HOW TO COLLECT?
Collect your all-terrain adventures and become one of the world’s marvellous W-GRAVEL collectors.
If you complete a whole category, you will get a W-GRAVEL special goodie. At the end of the year, a special prize will be drawn among all W-Gravel Collectors (only with completed collections) in each category, as well as a W-GRAVEL Award including a SCOTT Addict Gravel bike.
Each route can be completed in several (day) stages and can be ridden in both directions.
All routes are available on komoot and can also be downloaded there as GPX files.
To follow the route, you will need a device such as a bike computer or mobile phone that can navigate you smoothly on all terrains. The routes are not signposted along the way.
COLLECTOR‘S CATEGORIES
The Pleasure Collector
For all gentle & enjoying gravel connoisseurs
EVENTS
1 event participation – at least the shortest distance of one event (former “Jeroboam Austria” counts)
COLLECTIVE RIDES
1 collective ride
OPEN ROUTES
5 routes with 0-80 km
2 routes with 80-120 km
The Grand Funhogger
For everyone with just endless love for all-terrain cycling
EVENTS
2 event participations – at least the middle distance at two events (former “Jeroboam Austria” counts)
COLLECTIVE RIDES
2 collective rides
OPEN ROUTES
4 routes with 0-80 km
5 routes with 80-120 km
3 routes with 120+ km
The All-terrain Hunter
For die-hard gravel cycling crackpots & badass mile-crunchers
EVENTS
3 event participations – the longest distance at each event (former “Jeroboam Austria” counts)
COLLECTIVE RIDES
3 collective rides
OPEN ROUTES
5 routes with 0-80 km
9 routes with 80-180 km
4 routes with 180+ km
How do you complete a collector’s category?
Validate your participation in events and collective rides in the W-GRAVEL Hub (Opening March 2026) by showing your successful registration and participation confirmation for the event or collective ride.
You can prove that you have completed the open routes by showing the route you have ridden, made them published and publicly visible on komoot, Strava or another cycling app and by posting and sharing your experience as often as possible (at least 3 times) on Instagram, komoot or other platforms with a mandatory link and tag to W-GRAVEL.
For each completed W-GRAVEL activity, you will get either a sticker, patch or pin (depending on the individual activities), which you must keep as proof for your collection and then show when you have completed the entire collection.
You can already start your collection in Autumn 2025, more routes will be published until March 2026.
W-GRAVEL HUB
Every exploration of a cosmos needs a launch pad and a home base – welcome to the W-GRAVEL Hub.
All starts and ends here. Get your confirmation of the collected routes and adventures at our info point.
OPENING March 2026
in Pörtschach / Wörthersee
café & shop
INFO POINT & GRAVEL BIKE CAFÉ
coffee by Die Kaffeemacher / local organic beer / organic lemonades by Makava & Fritz / organic pastry & bakery
with
Gravelbike Rental & Bike:work:shop
by SPECIAL BIKES
W-GRAVEL
OPENING HOURS
March – November
Wednesday – Sunday 9:00-18:00
ABOUT US
The most marvellous all-terrain cycling cosmos in Europe!? Of course, we perhaps are (not) – but word, if not we do our best to get there! There are plenty of wonderful places in Europe and the world for gravel cycling, and we are definitely one of them. Beautiful landscapes, remote nature, lost places, scenic roads, alpine meadows, turquoise lakes, crystal-clear rivers, iconic peaks and tons of European history.
Explore a breath-taking region in three alpine countries in the centre of Europe with fantastic and authentic food and people – different but always influenced by each other.
Our understanding of Gravel
Of course, Gravel is a type of surface on which you can cycle – and it’s more fun with a proper bike.
However, in our understanding, gravel is much more than that. It’s less about the stony surface and more about the diversity of cycling and just getting out on your bike. It’s about enjoying quiet side roads, discovering remote routes, out-of-the-way places and villages. It’s about just setting off the planned track, turning off somewhere and not knowing where you’ll end up, which forest clearing or which path you’ll come out on. It’s about little traffic, less cars and few high-speed roads. It’s about “I don’t care about the surface”. It’s about long bikepacking trips, but also about the thrill and sexiness of speeding and flying along new tarmac, even though you’ve just finished a hike-a-bike.
Gravel is about the spirit of all-terrain cycling.
