You can find these highlights of the MTB areas in the Alps here:
Lake Garda
Valle d'Aosta
Karwendel
Vinschgau Valley
Carinthian lake landscape
Finale Ligure
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Lake Garda (Italy)
No lift, no flow trail - yet the Lago still ranks as the number one most popular bike destination. The reasons: spectacularly wild mountain landscapes in all directions with a huge network of military trails. Even among die-hard Lago bikers, there are only a few who can claim to have ridden all the tours. Unfortunately, some classic trails have also been closed here (e.g. Brione, Pianaura, Anaconda) and a recently tarmaced trail (Rocchetta Trail), but new IMBA signage now shows the way.
- Tour network: huge
- Bike parks: no
- Demand: medium-difficult
- Lift / Shuttle: 1 / various
- Flowtrails: 1 out of 5 points
- Enduro fun: 5 out of 5 points
- Landscape: 5 out of 5 points
PLUS: Easy to reach via the Brenner motorway, Mediterranean climate and top infrastructure (bike shops, shuttle, hotels, campsites, restaurants, ice cream parlours)
MINUS: Most of the trails are challenging, climbs are mostly on tarmac and beginners are often only left with stint tours.
The top MTB tour
Dosso dei Roveri (Moser-Guide) or simply Navene-Tour is the name of the medium-difficulty trail traverse on the flanks of the Altissimo (30.8 km/ 1125 metres in altitude). Very good riders should try the extreme variant via the Altissimo summit and El Senor trail (47.4 km/ 2343 metres altitude).
Henri Lesewitz, BIKE Editor-in-Chief:
On the trails around Lake Garda, you can experience an incredible natural spectacle. The mostly rugged terrain is always a challenge. But that's exactly what I think is great.
>> More articles about Lake Garda: Lake Garda vs. Finale Ligure, EMTB area guide Lake Garda, Lake Garda: 4 days on unknown paths, Around Lake Garda on an EMTB, Old, unspoilt trails rediscovered <<
Valle d'Aosta (Italy)
The autonomous valley between Piedmont, Valais and France is a bit like the Vinschgau Valley of the Western Alps: a hotbed of high alpine super trail classics. With the difference that the 1000 metre higher peaks of Gran Paradiso, Mont Blanc and Dent Blanche jostle for position in the panoramic selfie. However, you have to fight hard for this first-class view in the Aosta Valley: the shuttle buses only help you up to the asphalt border, the remaining 1000 metres in altitude to the trail entrance have to be cranked and often carried in thin air. But then it's off to these surprisingly flowing trails that simply won't stop. Definitely a must!
- Tour network: huge
- Bike parks: 3
- Demand: medium-difficult
- Lift / Shuttle: 0 / 1
- Flowtrails: 4 out of 5 points
- Enduro fun: 5 out of 5 points
- Landscape: 5 out of 5 points
PLUS: Because the Aosta Valley is surrounded by super trails, there is - in contrast to other Western Alps regions - a shuttle provider: aostavalleyfreeride.com
MINUS: Unfortunately, the valley is not exactly on our doorstep, so it's a long journey.
The top MTB tour
The Banzai Trail from Passo dell' Invergneux (2902 m) was named after a surfing mecca for good reason. Almost 15 kilometres of natural flow trail enjoyment around Monte Creyna!
Holger Meyer, BIKE test rider:
When you think of the Western Alps, you often think of rough climbs, but the trails in the Aosta Valley are really hard to beat in terms of natural flow and epicness.
>> More articles about the Aosta Valley: Western Alps, the 3 most beautiful tours in the Aosta Valley, MTB tours and trails in Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta, Giant round in the Aosta Valley <<
Karwendel (Austria / Germany)
The Himalayas on your doorstep: 1000 metres high, its vertical cliffs stretch out of huge gravel cracks and stand guard as you make your way through the main valley towards the Karwendelhaus - perhaps the most popular tour in the south of Munich. But the striking mountain range between Mittenwald, Achensee and Innsbruck has a total of four large valleys and 125 peaks over 2000 metres high. There is plenty more to discover. You can lose yourself for days in these cirques and rocky ridges. The only downer: a large part of the Karwendel has been declared a nature park, so bikers are not allowed to leave the main paths.
- Tour network: large
- Bike park: Nordkette only
- Demand: light-medium
- Lift / Shuttle: 1 / 0
- Flowtrails: 1 out of 5 points
- Enduro fun: 2 out of 5 points
- Landscape: 5 out of 5 points
PLUS: Even beginners are not denied the great landscape experience: the climbs are predominantly flat and lead along easy gravel paths.
MINUS: The permitted trail yield is relatively low and the trails in the Innsbruck Nordkette (with lift) are only for real specialists.
The top MTB tour
The classic tour from Mittenwald around the Karwendel peaks is still a scenic must: 68.2 km/1838 metres in altitude. If you're really fit, you can even extend the tour via the Falkenhütte.
Gitta Beimfohr, travel editor:
The big Karwendel tour is a must once a year. Now again with Kaiserschmarrn at the renovated Falkenhütte.
>> More articles about the Karwendel mountains: Bike&Hike: Biking and hiking in the Karwendel, 7 golden MTB tours in the Karwendel, Classic: Around the Karwendelhaus <<
Vinschgau Valley (Italy)
The valley stretches from Lake Reschen down to Meran and is a goldmine for epically long big mountain tours: Goldseeweg, Tibet Trail, Madritschjoch, Eisjöchl, Göflaner Schartl, Piz Umbrail, Ortler - with a single holiday in centrally located Latsch, you can cross many a must-do trail off your list. And these are just the full-day rides. The sun-exposed northern flank of the valley and the opposite, shadier Nördersberg still have various short trips up their sleeves, which can also be reached quickly with the shuttle and Tarscher Alm lift.
- Tour network: very large
- Bike parks: no
- Demand: medium
- Lift / Shuttle: 4 / various
- Flowtrails: 3 out of 5 points
- Enduro fun: 5 out of 5 points
- Landscape: 5 out of 5 points
PLUS: Kilometres of high alpine trails in a confined space. Few rainy days a year, as it is closed off to the north and south by mountain ranges.
MINUS: No bathing lake, no ice-cream parlours and restaurant infrastructure like at Lake Garda. Shuttles are required for the tours on the Stelvio Pass and Madritsch Pass.
The top MTB tour
The choice here is really difficult. But because it has been closed for years and still has a time limit: the Goldseeweg. Before 9 a.m., you can still push off on the Dreisprachenspitze above the Stilfserjoch. Then switch to the Bimbam Trail (no. 16) and cycle down to Trafo and then take the chairlift back up to the Furkelhütte.
Total: 25.2 km / 329 m elevation gain / 2213 tm. Trail section: 18.9 km!
Peter Nilges, BIKE test editor:
The dusty trails on the sunny side in Latsch are among the classics in the Vinschgau Valley and are usually still rideable when the weather here is already giving you the cold shoulder. We like to use the Tschilli trail for testing.
>> More articles about tours in Val Venosta/Vinschgau: Trans-South Tyrol: from the Puster Valley to the Vinschgau Valley, The most beautiful e-MTB tours in Val Venosta/Vinschgau, Venosta Valley: the trail mecca for mountain bikers <<
Carinthian lake landscape (Austria)
Mountains and crystal-clear lakes. In between: plenty of forest and trails for every taste. Our colleagues from FREERIDE magazine swear by the Petzen region because the eleven-kilometre flow trail here is just as much fun as its root-intensive brother Thriller. Right next door: the Slovenian trail park Jamnica. Even more trails wind their way through the Nockberge mountains on Lake Millstätter See, including the longest flow trail in Europe (14 kilometres) in Bad Kleinkirchheim. Families with small children should definitely pay a visit to MTB Area One in Villach.
- Tour network: large
- Bike parks: individual lines at the cable cars
- Demand: light-medium
- Lift / Shuttle: various / 0
- Flowtrails: 5 out of 5 points
- Enduro fun: 2 out of 5 points
- Landscape: 4 out of 5 points
PLUS: Carinthia is already on the sunnier southern side of the Alps, and with so many crystal-clear bathing lakes, you don't need the sea any more.
MINUS: Outside of the permitted, signposted trails and tours, biking is also prohibited on forest roads!
