The Adige Valley in South Tyrol is the furrow in the Alpine ridge through which the Brenner motorway leads southwards to the Po Valley. Directly south of Bolzano on the western side of the valley are Kaltern and our location in Tramin. Lake Kaltern with its bathing beach lies between the two towns. The Mitterberg, a mountain ridge about 14 kilometres long, separates the area visually and acoustically from the Adige Valley and the motorway.
The tours, all of which are mountainous, run on light to medium traffic roads at altitudes of between 200 and 1,300 metres. The gradients only exceed the ten per cent mark on a few ramps. If you want to climb to two scenic beauties, Lago di Tovel and Monte Penegal (tours 1 + 2), you will need to invest considerably more energy: The seven-kilometre road to Lake Tovel often climbs at 15 per cent, while the four-kilometre road to Monte Pénegal even reaches 18 per cent.
Tour 1
Double pass with foul
113 Kilometres, 2.250 Altitude metres, max. 18 % Gradient
After 40 kilometres on the Adige Valley cycle path, the climb begins with 1,200 metres of ascent to the Gampen Pass, where you can take a break (www.gampenpass.it). The first few kilometres uphill, between the Adige Valley and the junction to Völlan, are busier and the road is initially relatively steep through the forest. The intermediate descent to Fondo and the ascent to the Mendel Pass are rather harmless. Monte Pénegal promises the best views. The little road climbs for almost four kilometres at a gradient of up to 18 percent. After that, it's all downhill - through the magnificent bends of the Mendel Pass.
Tour 2
Lake Tovel gem
125 Kilometres, 2.400 Altitude metres, max. 15 % Gradient
Start early: The moderate Mendel Pass is a notorious motorbike racing route. A little way past Cles (the tunnel to get there, over the reservoir, is easy to ride), the beautiful, seven-kilometre-long, up to 15 per cent steep climb to Lake Tovel awaits. An officially closed road provides relief from the traffic around Mezzolombardo.
Tour 3
The long road to the top
111 Kilometres, 1.300 Altitude metres, max. 10 % Gradient
On small roads and the Adige Valley cycle path to the long, only initially steep climb through the Val di Cembra, where all the tunnels are bypassed on the outside, through the villages. You cycle wonderfully through woods and vineyards and look deep down to the river. On the wide N 48, first flat, then steeply downhill to Ora.
Tour 4
In the realm of the Golden Delicious
98 Kilometres, 1.200 Altitude metres, max. 10 % Gradient
The route swings up and down on quiet roads along the edges of the apple-growing area in Val di Non before branching off into a completely different landscape at Andalo: Lago di Molveno is a pretty, large mountain lake with bathing facilities. The way back from the detour there adds another 250 metres in altitude. The speedy descent to Mezzo-Lombardo is the last thing to replace the Föhn.
Info about the south of South Tyrol
ARRIVAL
Railway
The railway station in Ora/Auer is four kilometres from Tramin. From Munich to Bolzano/Bozen in four hours without changing trains; you need an International Bicycle Card (10 euros) for cross-border bicycle transport, information at www.bahn.de.
Continue by local train in 15 minutes to Ora/Auer. From there, take the hourly bus to Tramin - bikes can be taken if there is space.
Car
From Munich: Motorway via Innsbruck, Brenner Pass and Bolzano (direction Verona)
as far as the "Neumarkt/Auer/Tramin" exit. A total of 300 kilometres to Tramin.
From Stuttgart (460 kilometres): via Ulm, Füssen and the Fernpass to Imst. From there via Innsbruck as from Munich. For the Brenner Pass and motorway in Italy there is a toll of around 40 euros there and back, the 10-day car vignette for the motorways in Austria costs 8.90 euros.
Best time to travel
End of April to end of October. The highest passes are only 1,500 metres high, while the valley is 200 metres above sea level. As a result, many routes are quickly snow-free in spring. On long weekends, such as Whitsun or around 3 October, during the summer holidays and especially around Assumption Day (15 August), things can get busy.
EAT & DRINK
Tramin owes a large part of its tourist traffic to food - and drink. Almost the entire agricultural area is covered with vines. Specialities are Gewürztraminer, a white wine with a spicy aroma and intense colour, Vernatsch (a light red) and the full, aromatic Lagrein. Wine bars, wineries and wine tastings are everywhere. South Tyrolean cuisine also combines hearty dishes such as spinach dumplings and speck with Italian specialities.
Restaurant tips
Tramin
Buschenschank Gamper family
Alexander-von-Keller-Weg 11
Phone 0039/0471/861222
www.buschenschank.it
Regional specialities from the barrel and pot are served in the picturesque inner courtyard or rustic cellar.
Winery Hofstätter
Town hall square 7
Telephone 0039/0471/090003
www.garten-hofstatter.com
Fine South Tyrolean cuisine and the best wines in the centre of Tramin.
ACCOMMODATION
BikeHotels South Tyrol
An association of 36 hotels in South Tyrol that have specially catered to the needs of cyclists. Road cyclists and mountain bikers will find tour advice and guided tours at various levels. Info at www.bikehotels.it
RADSERVICE
Eppan
Sanvit
Sillweg 70
Phone 0039/0471/660775
www.sanvit.com
Large, modern bike shop with a sporty focus.
New market
Roberto Mich
Rathausring 45
Phone 0039/0471/812754
http://ebike-dreams.com
Racer with a small bike shop and a good workshop.
RAD EVENT
The Giro delle Dolomiti,
a one-week tour for everyone at the end of July to the beginning of August with individual stages, crosses the area again and again.
For information call 0039/0471/272089 and
www.girodolomiti.com
INFO
South Tyrol Information
South Tyrolean road 60
I-39100 Bolzano
Tel. 0039/0471/999999
www.suedtirol.info/de
LITERATURE & MAPS
Travel guide
"Südtirol", 648 pages thick, with hikes and MTB tours; Michael Müller Verlag 2015, 24.90 euros.
Map
Marco Polo map set (3 double sheets) "Austria and South Tyrol", 1:200,000, MairDumont 2016, 9.70 euros
"South Tyrol - Bolzano", 1:150,000", Freytag & Berndt 2015; 10.90 euros. The southernmost part of Tour 3 is missing.
Panorama & car map "Trentino", 1:150,000, Kompass-Verlag 2013; 5.95 euros. The northernmost tip of Tour 1 is missing.
