Osttirol (East Tyrol) in the Austrian Alps

September 28, 2025

The Tyrol (Tirol in German, Tirolo in Italian), now encompassing western Austria and northern Italy, is a region of the Alps that was a county of the Holy Roman Empire from the 2nd century CE. Afterward, it passed from feudal lord to bishop to prince-bishop, from one dynasty to another, inherited by some, consolidated by marriage, conquered then ceded by war. It’s 2000 years of convoluted power-grabbing and fighting over the trade routes across the Alps. Following WWI, the Osttirol (East Tyrol) has been part of Austria, while the South Tyrol (Trentino-Alto Adige) has been part of Italy. People in this part of the Alps have been Tyrolean for two thousand years, and Austrian/Italian for only one hundred. My brain can’t comprehend that kind of time line. It was odd to hear German in Italy, and to experience kindred cultures across official borders. I didn’t know any of this when I signed us up for a cycling tour of the “Austrian Alps and Italian Dolomites.” And as the distinction between Austrian and Italian is murky, turns out the Dolomites are a sub-range of the Eastern Alps.

We met the Backroads crew at the Salzburg train station, a group of like-minded travelers who enjoy seeing new places by bicycle. After a shuttle to Lofer, Austria, a quick orientation, and we’re off! Lunch was a stop at the town of Saalfelden, before pedaling on to Zell am See and the picturesque Lake Zell, and finally to Maria Alm, a small alpine village known for winter sports and skiing. I noticed many Alpine towns were named "Alm" and finally looked it up: "Alm" is German for a seasonal mountain pasture for grazing animals in the Alps, which is how many of these villages began. The views of the Maria Alm parish church and cemetery framed by the majestic Alps and the Hochkönig (high king) mountain appear almost contrived, like being on a green screen.

The next morning, while the mountains were still shrouded in mist, we took a gondola up to Postalm for a 2 mile hike to enjoy the views. Nine months after the fracture and surgery, it’s still easier on my bum ankle to be on a bike than to walk, especially when shoes tend to rub on the screw head that I can feel protruding from my lateral malleolus. 

The snows have already begun in the high mountain passes, so we had to miss the Hochalpenstrasse (High Alpine Road). Instead, the shuttle drove us into a long tunnel through the mountains to Matrei. From here, we could cycle into Lienz with views of the Dolomites, the "pale mountains" made of carbonate rock dolomite.

We spent 2 days biking around Lienz. The mountains were hidden in clouds, too shy to stay out for photographs, but during hours on the bicycle, I’d look up to see a snowy summit briefly peaking out through the clouds. It caught my breath how beautiful it was.

Our brief time in the Austrian Alps was capped by a Schuhplattler interactive performance in Lienz. It's a folk dance where the men stomp, slap their thighs, jump, and leap in lederhosen. It's said that the dance originated from watching male birds performing their mating dance, and I can totally see it. Wonderful way to say goodbye to Austria. We next cross the border into Italy!