Camping road trip: 3 countries, 6 lakes and one super tour each with the EMTB

As an environmentally conscious mountain biker, you naturally have to ask yourself the question: Campervan road trip through the Alps - can you still do it with a clear conscience? We are of the opinion: yes. The route starts in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and covers a total of 765 kilometres, taking in the six top spots of Seebensee, Reschensee, Livignosee, Silvaplanasee, Comersee and Molvenosee. If you were to visit each of these spots individually and return home each time, you would cover considerably more kilometres and CO². The same applies to a simple weekend trip to Lake Garda. How long you allow yourself for this route is of course a matter of taste, but we recommend at least eight days, as the connecting routes between the lakes also lead over particularly panoramic pass roads and are always worth an extra stop. However, you will also experience campsites right on the lakeshore that you will only want to leave with a heavy heart and fall in love with one or two trail spots. But then just change your plans - you are in control of this road trip!

By car from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Ehrwald: 23 kilometres

Stop 1: Seebensee - the Instagram star

The Tiroler Zugspitz Arena opens up just over the border to Austria. Here, Germany's highest peak not only shows off its more imposing southern side, there are also plenty of authorised, designated trails for mountain bikers and some nature spots that have become world-famous thanks to Instagram. For example: the Seebensee lake.

The top panoramic tour: from Ehrwald to Lake Seebensee

• Length: 17.1 kilometres
• Uphill: 774 metres in altitude
• Difficulty: easy

Tour description: The ascent starts with a long tarmac ramp up to the Ehrwalder Alm, where you will need sport mode. Then a gravel path takes over, which goes up and down, but always ramps, deeper into alpine terrain. Until you finally reach the shores of the Seebensee (1657 m): emerald green, crystal clear and framed by the white rock faces of the Mieminger Kette. After a dip in its ice-cold water, you can continue on foot to the Drachensee lake (another 1.6 kilometres and approx. 250 metres of ascent). Then roll back the same way.

Overnight stay: Camping Dr Lauth in Ehrwald: small, terraced site with a view of the Zugspitze and restaurant. www.campingehrwald.at

Continue by car from Ehrwald to Nauders: 98 kilometres

Stop 2: Lake Reschen - the enduro paradise

Behind Ehrwald, the hairpin bends wind their way up to the Fernpass. You can see the Zugspitze massif growing in the rear-view mirror. If you stop at the rest stop just before the top of the pass and look down over the sea of forest, the lagoon blue of Lake Blindsee shines out at you. From the Grubigstein, a rough and sometimes steep trail winds down to its shore, which you could perhaps try next time if you have good riding technique.

But now it's time to head south: the quickest way to get to Nauders is via the Inntal motorway. However, if you want to save yourself the Austrian toll (10-day toll sticker 9.90 euros), you can also take the parallel main road to Landeck. Both routes meet again shortly before the Serfaus bike park, then it's a straight 35 kilometre ride up to Nauders in the border triangle. Lake Reschensee is another ten kilometres south of the village, already at the height of the pass of the same name (1498 m).

The top tour from Nauders: three-country enduro circuit

• Length: 62 kilometres
• Uphill 774 vertical metres (4 lifts)
• Downhill: 3513 metres in depth
• Difficulty: easy - difficult

Tour description: Although three gondolas (Schöneben, Bergkastel, Haideralm) and the chairlift at the Mutzkopf help you uphill on this large clockwise valley flank tour, it is very intense in terms of both scenery and riding technique. You should take a whole day for this route, including stops for refreshments and photos. It doesn't matter which cable car you use to start the circular tour. A day ticket is valid for all lifts, and if you have a Gravity Card, you can even get on for free. But don't forget to take the trail map with you at the ticket office, as there are now various downhill variants of varying degrees of difficulty. The most difficult descent is the steeper, rooty Haideralm trail, the most scenic: the Plamort trail with views of the Ortler.

Overnight stay: A total of four motorhome pitches await you near Nauders am Reschenpass: from the simple cable car car park to the 3-star campsite directly on Lake Haidersee (it's the warmer bathing lake!), www.zumsee.it, www.camping-nauders.com

Continue by car from Nauders to Livigno: 70 kilometres

Stop 3: Lago di Livigno - the big mountain area

On the Reschenpass hairpin bends, you rush southwards down into the South Tyrolean Vinschgau Valley, but turn westwards in Mals towards the Swiss border. After just 30 minutes, you are rolling through Val Müstair (no Swiss motorway tax sticker required). This easternmost valley in Graubünden would actually be worth a trail stop lasting several days, but unfortunately there is no swimming lake here. So we continue on the valley road over the Ofen Pass, where shortly afterwards the single-lane Munt la Schera tunnel (3.4 km long) branches off to the left into the Italian enclave of Livigno. Here, a toll of 15 euros is payable online for the one-way passage of vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes (you only pay 17 euros on site). Attention: Please note opening hours! On weekdays, the tunnel is only open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will be completely closed for maintenance work from 1 September 2023. More information: www.livigno.eu

Tip: If there are several of you in the car: You could drop off at the Ofen Pass and ride over the sensational Passo Trela trail to Livigno!