The top MTB tour
Carinthia's biggest asset is its more than a thousand bathing lakes. The highest of them all, with the clearest water, is Lake Weissensee (945 m) at the foot of the Gailtal Alps. It is best to take two days to circumnavigate its fjord-like basin, climb up to the Kohlröslhütte for the night and then take the trails at the Weissensee mountain railway the next day. An absolute nature idyll!
Total: 66.7 km / 2555 metres in altitude.
Wolfgang Watzke, photographer and filmmaker:
I've never seen clearer water than in Lake Weissensee. Plus the gentle peaks around it and these colourful alpine meadows - even my salad at the hut was decorated with daisies.
>> More articles about Carinthia: Enduro playground in Carinthia, The best MTB tours in Carinthia and Slovenia, 2-day tour around Lake Weissensee, 15 km on the longest flow trail <<
Finale Ligure (Italy)
"Someone's building trails right by the sea!" It's been 24 years since this rumour spread across the Alps. Since then, the trail network on the Ligurian Mediterranean coast has continued to grow. At work with shovels and pickaxes all season long: a passionate trail construction crew that is also dedicated to trail maintenance. Just a few weeks ago, the connection between the enduro networks of Finale Ligure and Pietra Ligure was officially opened. This means that even a two-week biking holiday should not be boring. However, a solid riding technique is required.
- Tour network: huge
- Bike park descents: no
- Demand: medium-difficult
- Lift / Shuttle: 0 / various
- Flowtrails: 3 out of 5 points
- Enduro fun: 5 out of 5 points
- Landscape: 3 out of 5 points
PLUS: The trails are accessible all year round. It may only be too hot for biking in summer.
MINUS: The long journey is only worthwhile for a stay of one week or more. At peak times, the shuttle vehicles jam up on the roads to the Nato base. Better to drive yourself!
The top MTB tour
From the 1033 metre high Nato Base alone, there are countless downhill options. We have christened our favourite trail combination the "Finale Ligure Epic". The 22-kilometre descent climbs over a few counter-climbs, but at the end leads over the super-steep DH men's descent to the beach at Varigotti.
With shuttle to the Nato base: 22 km / 737 m elevation gain / 1660 tm, pure trail section: 11 km
Max Fuchs, BIKE test editor:
Finale Ligure has become an absolute biker hotspot and is packed in the high season. That's why I prefer to go there in the winter months. Then you can expect temperatures below ten degrees, but you have the trails almost to yourself.
>> More articles about Finale Ligure: Lake Garda vs. Finale Ligure, 3 super tours on still unknown paths <<
Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy)
A biking holiday in an Alpine Jurassic Park - at least that's how it feels in Cortina. The sophisticated ski resort is located like a central distribution point in the Ampezzo Dolomites. From here, you don't just circle around the famous rock towers, but plunge right into them. Into the famous Fanes Nature Park, for example, or up close to the Cinque Torri. The Croda da Lago circuit with its epic trail ascent to Forcella Ambrizzola, which you would otherwise only experience on a Transalp, is also a sight to behold. However, you need to be fit, as the Dolomites are also known for their scree ramps, and the lifts don't help on the classic tours.
- Tour network: huge
- Bike parks: 1 (18 km of trails)
- Demand: light-medium
- Lift / Shuttle various: / 0
- Flowtrails: 3 out of 5 points
- Enduro fun: 3 out of 5 points
- Landscape: 5 out of 5 points
PLUS: The major tours are fully signposted in Cortina. Bikers can also take chairlifts, e.g. towards Cinque Torri.
MINUS: Especially around Ferragosto (the most important Italian public holiday on 15 August), you can expect to see lots of hikers on the mountain trails.
The top MTB tour
One of the must-do tours is the one through the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park in the north of the Olympic town (43.7 km / 1657 metres altitude). The tour approaches via the eastern flank of the rock bastion, passes the Rifugio Malga Ra Stua and climbs over the Passo Sennes up to the Seekofel hut at 2327 metres. Then it's up the large Fanes valley via the Pederü hut and back to Cortina via the Limojoch. Panorama summary: amazing!
Patricia Roth, tour author:
In the Dolomites, the earthy trails are often much easier to ride than the gravel paths littered with deep and coarse rubble. My hut tip: The 360-degree view from the Nuvolau hut (2575 m) is unique!
>> More articles about Cortina d'Ampezzo: Cortina area guide, 4 days with kids through the Dolomites, Fanes Mountains in the nature park <<
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
