, Kornel Grundner, Harald Mayer
Organizers Marco Pointner and Kornel Grundner give exciting insights into how the event is organized, especially in difficult times: "We have seen ourselves increasingly responsible for making the World Championships possible for the riders, teams and sponsors, but also for the fans.” Five days of pure action with 15 golden chances – Saalfelden Leogang, the host of the World Championships, gives the heavily adjusted mountain bike calendar a bit of security. Approximately eleven weeks before the start of the UCI 2020 Mountain Bike and Pump Track World Championships, which will take place 7-11 October, the title battles in Downhill, Cross-Country, E-Mountain Bike and Pump Track are taking shape. After consultation with the UCI, organiser Saalfelden Leogang can now officially announce the schedule for the quadruple World Championships. The festivities will start in the usual manner with the Cross-Country Team Relay race on Wednesday, October 7. On the same day, two more medals will be awarded when the E-MTB stars, both women and men, take to the track. On Thursday, the juniors will compete for gold, silver and bronze in Cross-Country. On Friday, the men's U23s will compete in Cross-Country. Afterwards men and women will duel each other on the Pump Track for the coveted rainbow jerseys. The Pump Track competition will signal the end of the third day of competition. The World Championship weekend starts with the U23 Cross-Country women. In the Olympic discipline, the two Elite competitors will then give it their all on the demanding circuit. The final day of competition on Sunday offers four more decisions - all of them Downhill. First, the Junior women and then the Junior men will rocket down the Speedster, before the Women's and Men's Elite finish the quadruple World Championships. Spectator situation still uncertain Despite the uncertainty caused by the Corona pandemic and the resulting difficulty in planning, the organisers are trying to make the title races accessible to spectators. A decision on this has not yet been made. All current information is also available at: www.bikewm2020.com "Prepared for all eventualities" – 3 questions for the organizers Marco Pointner and Kornel Grundner Organizers Marco Pointner, CEO Saalfelden Leogang Touristik, and Kornel Grundner, CEO Leoganger Bergbahnen/Bikepark Leogang, give exciting insights into the origins of the quadruple World Championships and the organizational challenges: How did it come about that Saalfelden Leogang now hosts the quadruple World Championships? Marco: “The UCI contacted us and asked if we saw an opportunity to integrate the Cross-Country and E-MTB competitions of the World Championships from Albstadt into our Downhill and Pumptrack World Championships. After we checked everything internally, it was clear to us that we could tackle a quadruple World Championships and that we wanted to take on the challenge.” What are the biggest challenges right now? Kornel: “The short-term is not optimal and rather unusual. The tracks for the Cross-Country competitions have yet to be completed. But the biggest challenge is that we are prepared for all eventualities. We don’t know how the pandemic will develop. Thus, we are currently working on four different "corona-ready" concepts. First of all for all athletes and teams, then for the entire media sector from journalists to TV teams, for all our own employees and helpers, as well as for spectators along the track and in designated corridors. Of course, we want spectators on the track, that's just part of it and what makes Leogang and mountain bike sport so special. But the top priority is that we can host the World Champs and not endanger anyone.” Nevertheless, the quadruple World Championships is extremely gratifying for the Saalfelden Leogang region, isn't it? Marco: “Of course it's a great thing for us, for the Saalfelden Leogang region and for Epic Bikepark Leogang. We have invested a lot over many years, have developed as a reliable UCI partner and can once again underline our status as a top bike destination. But for us, it was also about the sport, the riders and everything around it. We have increasingly seen ourselves as responsible for making a World Championship possible for the riders, teams and sponsors, but also for the fans.” Upon request, all tours can be accompanied and led by qualified guides of the school Element Outdoorsports as well as an individual training to improve your skills. To make your biking holiday absolutely perfect, special bike hotels such as Salzburger Hof, Bio Hotel Rupertus, Hotel Bacher, Hotel Riederalm, Hotel Ritzenhof, Mama Thresl, Hotel Krallerhof, Hotel Forsthofalm and Hotel Der Löwe and competent bike shops such as Sport Mitterer or Sport 2000 Simon are at your service: www.saalfelden-leogang.com/en/region-experience/bike/bikehotels As of today, Saalfelden Leogang, together with Saalbach Hinterglemm and Fieberbrunn, has become Austria's largest bike region The skicircus, the combined name for the three regions during the winter season, will now also work together during the summer, expanding their collaboration to a year-round effort, and creating Austria's largest bike region. The Saalbach Hinterglemm trails are only a stone's throw away from Epic Bikepark Leogang and together, the region offers seven mountains, nine lifts and over 70 kilometres of trails, all ready and waiting to be explored.