And, it’s all about the good old (or new) gravel spirit! The spirit of a non-racy community – non-competitive, open-minded, a sharing and tolerant, borderless, a supporting-together and not an against-each-other community. A community with simply a lot of love for cyling and for the connecting power of just riding their bikes everywhere. Cheesy, but true!
The story behind
Based on and organically grown by all-terrain and gravel cycling enthusiasts and authentic community people in the region, it all started with the grassroots gravel event Jeroboam Austria in 2019.
Originally brought here by Johnny, born by a group, raised and kept alive by some individuals, and now ready for the wide world out there.
Always influenced by many people and the entire community, without ever forgetting his true roots. The roots of the region with an early cycling club by crazy wild people from 1895. The roots of gravel cycling with it’s idea of open-minded and almost borderless exploring off the beaten track and the roots of a tolerant and non-competitive spirit and community.
Cherish the wonderful people of the founding and supporting gravel community in the Wörthersee region – Andi, Daniele, Jo, Johnny, Leo, Lisa, Moritz, Othmar, Robert, Tobi. Cheers to new faces, hearts and legs to come!
ROUTE PLANNING
W-GRAVEL is an all-terrain cycling cosmos.
This means that our routes not only lead over gravel, but also over other big fun all-terrain surfaces – from tarmac roads for smooth rolling and hard speeding, to rough side roads with potholes, to gravel paths and forest trails. The routes are selected as best, most beautiful and exciting as possible according to the criteria described below.
All routes were planned based on official cycle paths displayed in Kagis – the official maps of the province of Carinthia – and with the route planning app komoot.
Of course, we are not perfect, and we may have made mistakes in our route planning or overlooked changes on particular sections. If owners notice incorrect route usage on their property, this is certainly not intentional, and we kindly ask you to contact us at collective@thegrandfunhog.com.
Errors can also be made by the app and can lead to incorrectly modified routes when exporting as a GPX file or to other route planning and navigation programmes.
If komoot displays routes as “cycling is not permitted”, this does not mean that this information is correct. Personal permits have been obtained for some sections of routes, which means that they are legally accessible, even if this is not indicated in Kagis or komoot.
Open route cosmos
“Panta rhei”, everything flows – and so does the collection of all-terrain routes in the region.
On the one hand, the routes are located in nature and were created by human hands, by feet or machines. Therefore, there is always the possibility that parts of them are under construction, (temporarily) closed or impassable due to natural forces.
On the other hand, fortunately, the legal possibilities are constantly changing, and with them the opportunity to create new routes in the region.
Be part of the open W-Gravel community and become a gravel route planner
We appreciate any information about the current conditions on the routes, as well as suggestions for new routes for the W-GRAVEL collection in all levels of difficulty. The only requirement is that these routes are officially and legally accessible.
We are constantly creating new routes ourselves, i.e. legalising routes for everyone and thus making them officially accessible. If you have discovered errors or problems on our routes in the W-Gravel region during your ride, or if you have suggestions for improvement, we would be happy to receive your feedback.
drinking fountains
A few highly motivated and wonderful individuals have put together a list of all drinking fountains in Carinthia and the surrounding regions, which you can find under this link – www.refresh-water4cyclists.at
PERSONAL LIABILITY
You must assess your own abilities and the prevailing (weather) conditions at all times and adapt your route planning accordingly. If you feel unsafe, get off your bike or bypass this section – adaptations to the routes cycled due to safety concerns will not lead to a rejection of the successful completion of the ‘Open Route’.
You need to make sure that you are well equipped with all the important cycling gear and tools, sufficient lighting and enough power for your devices when you set off on long rides.
You should also make sure that you have good insurance cover for your adventures. In Austria, for example, this is available from the Austrian Alpine Club („Österreichischer Alpenverein“) or other alpine clubs such as „Naturfreunde Österreich“.
The routes have different levels of difficulty, which you must check carefully on your app beforehand – hike-a-bike sections or dangerous situations due to changing conditions are possible on every route.
The W-GRAVEL Collection involves some remote natural routes – enjoy them to the fullest, but be careful.
SUSTAINABILITY
We love to be easy on nature and our ecosystems – we see a future of modern travel as being in balance with the social, economic and ecological environment, without noisy and outdated motorised overtourism.
Life is more simple if waste and impact are kept low. That’s why we try our best to organize our activities under the aspects of „reduce, reuse, recycle” and combine them with the fun things in life – in other words, we try to make them as efficient and simple as possible in the interests of sustainability.
