Explore Salzburgerland’s stunning lakes and mountains on two wheels.
MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB
The shirtless fan in the blue wig has a beer in one hand and a chainsaw in the other. At the appointed time, he puts down his beer and revs the chainsaw to life. The noise is ear-piercing. In the crowd around him, some people whoop, some rattle cowbells and some just gawp at the steep wooded slope in front of them, down which a female mountain biker is riding at a pace that can only be described as insane. I nearly topple over just watching her.
Once she hurtles out of view, the chainsaw is turned off, the cowbells are stilled and the beer is picked up. Eyes then turn back up the track to await the arrival of the next competitor. Implausibly, she bursts into view travelling even faster, a blur of high-spec tyres and branded gear, her bike hurdling tree roots and thundering into hairpin turns. The chainsaw revs madly in appreciation.
I’m in Leogang, Austria, at the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup. It’s not a contest for the tentative. The world’s best convene here once a year to plunge down a precipitous 1.5-mile downhill course, set against a ferociously beautiful backdrop of June skies and soaring limestone peaks. It’s a two-day festival, with thousands of fans lining the course (chainsaws are only allowed trackside if their chains have been removed, by the way — lots of noise, no lost limbs) and a circus of seats, stages, stalls and team tents at the finish line.
Denne historien er fra Salzburgerland 2018-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra Salzburgerland 2018-utgaven av National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Dianne Whelan
THOUGH NOT A SEASONED HIKER TO BEGIN WITH, THE FILMMAKER BECAME THE FIRST PERSON TO COMPLETE THE WORLD'S LONGEST TRAIL NETWORK
NIGERIA
The country's many communities come together over hearty meals with plenty of heat
Katie Hale
A VOYAGE TO THE GREAT WHITE CONTINENT IS BOTH A DREAM COME TRUE AND A CALL TO ARMS, TO PROTECT OUR ICY POLES AND, IN TURN, OUR PLANET
WILTSHIRE
BEYOND THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF STONEHENGE, WILTSHIRE HAS EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE ANCIENT SITES, GIANT CHALK HORSES AND COSY PUBS IN HISTORIC VILLAGES
BATH
Thermal baths and Regency heritage have put this Somerset city firmly on the travel map - and this year the spotlight will be on former resident and literary great Jane Austen, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of her birth
GRANADA
In this Andalucian city, flamenco is an art form as well as a way of life not just for traditional dancers and singers but also for hip-hop stars, classical guitar legends and street artists
India's Golden Triangle
LINKING DELHI, THE TAJ MAHAL AND THE PINK CITY OF JAIPUR, WITH DETOURS FOR TEMPLES AND TIGERS, THIS IS THE PERFECT ROUTE FOR FIRST-TIMERS. WORDS: POOJA NAIK
FORGED BY FIRE
A SUBTROPICAL ISLAND IN THE ATLANTIC, MADEIRA HAS RUGGED VOLCANIC MOUNTAINS THAT RISE ABOVE THE CLOUDS, NATURAL SWIMMING POOLS DOWN AT SEA LEVEL AND MORE THAN 1,900 MILES OF HISTORIC AQUEDUCTS TRACING THE LANDSCAPES IN BETWEEN
ADRIFT IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
A KAYAKING EXPEDITION THROUGH NORWAY'S LOFOTEN ISLANDS OFFERS WHITE-SAND BEACHES, ROYAL ENCOUNTERS AND THE CHANCE TO CHANNEL YOUR INNER VIKING
the RETURN
ON A PRIVATE GAME RESERVE IN SOUTH AFRICA'S KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE, AN UNLIKELY CREATURE IS MAKING A TENTATIVE COMEBACK - AND VISITORS ARE OFFERED A GLIMPSE INTO THE CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO SAVE IT AND OTHER NATIVE WILDLIFE