When the Austrian government announced on April 17 that it was canceling all cultural events until the end of August due to Covid-19, we were saddened to learn that our festival would be affected as well. A summer without cultural events and without the Saalfelden Jazz Festival seemed to us like a summer without flowers blooming, without birds chirping, and without picnics on green pastures. When it became clear by the end of May that events could take place again if organizers followed certain guidelines, we immediately met in our backyard, turned on the barbecue, and brainstormed ideas that led to concrete plans. That’s how we came up with the JAZZ SAALFELDEN WEEKENDER! Within just a few weeks, we created a music festival for all musical tastes to stand in for our annual jazz festival. Musical events will run the gamut from jazz to pop and will take place on a variety of stages—at the Ranch, the city park, Kunsthaus Nexus, Fuchs bookbindery, the Schloss Ritzen Museum, and on alpine pastures such as Forsthofalm and Stöcklalm. Thanks to Father Alois Moser, concerts will even take place at Saalfelden’s parish church—a first in the festival’s history! The evening concert at the Ranch on August 20 as well as the three music walks on August 21, 22, and 23 will require paid admission. All other concerts in the Saalfelden city center will be free of charge. Day passes for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are now on sale in our online shop: https://www.jazzsaalfelden.com/en/tickets/buy-tickets-online Saalfelden will once again reclaim its status as a music mecca in the middle of the mountains this year—and send out a message of confidence, optimism, and joy! While going forward with our exciting plans, we are also taking the current situation very seriously and will therefore allow only a limited number of guests to our free concerts. In cooperation with our COVID-19 expert, we have developed a comprehensive plan to safeguard the health and well-being of our visitors, artists, and employees at the different venues. Information about safety measures such as compulsory mask-wearing and social distancing can be found at: https://www.jazzsaalfelden.com/en/tickets/Ticket-Info This year, these safety measures require visitors to register for free day passes. Because of the venues’ different sizes, day passes do not automatically guarantee admission, which will be "FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED". We will hang on to our visitors’ personal data for 28 days after the event so that the authorities can track attendees rapidly in case any visitor has tested positive for COVID-19. Each day pass comes equipped with a QR code, which will be scanned directly at the entrances to the venues. Visitors therefore will not have to register at the ticket information booth prior to the event. Please register online: https://www.jazzsaalfelden.com/en/tickets/buy-tickets-online In spite of all these restrictions, we are confident that we can host a successful and—in many ways—very special musical weekend in Saalfelden.