But the onward journey through the Munt-la-Schera tunnel is also spectacular: after three kilometres of darkness in a very narrow tube, a whole new world suddenly opens up. An oasis in the middle of the main Alpine ridge: Lago di Livigno stretches like a turquoise-coloured fjord through the valley at an altitude of over 1800 metres, with the fine trails that have been created here not only as descents for the two bike parks, but also for adventurous back-country excursions into the neighbouring valleys. Also great for the rest of your road trip: in Livigno you can refuel and shop duty-free!

The top tour from Livigno: Carosello + Val Federia

• Length: 39.3 kilometres
• Uphill: 2481 vertical metres (5 lifts)
• Difficulty: medium

Tour description: Mottolino is the freeride side of Livigno, Carosello the flow side. In the extensive terrain, one flow trail merges into another and you can easily spend an entire day on the mountain. Behind the name "Tutti Frutti" lies a trail network 45 kilometres long. You can start from any station, whether on the rollercoaster that whirls over the Costaccia ridge down into the forest or on the Blueberry Line on Carosello 3000. In any case, the back side of the mountain is important. Here, at the end of the tour, the Federia Trail leads into wild, lonely nature and ends at the lovingly managed Alpe Federia with its delicious cuisine - be sure to stop for a bite to eat! Afterwards, simply roll out of this unspoilt valley and back to Livigno.

Overnight stay: There are various motorhome and camping sites in Livigno, none of which are directly on the lake. E.g.: www.campingstellaalpina.it; swimming is prohibited in the dammed Lago di Livigno anyway due to strong currents. But there is a SUP hire service! www.livigno.de

Continue by car from Livigno to the Upper Engadine: 49 kilometres

Stop 4: Lake Silvaplana - in the Canada of the Alps

Cross the Forcola di Livigno border pass in the south of the enclave into the Swiss Engadin. There is also a trail connection to the right of the road, which leads to the Bernina Pass on the other side of the mountain. Here you can follow the famous Bernina trails past the Morteratsch glacier on an e-MTB, take a dip in the idyllic Lej da Staz, and barely touch any tarmac until you reach the Upper Engadin lake district.
But even from the car, the approximately one-hour drive over to the Upper Engadine is overwhelming. It is not for nothing that the wide high mountain valley with its lakes, waterfalls and glaciers on the Bernina (4049 m) is also known as the "Canada of the Alps". But not only because of its landscape, but also because the valley is located in the mountain biker-friendly canton of Graubünden, which means that shared trail rules apply. Here, the trails are shared peacefully with all users, but you also have to expect hikers at all times and ride with due consideration.

A particularly beautiful campsite can be found on the middle of the Upper Engadin lakes, Lake Silvaplana. Even if you have to roll six kilometres from there to St. Moritz to get on the Corviglia and Piz Nair cable cars. These two mountains impress with the greatest trail potential in the region. You can either just use the flow descents here, or go for the epic big mountain experiences of Trais Fluors, Val Suvretta or Fuorcla Valetta.

The top tour in the Upper Engadine: Trais Fluors

• Length: 26.5 kilometres
• Uphill: 250 vertical metres (2 lifts)
• Difficulty: medium - difficult

Tour description: The Trais-Fluors Trail is one of the absolute super trail experiences in the Alps - if you're prepared to push your e-MTB a few metres uphill (pushing aid!). The trail starts with a 360-degree panorama at the summit of the 3056 metre-high Piz Nairs. On particularly clear days, the view extends from Piz Bernina opposite to Ortler and Großvenediger all the way to the Matterhorn. Then the descent: first downhill on a high alpine gravel track, then on a somewhat bumpy trail through the Valletta Schlattein down to Lej Alv. Here it goes uphill for 250 metres in altitude. With good uphill skills, however, the blocked trail is manageable. Once you reach the mountain station of the Trais Fluors chairlift, you cross almost the entire mountain flank on a rocky high mountain trail. Twelve kilometres and 1000 metres down to Samedan!

