This is the fourteenth stage of a tour through Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The routes have been plotted and driven in 2015 by Marc Telkamp.

After you've spoiled yourself with a good night's sleep and a delicious breakfast, it's time to get on the bike. Not to continue your return to the Netherlands, but to postpone it for a day. Today you make a tour over a number of breathtaking mountain passes in the mighty Kärnten.

Your bike may feel uncomfortable due to the lighter weight. The luggage can remain in the hotel and means that you can enjoy all the curves to the maximum today. And you will definitely get it!

On the way to your first mountain pass you can first refuel in the valley towards the Millstätter See. You will pass this lake on your route to Nockalmstraße. Driving along the Millstätter See you could get the feeling that you are driving through one of the Norwegian fjords: the high mountains plunge into the steep coast along the lake. At rp 3 you can stop by the side of the road to take in the view and take pictures.

Immediately after the photo stop you leave the lake and turn towards the North. After passing the ski village Bad Kleinkirchheim (where World Cup ski competitions are regularly organized), the ascent towards Nockalmstraße begins. First pay a toll at the toll booth (rp 4), after which the climb of about 800 meters to the top of the Nockalmstraße starts immediately.

The wonderful curves festival is only interrupted by the possible photo stops and a coffee break at the Glockenhütte (rp 6). You can park right in front of the refuge in one of the motorcycle parking spaces. The view from here is impressive. If you want to enjoy this longer: in the Glockenhütte you have lockers where you can safely store your motorcycle clothing and helmet. This gives you the opportunity to make an easy and carefree walk in the nature reserve. Then take a moment to ring the Wunschglocke ("Singatzn"). The story goes that in the past witches on top of the mountain raised bad weather to make life difficult for the farmers in the area. One day, a farmer's wife climbed the mountain with a cow bell. The ringing of this bell chased the witches away, preventing them from generating bad weather. Since then the bell has been hanging there permanently. No longer so much as a deterrent to witches, but to make wishes come true. For those who really don't want an end to their holiday, know what to do here ...

After this break, the cornering party will continue as usual. There seems to be no end to this delightful 34km long mountain pass. Along the way you can again take pictures at beautiful viewpoints. One of them is marked as the "Eisentalhöhe", the highest point of the Nockalmstraße (2042m). From this point, the descent is really started to the valley where you reach the L19 and B99 at an altitude of about 750m.

But rest assured, this connection route also steers pleasantly. The wonderfully winding road is well paved and offers space to dance with your hip swinging towards the toll gate of the Malta Hochalmstraße (rp 8). After the compulsory financial support for the maintenance of the Panorama Street, a beautiful ride to the Kölnbreinsperre begins. A climb of 14.4 km to an altitude of 1,934m takes you to the highest reservoir in Austria. Along the way you will encounter a number of special places. The area is known for its many waterfalls. Two of them are easy to visit from the road and are also marked with waypoints. The Melnik waterfall (rp 9) can be seen from the road. The second waterfall - the Hinterer Maralmfall - cannot be seen directly from the road, but is easy to visit. At rp 10 there is a good chance that you will end up in front of a red traffic light. After the traffic light, a number of narrow hairpin bends and tunnels await you. They are so narrow that you don't want to run into oncoming traffic! From the traffic light it is a short walk to the waterfall. You can enjoy the waterfall here without worries, because a clock at the viewing platform indicates how many minutes it will take before the traffic light turns green. Tip: let all traffic pass and make sure you are first at the traffic light on the next round. With no traffic in front of you, you can enjoy driving up the tunnels and hairpin bends!

Once at the top at the Kölnbreinsperre (rp 12) the real challenge begins. At least, for people with a fear of heights: the Airwalk is a glass balcony in the middle of the dam. With an unobstructed view of the abyss 200m below your feet you realize how high the dam is ... and how much water behind you have to push on this dam. The English pronunciation “ignorance is bliss” certainly applies here too. People who visit the interior of the power plant learn that during the period when the area behind the dam was filled with water, cracks appeared in the dam wall. Of course these have been restored, but still ...

Before you start your way down, it might be nice to let the adrenaline sink in the mountain hotel next to the reservoir. Enjoy the reservoir and the mountain peaks around you for a while, after which you drive back to the B99. Even if you drive the same way back, it remains a true experience and pleasure to drive.

The ride back to the hotel is started via the B99 and a number of smaller roads. Along the way you can take a break at Gasthaus Kolmwirt and take in the 3-valleys view. With a bit of luck and clear weather, you can see your lodging address in Sachsenburg in the valley below.

The route receives 5 stars. It is an absolute winner with a number of breathtaking mountain passes. The asphalt is simply a billiard cloth, the curves endless and the views magnificent. Wherever you drive and look, it is a long route full of pleasure.