It has recently become available from the Saalfelden Leogang Tourist Office. On 158 pages, the new year-round magazine presents the best of nature, experiences for young and old, cultural offerings and insider tips. The reading material is rounded off with authentic stories from the locals and pictures that awaken a longing for mountains and holidays. ‘Holidays in the mountains’ evokes associations that could not be better fulfilled than here in Saalfelden Leogang: impressive mountain panoramas of the Leoganger Steinberge and the Steinerne Meer, world-class winter sports and the unique Epic Bikepark Leogang in summer, picturesque panoramic trails, extraordinary hikes and cultural highlights. In addition, there are numerous Alpine pastures with excellent Austrian home cooking, a variety of toque-awarded restaurants - honoured by Gault-Millau - and a creative top-class hotel industry that offers incomparable guest experiences. However, it is the locals who make Saalfelden Leogang so unique - their natural hospitality, which stems from a deep, inner contentment. This is partly due to the picturesque beauty of the surrounding nature and partly because the valley's 3,200-year history as a mining centre has significantly shaped its culture. And the local organic farming in Saalfelden Leogang also shows what sustainable management can look like. The new magazine is an expression of this. Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Touristik, is delighted: ‘The new magazine gives an insight into how the beauty of the mountains can be celebrated here in a unique way. Exciting personalities are brought before the curtain and our leading products are perfectly showcased. Saalfelden Leogang offers beautiful nature and exciting activities/events all year round. The region is constantly developing in terms of quality and innovation and is now one of the most important tourist destinations in Austria. This result is only possible because the various service partners in the region pull together. Following the further development of our public image in recent years, it was now also time to work on our printed materials and we are delighted that our new magazine has already been so well received. The magazine inspires locals and guests alike.’ In collaboration with Nectar & Pulse, a creative agency from Berlin with Austrian roots, the new product has been in the making for a year and a half. Christian and Tanja Roos from Nectar & Pulse have already launched numerous travel guides with the title ‘Glücklich in...’ (Happy in...) together with the Süddeutsche Zeitung and are also publishers of an online magazine with a heart. Christian & Tanja Roos are delighted about the collaboration: ‘Saalfelden Leogang has long been one of our favourite regions. For us, it is one of the most beautiful places of longing when it comes to the famous ‘holiday in the Austrian mountains’. We have seen many parts of the world, but this particular region offers a breathtaking slice of what many people fly to faraway countries for. Also in relation to current issues such as the climate crisis and coronavirus, it may become more important to look inwards again, to be grateful and humble for what life offers. Innovative tourism regions in particular can make a major contribution to this. And so we are delighted to have worked together with those responsible for the region on such a great travel guide and to now hold the hot-off-the-press copy in our hands.’
1) ‘The Elephant Man’ After Bernard Pomerance Circus tent Leogang 31 July, 1/8/15 August 2020, each at 8 pm Content: In 1884, the physician Dr Frederick Treves discovers the grotesquely disfigured John Merrick at a London fair, who has been given the nickname ‘the Elephant Man’ by a cruel fate. Partly out of pity, partly out of scientific curiosity, Treves takes the terminally ill man into his clinic. But this merely changes the stage for Merrick: from now on, his life is played out in the glare of the public eye instead of the fairground stalls. But behind the supposedly compassionate attention for him is ultimately just the same sensationalism that Merrick once had to endure at the fair. ‘The Elephant Man’ is the story of an outsider through whose eyes we look into a mirror in which we ultimately recognise ourselves. Joseph Carey Merrick (1862-1890) went down in the annals of the Victorian era as the ‘Elephant Man’. ‘Freaks’ like Merrick were among the most popular attractions at the kingdom's fairs in a sensationalist society that sought - and still seeks - its ideal image of