Overnight stay: Camping Silvaplana has no parcelling, but a free choice of pitches and is not too expensive by Swiss standards at 18.50 euros per night. www.campingsilvaplana.ch

By car from Silvaplana to Lake Como: 73 kilometres

Stop 5: Lake Como - paved mule tracks with a view

You leave the Upper Engadin high valley heading south on an almost flat road over the Maloja Pass (1815 m), which, however, breaks off on its southern side as a steep step down into Bergell. The pass road winds its way down the southern side of the Alps in countless hairpin bends along an almost vertical rock face until you finally reach the northern shore of Lake Como (altitude 198 m) after an hour and a half's drive. It is the slightly smaller but much deeper brother of Lake Garda (425 metres deep), and its two fjord-like arms stretch out into the Italian province of Lombardy. Palm trees sprout from the lakeside promenades, celebrity villas from the surrounding mountainsides. However, the northern tip of the lake is still quite rural and unspoilt. Here, ancient, cobbled mule tracks zigzag up the often steep, up to 2,600 metre-high mountains. Military roads from the First World War wind their way over mountain ridges with great views and lead to a really dense network of single trails.

A glance at the topo map makes you wonder why Lake Como hasn't developed a bike scene similar to that of Lake Garda. Especially as there has long been a surfing hotspot here too: The former fishing village of Domaso on the north-west shore is something like the Torbole of Lake Como. There are three campsites, a beautiful beach, nice bars and cafés, and just behind the town sign, the mountains and their trails are just waiting to be discovered by bikers.

The top tour of Lake Como: Passo Giovo

• Length: 40.7 kilometres
• Uphill: 1520 metres in altitude
• Difficulty: medium

Tour description: This tour leads along old military roads once around the long ridge of Monte Cortafon (1688 m) with views in all directions. The tour starts in Gravedona (2.8 kilometres south of Domaso). Follow the tarmac hairpin bends up to Bocca di S. Anna on a pleasant gradient. Shortly after this, the gravel road begins on the old military road, which circles the mountain in a wide loop. Shortly before the Rifugio Mottafoiada (good refreshment stop!), turn left at a fork and continue uphill to Passo Giovo (1699 m). Here too, at the highest point of the tour, you can stop off at the Rifugio before starting the 17-kilometre descent. Afterwards, you get to know the speciality of the Lake Como mountains: On a rough military road, you soon wind down the steep mountainside in many, many hairpin bends.

Overnight stay Domaso offers three campsites right on the water with a predominantly surfer clientele, e.g. Camping Gardenia, www.campingdomaso.com

By car from Domaso to Molveno: 211 kilometres

Stop 6: Lake Molveno - super trails of the Paganella

The onward journey to Lake Molveno leads eastwards and is a little longer at 211 kilometres, but the scenery is very entertaining. The route runs along the length of the Val di Sole valley, where you cross the border into Trentino when you reach the Tonale Pass. To the right, you can see the Bergamo Alps flying past at first, later the Adamello glaciers and Brenta Towers tower up on this side. To the left, on the other hand, you can first see the white peak of Piz Bernina and later the Ortler massif. In principle, you could turn off into every single side valley in the Val di Sole and pick up a few more classic tours and trails on your bike. For example, if you'd like to get a taste of the world championships, you should definitely consider a stop at the bike park at the Daolasa cable car just before Dimaro. However, the famous World Cup descent requires some really spirited riding technique, as even downhill pros have the greatest respect for this route.
Along the Noce river, the valley turns into the Val di Non at the end, where the tarmac bends wind their way up to the Paganella until, shortly after Andalo, you suddenly have a bird's eye view of the last spot on this road trip: Lake Molveno. At the bottom, its waters glow turquoise, framed by a mountain arena in which a total of three trail parks share the lines, with the Brenta rocks towering above it all...

The top tour on Lake Molveno: Paganella-Terlago

• Length: 39.3 kilometres
• Uphill: 2325 vertical metres (2 cable cars possible!)
• Difficulty: medium - difficult

Tour description: The partly built and partly rough, rocky, natural lines of Molveno and the Paganella Bike Park provide enough touring material for several days and, thanks to the free navigation app, can also be combined into an extensive freeride tour around the entire valley. However, there is a sensational panoramic trail tour that is dedicated to the less frequented eastern side of the Paganella. The starting point is Andalo. The cable car takes you up the Paganella, then you cross the entire mountain massif to the south on an eight-kilometre high-altitude trail until the trail descent branches off under the summit of Monte Ranzos to the east side of the mountain towards Terlago. The route is varied and leads past small bathing lakes to Fai della Paganella, where the cable car makes a final trail descent back to Andalo possible.

Overnight stay: There are quieter places than this family campsite, but it is beautifully situated right on the shore of the lake. Info: www.campingmolveno.it

After these unforgettable six bike spots, you'll return to Garmisch-Partenkirchen on the Brenner motorway (240.8 kilometres) with lots of pictures in your head.

The GPS data for the trail tours of all 6 lake spots can be downloaded here: