Gravel tours in Trentino: 4 routes with a completely new radius of experience

Val die Fiemme and Val di Cembra - the extended arms of Val di Fassa - have always kept a low profile when it comes to mountain biking. When it comes to trails, these two valleys in the Trentino They can't keep up with the neighbouring spots. However, they can now score points in the big gravel trend with secluded high-altitude trails through idyllic alpine meadows, original villages and towns and lots of exciting history. Perfect for extensive exploratory rides on a gravel bike.

Take a gravel bike into the unspoilt corners of Trentino

Or has anyone ever heard of the "Piana Rotaliana Königsberg"? On the way to Lake Garda, this green hilly landscape tends to be passed by carelessly. Here, too, a gravel route has now been devised that winds in gentle waves from one original vineyard to the next, showing real Trentino country life and picking up stories at the espresso bar in historic town centres (tour info at the end of the article).

However, most gravel riders will most likely be drawn to the "DoGa" route. It starts at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites and ends after 110 kilometres on the shores of Lake Garda. It's not an easy tour to ride, but you can't gravel along the lake without any riding technique. Here is the information on the four most scenic gravel tours in Trentino:

Through the Val di Fiemme: Altopiano di Lavazè

• Length: 42.6 kilometres
• Uphill: 1079 metres in altitude
• Info and GPS data
• visitfiemme.it

The idyllic Val di Fiemme and Val di Cembra valleys are directly adjacent to Val di Fassa. Nestled between the Dolomites and the Lagorai mountain range, you can cycle along gentle forest paths and secluded roads through villages and up to cosy mountain huts. Always at altitudes that are snow-free and lush green until late autumn. You can even spot deer in the magical spruce forests of the Paneveggio Nature Park, while cows graze peacefully on the pastures of Alpe Lusia. Highlight: the Lavazè plateau, which offers fantastic views.

The Altopiano di Lavazè tour

The route starts at Passo Lavazè and climbs up to the 2000 metre high Passo Oclini on asphalt. This is where the off-road section begins: along the Butterloch gorge with its colourful geological layers, then over pastures with magnificent views. And where the view of the Dolomites is particularly impressive, a rustic mountain hut stop awaits.

DoGa: Dolomiti-Garda Alpine Cycling Adventure

• Length: 110 kilometres
• Uphill: 2600 metres altitude
• Downhill: 3280 metres in depth
• Info and GPS data

From the Brenta Dolomites to the northern shore of Lake Garda: the newly devised "DoGa" gravel route can be completed in one day, but you don't have to. You pass various accommodation and refreshment stops, so you can also enjoy a leisurely two-day tour. In terms of difficulty, the tour is easy, but a tyre width of 32 millimetres makes many a gravel track more comfortable.

The route: Malé in Val di Sole - Adamello Brenta Nature Park - Madonna di Campiglio - Vallesinella - Val Genova - Stenico Castle - medieval village of Canale - Lake Tenno - Riva del Garda. The highest point is the 1650 metre high Campo Carlo Magno Pass. The lowest: the beach on Lake Garda (65 metres).

Alpe Cimbra: Altopiano della Vigolana

• Length: 60.4 kilometres
• Uphill: 1916 metres in altitude
• Info and GPS data
• alpecimbra.it

The network of gravel paths on the wide plateau of Alpe Cimbra is perfect for gravel biking. It doesn't have to be the big "100-kilometre-dei-Forti" tour. The 60-kilometre tour across the Vigolana high plateau also scores with vineyards, historic villages, apple orchards, chestnut forests and a bird's eye view of Lake Caldonazzo. This tour can also be shortened if you run out of energy en route. Or you can browse the homepage for a shorter tour. For example, the spectacular tour from Folgaria around the summit of Monte Toraro and over the Valbona saddle (19.2 km / 652 metres in altitude).

Giro del Vino 50: Cruising from winery to winery

• Length: 54.6 kilometres
• Uphill: 648 metres in altitude
• Info and GPS data

In the green Adige Valley, halfway between Trento and Bolzano, the area of the Piana Rotaliana Königsberg stretches out. Here, small villages are surrounded by vineyards. In between, the route follows a stream, circles around a small lake or climbs up a panoramic hill. The steep, imposing rock faces in the background are merely decorative. The Giro del Vino 50 is signposted and leads mainly along cycle paths and little-used side roads. However, there are also long sections on dirt tracks or gravel roads in the forest. This leaves plenty of time to stop for a glass of wine at the wineries.

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