beauty and harmony in disgust at the Other. For more than 20 years, we have been balancing on the fine line between inclusion and ‘showing off’ those involved to satisfy the pure voyeurism of the audience in our attempts to involve people with a wide range of disabilities in professional theatre work. Hardly any other theatre material addresses this tightrope walk as clearly as ‘The Elephant Man’ by Bernard Pomerance. We embark on this tightrope walk self-critically and without safety. Freak show included. With: Anna Adensamer, Salim Chreiki, Gerard Es, Kunigunde Eschbacher, Gerhard Fagerer, Reinhold Gerl, Florian Heis, Kristin Henkel, Josef Kocher, Anna Loch, Alexander Lughofer, Pamina Milewska, Vinko Najdek Live music: Ripoff Raskolnikov Costume: Viktoria Semperboni Stage: Alois Ellmauer Choreography: Anna Adensamer Production: Reinhold Tritscher Legal representation: LITAG Theaterverlag Munich 2) ‘Icarus’ - The dream of flying and crashing ... and of being caught Circus tent Leogang 2/15 August 2020, 5 pm each day Family play from 2019 for everyone aged 5-99 years Content: A story about a father and son, about going astray and coming together, about hopelessness and liberation, about overconfidence and ‘falling flat on your face’, the dream of flying and crashing... and being caught. The story of Daedalus and Icarus is brought to the stage in a playful way with lots of acrobatics and the famous musician Robert Kainar. Acting and acrobatics: Pamina Milewska, Stefan Ried Live music: Robert Kainar Acrobatics training and choreography: Ulfried Kirschhofer Costumes: Lili Brit Pfeiffer Stage: Alois Ellmauer Production: Reinhold Tritscher 3) ‘Fat Pig’ by Neil LaBute Kunsthaus Nexus Saalfelden 6/7/13/14 August 2020, each at 8 pm Content: Helen is almost Tom's dream woman: intelligent, quick-witted, charming - but very fat. So he prefers not to introduce her to his colleagues. With good reason, because as soon as his friend Carter sees a picture of Helen, he forwards it to the whole company by email. And Tom's ex-girlfriend Jenny becomes hysterical when she finds out that Tom is going out with this ‘fat pig’. Helen's weight is not the problem - she has long since come to terms with her fullness. Tom, on the other hand, is increasingly unsettled by the pressure to conform and social control. An astute analysis of a society in which even love is subject to the rules of marketability and the choice of partner has an impact on one's own market value. Acting: Bina Blumencron, Kristin Henkel, Wolfgang Kandler, Alexander Lughofer Costumes: Lili Brit Pfeiffer Stage: Hannes Öhlböck Production: Ben Pascal Performance rights: Rowohlt Theatre Publishers 4) ‘Schnalzen’ - guest performance by kollektiv kollinski Circus tent Leogang 9 August 2020, 8 pm Content: Having worked hard all his life, a farmer finds ‘something strange’ in his field: ‘What is it? What is it doing? Clean it off, says one, pick it up, says the other, but I won't grab it!’ Snapping is archaic, snapping goes through the marrow and bone, snapping is supersonic. SCHNALZEN is a performative parable about the myth of the unknown. The collective KOLLINSKI brings together (puppet) theatre, (folk) culture, (live) snapping and (electronic) music and constructs ‘the unknown’ together with the snapping group from Maria Alm. Director and play development: Simon Windisch Idea, performance and play development: Susanne Lipinski Puppet construction, puppetry and play development: Bethi Nock Music (live and composition): Gudrun Plaichinger Snapping, stomping and making music: Lukas Schnaitl and Martin Hofer (Schnalzergruppe Maria Alm under the direction of Alois Gruber) Puppet coach: Manuela Linshalm SCHNALZEN was created as a co-event with ARGEkultur and was co-financed by the city, state (Salzburg) and federal government. ‘SCHNALZEN is fuelled by contrasts. No stone is left unturned here. Homeland and foreignness are deconstructed with folk culture and the contemporary, with puppetry and the sounds of snails. Broken down into its individual parts, it is up to each viewer to create a new image of the foreign. Indeed, the time seems favourable. If not after an evening like this, then when?’ (Veronika Zangl, culture blog ‘what i saw from the cheap seats’) 5) Inclusive workshop week for children, growing children and adults 10-14 August 2020, 9 am - 4 pm each day As part of the VOLXOMMER festival, an inclusive workshop week for children, growing adults and adults will take place again this year. From 10-14 August, participants can look forward to a wide range of workshops in the fields of drama, music, photography, video art, LandArt, visual arts, acrobatics, dance and a printing workshop under the title ‘Palace of Wonders’. The workshops start at 9 a.m. and can be booked until 4 p.m., including lunch and supervision. It is also possible to book only the morning and/or afternoon workshops. The number of participants per workshop is limited to a maximum of 12 people. Due to the Covid-19 regulations, the workshops take place decentralised in Saalfelden, Lofer, Leogang and Maishofen. The results will then be presented on a smaller scale in the respective locations. The ‘WÜDWUX’ project, funded by the LEADER Salaachtal region, aims to make artistic employment as accessible as possible for all social groups. The workshops are equally suitable for people with and without disabilities and are led by members of the ecce theatre ensemble. No prior knowledge is required. Naturally, we ensure that all necessary safety measures are carefully observed. We would like to thank our funding bodies, partners and sponsors for their support! Sponsors: City of Salzburg, Province of Salzburg, bka Kunst, Municipality of Saalfelden, Leader Region Saalachtal Sponsors: Salzburger Sparkasse, Trumer Privatbrauerei, Leoganger Bergbahnen, Kulturverein Freiraum Partners: Saalfelden Leogang Touristik GmbH, Kulturverein Freiraum Leogang, Museum Schloss Ritzen Saalfelden, Gemeinde Leogang, Kunsthaus Nexus Saalfelden, Lebenshilfe Salzburg, Laube sozialpsychiatrische Aktivitäten GmbH, SZENE Salzburg, ARGEkultur Salzburg, OVAL - Die Bühne im EUROPARK, Hunger auf Kunst und Kultur SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE! Status 9.6.2020
A farm shop in a lovingly converted horse stable, a pick-up station for organic vegetables and a distillery that also produces gin and vodka - these are all stops on the e-bike pleasure tour. The route is just as suitable for e-bike pros as it is for beginners - the important thing is that cyclists bring time for an enjoyable tour. Plenty of bike service is provided on site. A refreshing change from the enjoyable stops is a dip in the Ritzensee lake. Saalfelden Leogang is one of Austria's largest bike regions The bike offer in Saalfelden Leogang is unique, including the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships 2020, the Epic Bikepark Leogang and the BIKE Festival Saalfelden Leogang. New from 2020: Saalfelden Leogang, together with Saalbach Hinterglemm and Fieberbrunn, forms Austria's largest bike region, ensuring boundless biking fun. But there is also plenty of pleasure to be had: The tour starts at the Asitz valley station in Leogang and leads via the centre of Saalfelden to the Ritzensee lake. You return to Leogang via Breitenbergham and Uttenhofen. In sober figures, that's 32.8 kilometres, approx. 2.5 hours of riding time and 330 metres in altitude. Much more important than the numbers are the special places, original dishes and exciting producers with their regional specialities. The best for at home from farm shops: an alpaca stable, a converted horse stable and round-the-clock organic vegetables If you want to take a delicious holiday memory home with you, you will find a large selection of Pinzgau delicacies in the Leogang village shop - where you can also buy Leogang organic sausage and meat products. The ‘Gerstbodner Troadladl’, the Ziererhof farm shop, is known for its dairy and cereal products. Off to the stables is the motto at HPH anno 1905 - a village shop that was created from a former, lovingly remodelled horse stable and has already won several awards for its home-made butter. A special farm shop is that of the Saalfelden alpaca stable, which produces a wide range of products from socks to baby sleeping bags from its own alpaca breed. Incidentally, alpaca wool is one of the most valuable and precious natural fibres in the world. If you want to get to know the alpacas, you can book one of the trekking tours and set off in fluffy company. The Stechaubauer organic farm is also definitely worth a stop on the tour. No matter what time of day or night: there are always fresh organic vegetables here. In the vegetable hut, a self-service vending machine where you select your vegetables via touchscreen and then pull them out of the corresponding compartment. Filled leaf doughnuts, honey vinegar and sea buckthorn wild fruit juice Pinzgau and the Saalfelden Leogang region in particular are known for their specialities. You should definitely try the Pinzgauer Bladl. These are filled doughnuts with sauerkraut, which are served on certain days at the Klampfererhof. In addition to culinary specialities, Gasthof Hubertus also serves beer from its own brewery - the Palfen Lassing, a light top-fermented pale ale, is currently the perfect seasonal beer. You should also plan a proper Brettljause at the rustic Sinnlehenalm at an altitude of 950 metres - on the Brettl there is freshly baked bread, bacon and cheese from the alpine dairy. If you fancy something sweet after so much savoury food, you should visit the Höttl apiary. With a show beehive, it provides insights into the fascinating world of bees. The shop sells unusual creations such as honey vinegar or creamed honey with roasted almonds. Fancy something high-proof? At the Tribuser small distillery, you can buy brandies made from raspberries and rowan berries and also taste them in ‘bike-friendly quantities’. It is interesting to take a look inside the distillery. The sea buckthorn products are a speciality, as the sea buckthorn is grown on site. If you fancy even more high-proof spirits, you should plan a tour stop at Herzog's schnapps distillery: In one of the most modern distilleries in Europe, Pinzgau gin and vodka are also produced alongside fine brandies. Lots of services for e-bikers The Saalfelden Leogang region offers very special tours for e-bikers. These include tours through the Steinerne Meer, XXL tours and pleasure tours. If you don't have your own e-mountainbike, you can hire one from Sport Mitterer at the Asitzbahn cable car at any time. The guides from the Elements Outdoorsports bike school have the best insider tips for all tours. For a ‘well-rounded cycling holiday’, there are special bike hotels in Saalfelden Leogang such as the Salzburger Hof, Bio Hotel Rupertus, Hotel Bacher, Hotel Riederalm, Hotel Ritzenhof, Mama Thresl, Hotel Krallerhof, Hotel Forsthofalm and Hotel Der Löwe as well as competent bike shops such as Sport Mitterer or Sport 2000 Simon.
The organisers of the Saalfelden Jazz Festival can be delighted - their poster series for the 40th anniversary, which took place in August 2019, won the 34th T.A.I. WERBE GRAND PRIX 2020 in the ‘Special Jury Prize’ category. The T.A.I. ADVERTISING GRAND PRIX is held annually in the categories of print (posters, catalogues, brochures), TV and radio commercials, websites, online & digital marketing campaigns and social media campaigns. Judging is carried out both by a specialist jury chaired by advertising expert Stefan Schmertzing (Wunderknaben agency) and - and this is what makes the T.A.I. WERBE GRAND PRIX unique - by the public. Submissions that are particularly outstanding in individual areas are honoured by the expert jury with a ‘special prize’. The idea behind the lead subject: interaction and 40th anniversary The theme of the 2019 Saalfelden Jazz Festival, which was developed by the Rahofer advertising agency as in previous years, was ‘Interaction’ in the anniversary year 2019. The story of the sound creatures RRRG, ZOXX, PHNU and NNMA, which emerged from the Sounds of Saalfelden in 2017, reached its dramatic climax last year. After their creation in 2017 and their encounter in 2018, the sound creatures finally began to interact with each other - creating new worlds of sound that manifested themselves in surprising ways. A metaphor for the joy of experimentation and innovation that has characterised the Saalfelden Jazz Festival for over 40 years.
The individual starts at 30-second intervals make the race up Saalfelden's local mountain, which is popular with mountain bikers and mountain runners alike, safe and corona-compliant. For the 8th time, Saalfelden's Biberg is at the centre of the event. As has proven to be the case in previous years, the race will once again start at the valley station of the Saalfelden summer toboggan run and finish at the Biberg mountain inn. The total distance to be covered is 5.5 km and 700 metres in altitude. The first start will be at 6 pm. In order to comply with the Covid-19 measures, the start list will be published on the organisers' website the evening before. Participants can find out their exact start times there. However, as in previous years, late registrations are still possible up to one hour before the start. The award ceremony will take place at the Berggasthof Biberg, exclusively outdoors. In order to ensure fair competition, the best mountain bikers and mountain runners will be determined in different age groups. There will also be an e-bike classification again this year. The coveted Biberg-Hirsch trophy awaits the fastest runners in all competitions.
