Austria · MTB ZONE Bikepark Petzen

MTB Zone Bikepark Petzen

Home to one of Europe's longest flow trails — a green, fully rollable 11.5 km descent from the gondola top.

★ — / 5 Gravity Card

At a glance

Drive from Berlin

888 km

9:48 h

Lift

Gondola

Vertical drop

~1050 m

Season

May–Oct

Difficulty spread

Trail difficulty colours found at this park.

Green

—

Blue

—

Red

—

Black

—

Best for: Europe's longest flow trail

For families

✓Practice course (valley)

✓Green / easy flow from the top

✓On-site bike school / kids coaching

✓Toilets & café at base

✓Bike, helmet & protector hire

✗Kids' rental bikes

✗Magic-carpet / belt skills area

Where it is

View on Google Maps →

Trip notes

Is it right for your kids?

If your kids can ride a gentle downhill and want the thrill of a real bike park without mandatory jumps, Petzen is one of the easiest gateways in the Alps: the signature Flow Country Trail is graded green and every jump is over-rollable, so a careful child can take all 11.5 km from the gondola top at their own pace, using the rest stops and bypasses along the way. A valley practice course and a dedicated Kids Nature Trail let beginners build confidence before they ride the lift, and a bike school runs kids' technique courses. Just note that the easy line is long (1,050 m descent) rather than gentle-short, and the operator does not publish a minimum age — so confirm rental-bike sizing and your child's readiness before you go.

Trails to know

Flow Country Trail

· 11.5 km

One of Europe's longest flow trails; tables, berms and steep curves with all jumps over-rollable, plus rest stops and bypasses — suits confident first-timers and families willing to ride a long descent.

Kids Nature Trail

· Not found

Gentle valley trail aimed at young children and families to get a first taste of MTB.

Training Parcours (Übungsparcours)

· Not found

Easy valley skills loop with seesaws, light jump combinations, waves of various sizes, north-shore elements and corners — practice before taking the lift.

Shakedown Trail

· Not found

Intermediate warm-up flow lap for kids who have outgrown the green and want a bit more pace.

Good to know for parents

•The easiest line from the top, Flow Country, is long (11.5 km, 1,050 m descent) rather than short and gentle — plan for stamina and rest stops, not a quick lap. It does include rest/stopping places and bypasses.

•Bike rental at the valley station includes helmets and protectors; the park and gondola run roughly 09:00–16:30 in season (last ascent ~16:15) — reserve gear and the right sizes ahead.

•Let beginners warm up on the valley practice course (Übungsparcours) and Kids Nature Trail before buying a lift ticket.

•On-site bike school offers riding-technique courses for kids, teens, women and adults (Levels I–III) plus private lessons — worth booking for a first visit.

•The operator does not publish a minimum age for the lift or rentals; one regional tourism site notes the practice course is 'suitable for children aged 6 and up,' but this is not confirmed by the operator — contact the park directly to confirm what fits your child.

•Base station has a bike shop, bike wash and café/gastronomy with toilets; nearby camping at Chaletpark Petzen and Petzencamping Pirkdorfersee.

From the trails

Naturpuur, via Wikimedia Commons

View of the snow-dusted Petzen mountain seen from Glanegg/Metschach in Carinthia, Austria.

Johann Jaritz, via Wikimedia Commons

The Petzen mountain massif rising behind the Voelkermarkt reservoir in Carinthia, Austria.

Tschax, via Wikimedia Commons

The facts

Access & logistics

CountryAustria ^[1]

State / regionCarinthia (Kärnten) ^[1]

City / nearest townFeistritz ob Bleiburg / valley station at St. Michael ob Bleiburg ^[2]

Mountain areaPetzen massif (Karawanks, on the AT/SI border) ^[1]

Coordinates46.5405, 14.7741 (Petzenbahn valley station) ^[2]

Drive from Berlin888 km · 9:48 h ↗ Google Maps Directions API

Lift typeGondola (Petzenbahn) carrying bikes to the trailheads; capacity Not found ^[1]

Season & opening2026 opens 29–31 May, then weekend operation; running Fri–Sun (summer daily windows on operator calendar) ^[3]

Operating hoursFirst ascent 09:00, last ascent 16:15 / last descent 16:30 ^[1]

Gravity CardYes — listed in the Gravity Card network ^[4]

Trails

CharacterFlow-led park built by designer Diddie Schneider, anchored by one of Europe's longest flow trails, with enduro and World-Cup-grade options layered on top. ^[1]^[5]

Trail typesFlow, enduro/nature, EWS race, freeride, jump trail, kids nature trail ^[1]

Difficulty spreadNot found (operator lists named trails — Flow Country, Thriller, EWS, Shakedown, Jump, Freeride, Kids Nature — but no green/blue/red/black counts)

Vertical drop~1050 m elevation difference; >20 km of trail total ^[6]

Longest descentFlow Country Trail 11.5 km (blue) — IMBA "Best Flow Trail 2014" ^[5]

Features & suitability

Family friendlinessHigh — Kids Nature Trail and the long, easy Flow Country Trail ^[1]

Beginner-friendlinessHigh — valley practice course plus the gentle 11.5 km flow line ^[1]

Skills areaYes (no belt) — training/practice course (Übungsparcours) in the valley; no magic-carpet/conveyor noted ^[1]

Standout featuresAward-winning 11.5 km Flow Country Trail; EWS race trail; three 2025 additions (Jump, Freeride, Shakedown) ^[1]^[5]

Practical

Bike shop / washBike shop with full rental at the base; bike-wash installation next to the shop ^[1]

Camper / campingCamping Petzen at the Pirkdorfer See (camper pitches ~90 m², by the lake, near restaurant & sanitary block) ^[3]

ReputationWidely regarded as a flagship flow destination (IMBA award, Diddie Schneider design). A standalone aggregate review score: Not found (only a single TripAdvisor rating located) ^[5]

Facts compiled from official sources — verify season, pricing and lift status on the operator’s site before you travel.

Sources

Official site ↗ Compare other parks