Our spirit is that, ideally, everyone should try to minimise their impact on the environment: all waste brought along should be taken home again, and locally available resources such as spring water and local products should be used along the route.
The W-GRAVEL merchandise products we produce, such as shirts, hoodies, etc., are manufactured sustainably and ecologically wherever possible or sourced from companies that focus on the use of organic materials and eco-certifications.
As the region has great rail connections, we also recommend to take the opportunity to travel directly to the region by train.
HOW TO GET HERE?
The Wörthersee-Rosental region is located in the centre of southern Austria, close to the border with Italy and Slovenia.
Sustainability and taking care of our planet are a big deal for all of us. The Wörthersee-Rosental region is well connected to the railway network, which is why we recommend that everyone travel here by train.
by train
National and international trains stop in the Wörthersee-Rosental region at least once an hour.
Direct trains from Vienna (approx. 3 hours), Salzburg (approx. 2.5 hours) and Graz (approx. 50 min – from 2026)
Germany
direct trains from Munich (approx. 4.5 hours), Stuttgart (approx. 7 hours), Mannheim and Frankfurt/Main (8.5 hours)
Switzerland
night trains from Zurich (approx. 12 hours)
Italy
Venice (approx. 3.5 hours), Udine (approx. 1.4 hours)
by car train
daily from Feldkirch (Vorarlberg – 15 minutes from Switzerland) to Villach
night car train from Zurich to Villach
night trains
direct from Munich, Zurich (via Innsbruck) & Rome to Villach
by airplane
International airports in the Alps-Adriatic region
Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria – 20 km away
Ljubljana, Slovenia – 85 km away
Graz, Austria – 150 km away
Triest, Italy – 185 km away
Venice, Italy – 250 km away
Accomodation
Find your perfect accommodation around Lake Wörthersee and the Rosental valley. There are plenty of options to stay throughout the region to suit every budget. From beautiful campsites and simple guesthouses to five-star luxury hotels right on the lake with saunas.
They all have one thing in common – excellent facilities for gravel cyclists, such as lockable bike rooms, bike tools and bike wash stations or opportunities.
The W-Gravel hotels
Landhotel Rosentaler Hof – St. Jakob im Rosental
Located in the peaceful Rosental valley, right next to the Drava river cycle path, this hotel is focused on cycling. Restaurant, a spa with sauna, steam bath and indoor pool, as well as a large park with a mill stream and a large swimming pool.
Pension Hoogerland – Velden am Wörthersee
Bed and breakfast run by Ex-Tour de France cyclist Johnny Hoogerland and his family. Located directly in Velden, yet in a quiet area of the town, with its own swimming pool and a cosy terrace in the garden.
Hotel Streklhof – Aich, Velden am Wörthersee
Surrounded by 80,000 m² of meadows, the four-star Hotel Streklhof is located on a high plateau in Aich above Velden in absolute tranquillity. SPA & Wellness barn with mountain and valley views, 18-metre outdoor pool, heated indoor pool with whirlpool bench and counter-current system.
Hotel Linde – Maria Wörth, Wörthersee
Family-run four-star hotel on the scenic Maria Wörth peninsula on the south shore. Own restaurant, direct access to the lake and panoramic sauna with lake views. (from 2026)
Seehotel Hubertushof – Velden am Wörthersee
Four-star superior hotel with Gault Millau Cuisine & organic certified Slow Food in the town of Velden. Direct access to the lake, indoor swimming pool and panoramic sauna with lake, mountain and palace view.
Hotel Garni Wurzer – Velden am Wörthersee
Situated on a hill above Velden with a breathtaking views over Lake Wörthersee and the impressive Karawanken mountains. With it’s own lakeside bathing area, large swimming pool and sauna – the nearest beach is only a 15-minute walk away.
GRAVEL BIKE RENTAL
Choose from various SCOTT GRAVEL BIKES.
Detailed information on the available models and sizes, as well as prices, can be found on the shop’s website or by using the contact details below.
www.woertherseecycling-rentals.at
+436643957487
contact@woertherseecycling-rentals.at
Hauptstraße 192
9210 Pörtschach am Wörthersee
OPENING HOURS
Wednesday – Sunday 9:00-18:00
CONTACT
W-GRAVEL Hub
OPENING March 2026
9210 Pörtschach am Wörthersee
collective@thegrandfunhog.com
OPENING HOURS
Wednesday – Sunday 9:00-18:00
