Cycling Malbun via the old road.
Ride 15.1 kilometers gaining 1,297 meters at 7.7% average grade.
Thank you to Jerry Nilson, Cycloclimbing.com and Helmuth Dekkers (NL) for their contributions to this page.
This climb is to the only ski resort in Liechtenstein and is only 2 kilometers from the Auustrian border.
Steepest ½ kilometer is 13%, but . . . there are shorter, steeper segments.
We avoid the longer, newer tunnel on this route.
It is more efficient to take the new tunnel on your descent and we advise that.
Here is an excellent summary from Jerry Nilson’s extremely detailed and informative alps bike climbing website (cycloclimbing.com):
“In Liechtenstein there are only two long climbs – the road to Malbun and the road to Gaflei. There are some variants possible, but basically there are three different places to start both of these climbs along the main national road through the country, namely Feldstrasse (466m) to the south, Meierhofstrasse (457m) in the middle and from Vaduz (471m).
The climb from Feldstrasse joins the main road up the mountain, the Meierhofstrasse, after a short while and the road climbs in several serpentines (or curves) to Triesenberg, which is the central village of the mountainside where several roads meet. One could take some slight short-cuts, but guess most will forget them anyway and it makes most sense keeping to the main road even if it can be a bit busy with cars (more calm above Triesenberg).
The climb from Vaduz (just showing the steepest variant there) goes on the road by the castle where the prince lives. The climb joins the main just before the road to Gaflei & Bargällasattel/Alpakulm (1472m).
We are all on the same road now above Triesenberg and at the last turn-off before the new tunnel is the turn-off for the old Kulm tunnel road. The old road is a much bigger challenge than just continuing up to Malbun through the new tunnel. As the sign at the start says – 24% suggest some struggle ahead to the Kulm tunnel pass and it is at least very close to 24% in the last long ramp. Luckily you are then rewarded with a fast descent on a narrow road to Wisli (1277m) from where you continue up the last 428 height metres to the end of asphalt in Liechtenstein on the Kurr/Chur-strasse above Malbun (it is a bit steep the last part too, but nothing like the Kulm road).” cycloclimbing.com - Malbun