Stage 2: from Zernez to Bormio
Zernez is the gateway to the Swiss National Park, which you enter on the second stage of the TOUR Transalp 2022 dives in. Wild nature begins behind the village sign in the direction of the Ofen Pass, divided only by the road. To the right and left of it, hikers can lose themselves in 170 square kilometres of untouched nature, immersing themselves in the oldest national park in the Alps, which was designated as a bioreserve back in 1914. The park attracts nature lovers with its exceptional wealth of animals and plants and the National Park Centre in Zernez promotes not only experiencing nature, but also understanding it, with exhibitions and guided tours. After the Ofenpass, the road leads down through the Münstertal valley and a special stop-off point awaits its guests in Santa Maria: the Guinness Book of Records-listed Smallest whisky bar in the worldwhich offers the finest wines from Scotland as well as some whiskies produced in Santa Maria. Of course, this is not the isotonic drink tip for athletes, but perhaps a small spirited sip will ease your fear of the eternal climb up to the Stelvio Pass. On the way down to Prad, you leave Glurns to the left. However, as it is only a few metres from the route to the historic centre of the smallest town in South Tyrol, a detour is a must. Behind the three town gates, surmounted by fortified towers, you will find elegant town houses, winding alleyways and shady arcades in the middle of a completely preserved medieval wall. At a café on the town square just behind the south gate, you can be transported back in time to when the town flourished as a trading centre in the late Middle Ages.
The road over the Stelvio Pass is not quite as old. Nevertheless, it can look back on an eventful history. The road from Prad in Vinschgau to Bormio in Veltlin over the 2757 metre high pass was opened back in 1825 after five years of construction. An exciting anecdote in the almost 200-year history of this ambitious construction project: in the middle of the 19th century, the road was even open in winter thanks to a series of wooden avalanche protection galleries built on the eastern flank. Today, this effort is no longer made. Cycling has also made history on this road and the pros at the Giro d'Italia have had to climb the pass many times. Over in Bormio, the cycling myth of the "Stelvio", as it is known in Italian, is very much alive. If you pick up a cycling map there, you will see "Cima Coppi" (Coppi summit) on it instead of "Stilfserjoch", named after the Italian legend Fausto Coppi, who won the Giro five times.
On the roof of the TOUR Transalp
Apart from the ski area on the Joch, life here takes place solely on this road - which winds its way up from Prad in 48 bends and down to Bormio in 34 bends through a vast mountain world, dominated by the Ortler, the highest peak in Tyrol at 3905 metres. To the right and left of it, there is nothing but unspoilt nature, as at the beginning. The route once again passes through a nature reserve, the Stelvio National Parkwhich covers a total area of 1,300 square kilometres across the three regions of South Tyrol, Trentino and Lombardy. The variety of climatic zones here is exciting, as the nature park stretches from the summit of the Ortler down to an altitude of just 700 metres at the lowest point in the warm Vinschgau Valley. Bormio, however, lies somewhat higher, at around 1200 metres. Situated in a sunny basin, even at this altitude the town still gives you a sense that it belongs to Valtellina, the valley where the grapes thrive further down. An espresso outside a bar is of course a good idea. But Bormio is also an old spa town. The Bagni Vecchi and Bagni Nuovi, the old and new spas with the Grand Hotel Bagni Nuovi or the Hotel Bagni Vecchi - Modern wellness temples in old walls, swimming pools with panoramic views - there is hardly a more stylish way to round off a stage to Bormio.
You can stop off here
On the way to the Ofen Pass, you will find the Buffalora mountain innIt's still too early for a long rest on this long stage, but the Buffalora Alp is so fabulously beautiful that blindly speeding through is not an option. There is a kiosk at the Ofenpass itself for a small snack. From the pass, it's now all downhill to Prad and there are refreshment stops or shops in every village along the way. In Trafoi, in the lower third of the ascent to the Stelvio Pass, the Bella Vista is located in a right-hand bend at the side of the road. A stop at the hotel of South Tyrolean skiing legend Gustav Thöni (gold medals in Sapporo 1972 and Innsbruck 1976, among others) is not only worthwhile because of the beautiful view, but also because of the stylish interior. If you can't make it to the summit from here in one turn, you can only ski down in the Franzenshöhe mountain inn Recharge your batteries. At the bustling Stelvio Pass itself, a number of bars, kiosks and hotel restaurants crowd around the top of the pass. If you are exhausted just before the pass and feel peckish, you will be drawn up the last few metres by the aroma of the sausage grill, where grilled sausage with sauerkraut is put together to make a very special South Tyrolean hot dog. If you want to stop again on the descent to Bormio, you can treat yourself to an espresso in the Bar Nazionalpark in a left-hand bend. It is located by the roaring Braulio river, which rushes down to Bormio and gives its name to the herbal liqueur brewed there. You can find it everywhere in Bormio and there are plenty of bars and restaurants. You don't have to look far.
Shortcuts / variants to the original route
The shortcut is not a bad option. If you turn right in Santa Maria in Münstertal and ride over the Umbrail Pass to Bormio, leaving the Stilfser Joch on the left, you will only gain around 2000 metres in altitude at the end. However, this is still a very beautiful stage. In bad weather, you should consider cycling to the entrance of the Munt La Schera tunnel, taking the bus through the tunnel (forbidden for cyclists) and cycling from Livigno to Bormio via the lower passes (Passo d'Eira and Passo Foscagno), which are less exposed to the weather. If you want to ride all seven stages of the Transalp, you can now consider staying in Livigno if the weather forecast is bad.
The stage as a short trip:
Getting back from Bormio to Zernez by public transport is time-consuming but possible. There is a bus from Bormio to Livigno, which transports bikes on request. And from Livigno there is a bus to Zernez. Further bus connections and taxi addresses can be found on the page bormio.eu.
The stage as part of a round trip (2 to 4 days):
A nice 2-day tour leads back like this: Bormio - Umbrailpass - Santa Maria im Münstertel - Ofenpass - Zernez. Is it boring because it partly follows the same route back? No. You certainly won't get enough of this magnificent mountain landscape and the other way round will leave you with completely different impressions. Another beautiful 2-day tour leads from Bormio to Livigno and then over the Forcola di Livigno to the Bernina Pass and through the entire Upper Engadine back to Zernez (also three days with a stopover in Livigno). If you are planning a three- or four-day "more is not possible" tour, stay two days in Bormio and then do another loop with Passo Gavia and Passo Mortirolo.
Marc Schneider's tip:
If you want to top up your carbohydrate stores in Bormio, you can of course also eat spaghetti. Although this is also Italian, this pasta is not typical of Bormio. If you're hungry, it's best to order pizzoccheri, a local speciality made from buckwheat noodles and potatoes. For me, it's a must when I'm in Bormio. If you're dying of hunger, add "sciatt", deep-fried cheese cubes breaded with buckwheat flour.
General info
If you want to stay overnight or are looking for other tourist offers, you will find what you are looking for at engadin.comthe portal of the Engadin Scuol Zernez holiday region and at bormio.eu.
Bike shops: In Zernez: Kellybikes (address: Quadras Muglin 77A). And at your destination? A list of bike shops and many more tips can be found on the website: bormio.eu/en/road-cycling-in-bormio
The 2nd stage from Zernez to Bormio: 101.81 kilometres and 2758 metres in altitude.
The GPS data will be available for download on the TOUR website after the TOUR Transalp 2022, which takes place from 19-25 June.
If you are still thinking about switching from Touri to Race mode, you can find all the details about the Everyman Race over the Alps at www.tour-transalp.de
