Cycling in South Tyrol: fully enjoy gravel and unspoilt nature!

Take one look at the website suedtirol.info and you know that this northern Italian region is more than excellent for cycling. Not only by super trained cyclists. Everyone can have a lot of fun by bike in South Tyrol. MTB, e-bike, racing bike or gravel bike. Everything is possible. With CYCLOsportive I focus on the gravel bike in this article.

Text and image: CYCLOsportive

only 4 km of climbing, but it seems to take forever

But first the following. Did you know that you can explore South Tyrol comfortably by bike? The excellent cycle paths and routes through the South Tyrolean valleys are ideal for relaxing bike rides. The excellent rail network makes it easy to take your bicycle on the train. In the west of South Tyrol, the course of the old Roman Via Claudia Augusta can be followed from the Reschenpass to the village of Salorno/Salurn. The Pustertal Cycle Route in the east of South Tyrol has a more alpine character, while the Brenner Cycle Route runs from north to south through the historic towns of Vipiteno/Sterzing, Bressanone/Brixen and Chiusa/Klausen.

Pearls Prato Piazza and Naturpark Sennes

At CYCLOsportive we have been fans of South Tyrol for years. We took part in Eroica Dolomiti and organized a bikepacking experience to South Tyrol: Expedition South Tyrol. Although there are many routes on the suedtirol.info site, gravel lovers are left in a bad spot. Unjustly. Two years ago we discovered Prato Piazza. Everything in this region is bilingual. You might also know Prato Piazza as Plätzweise. Really a great gravel climb. As a descent, this gravel road can be quite a challenge. This year we set course for the Fanes-Sennes Nature Park for the first time at Expedition South Tyrol. We knew that. If you don't have to get off your bike here, you are a real hero! But the natural beauty is worth every effort.

To make it easy for you, we have created two routes for you that target the pearls of Prato Piazza and Fanes-Sennes Nature Park. We took Villabassa as a base for both routes. In our opinion, this cozy town has a top hotel (no interests, I'm just giving my humble opinion). Start the route at Hotel Adler and enjoy a delicious lunch here after the ride!

Villabassa-Prato Piazza – 43 km, 930 m

As soon as you cycle out of the town you will soon arrive at the beautiful Lago di Dobbiaco. From here the route largely follows the old railway to Cortina d'Ampezzo. Of course you don't cycle on the railway. No rails or beams to be seen. Lovely gravel! You cycle relaxed towards the foot of Prato Piazza. A tough, but not very difficult climb. The view of Croda Rosa (+3,000m) is fantastic! At the top is the Dürrensteinhütte. Apart from some walkers, you only hear the sound of the cowbells and Helga. Helga is the manager of the hut. She seems strict with her guests, but she is actually quite nice :-).

The descent towards Villabassa is wonderful and fast! In the beginning you have to be careful with a number of hairpin bends, but after that you can accelerate hard. To enjoy! After 40 km you will be back in front of Hotel Adler, enjoying lunch.

Villabassa-Fanes-Sennes Natural Park – 83 km, 1960 m

For those looking for a bit more of a challenge, we have created the route to Fanes-Sennes Nature Park. Once again Hotel Adler is the starting point. And now you follow the old railway towards Cortina d'Ampezzo. But now you leave Prato Piazza on the right and continue cycling on the old railway track. The gravel road is really beautiful with a small tunnel here and there. Just before Corina d'Ampezzo you leave the gravel road and head for Rifugio Ra Stua. It is only a 4 km climb from the parking lot, but it seems to take forever. The first 4 km are very steep!

After Rifugio Ra Stua you enter the gravel paradise. That does not mean that it is easy to cycle here. The paths are sometimes so steep that we had to get off our bikes. And the descent towards Pederü also has a number of very steep, challenging parts. So be careful!

Once at Rifugio Pederü, a wonderful gravel descent towards St. Vigil begins. Don't forget to have lunch at Rifugio Pederü first. Recommended!! The gravel road to St. Vigil is next to the normal road. You may choose :-).

For dessert we added the Furcia Pass to the route. Hopefully you were able to save your legs a bit during part 1 of the ride. The Furcia Pass is a nasty climb. Fortunately, you will once again be rewarded with fantastic views of the impressive rock formations of the Dolomites! A simple but beautiful cycle path will eventually take you back to Villabassa. Join Hotel Adler for a well-deserved apple strudel and tell owner Christian about your adventure. Christian is a great guy who loves listening to your story. He himself is also full of beautiful stories. So take your time!

Would you like to explore this region together with CYCLOsportive? Which can! Then register quickly for our bikepacking trip South Tyrol Expedition: