Cycling holidays in South Tyrol: Now is the best time for a pleasure cycle tour in Val Venosta/Vinschgau

When October greets us, mountain tours in Germany, Austria or Italy are a thing of the past for most cycle travellers. Faraway countries with guaranteed sunshine are now the destination. But not for us. This time we don't want to miss it, the fifth season in South Tyrol. We have been told: Once you visit the region at harvest time, you'll keep coming back.

We sit expectantly with our bikes and luggage on the train to Innsbruck, the starting and finishing point for our round trip through the northernmost province of Austria Italy's. We have decided on a special kind of travelling. We want to search, find and meet. This doesn't just mean the landscape. Rather, it is the delicious gifts of nature and the people who have long known how to utilise them for themselves.

It takes two stages from Innsbruck before we reach our official starting point. The tour to Imst is probably best described as a "warm-up". Day two is a different story: We ride up to an altitude of 1507 metres, to the Reschen Pass to be precise. Up here, by the lake of the same name, is the Giernhof, which serves as the starting point for our journey as well as our overnight camp. But that's not all: in the inn's parlour, we are treated to home-made dumplings and a fantastic sunset as a free gift.

In the Venosta Valley, cheese is not just cheese

We planned our departure in the early hours of the morning - without realising how cold it is at this altitude at this time of year! But the first rays of sunshine give us good hope. After a short diversions via the Marienberg monastery, we head slightly downhill to the small village of Schleis; next to churches and chapels, we meet Alex, who is standing in his driveway. This is also the entrance to the Englhorn cheese dairy.

We strike up a conversation with him. After just a few minutes, we learnt one thing: cheese is not just cheese. Alex favours tradition. One hundred per cent South Tyrol is needed to produce his delicacies. That's why he has brought the old brown cattle back to the Venosta Valley.

Our journey continues via the medieval town of Glorenza/Glurns past countless apple trees to Silandro/Schlanders. We meet Franziska and her family at an apple orchard. They are harvesting for the very first time this autumn. Three years ago, they bought a meadow and switched from growing cauliflowers to organic apples. We are allowed to do a taste test. Our verdict: simply delicious! They won't let us leave without provisions, so we arrive at the family-run hotel "Zur goldenen Rose" in Silandro in the evening with a kilogram of apples as extra luggage.

Generations and traditions in Tyrol

Family life exists in places where generations interact with each other. We discover this again and again in South Tyrol. At the valley opening to the Merano and environs it is lived intensively. In Bad Egart on the Töll, the oldest spa in Tyrol, we get to know Uncle Taa and his daughter Janett.

Shortly after leaving the official cycle path, we immerse ourselves in two worlds that connect three generations: On the one hand, the K & K Museum invites you to take a trip back in time. There is no exhibit in the collection that Uncle Taa has not personally selected - be it the old corner shop or the medals and portraits of the imperial family. And every item has its own story.

On the other hand, alongside the historical treasures, we soon discover the culinary ones as Janett takes us into "her" world. It is lively, colourful and full of new smells. After a visit to her herb garden and a look at the pantry shelves, she invites us to dine at "Restaurant Onkel Taa". We are excited to savour delicacies from the imperial court kitchen, which she has brought into the 21st century with new interpretations.

After dinner, it feels like not only our bikes but also we are rolling after these delights. We are off to Merano. We have planned two days for the "Pearl of Tyrol". Situated just above the town, we stop off at the Hotel Maratscher. We are immediately fascinated by the huge terrace with a fantastic view of the valley.

With this Mediterranean climate and our time on our hands, we decide to take a little break on this one before climbing up the slope to the Schnalshuberhof in the evening. We enter the wine tavern. All the tables are occupied. Christian, the landlord, seats us with a group of people from Regensburg, Leipzig and Berlin. We eat, talk, philosophise and by the end of the evening we feel as if we've known our table neighbours forever.

Sophisticated meets modern: Break day in Merano

A day off in Merano. Yesterday evening was a long one. All the more reason to look forward to a few relaxing hours in the city. We roll leisurely down into the valley. But please, when was the time jump? Once we reach the bottom, everything seems sublime and sophisticated. We are just waiting for Sissi and Franz to come round the corner. Small alleyways, nice cafés and shops. However, one building stands out: the Merano thermal baths, a cube made of steel, glass and warm wooden elements. We discover baths, saunas and relaxation areas inside. The perfect place for us to recharge our batteries for the next cycling stages.

We hadn't expected to come across another place full of positive vibes and energy just a few hours later. We discover the "Kräutererbe Bacherhof" on our onward journey to Bolzano. Jutta, the landlady, has just prepared fresh pomegranate juice when we pull into her farm in Nals. With 25 degrees and sunshine, the drink is a real blessing. But Jutta shows us other treasures of nature. Whether for tinctures, oils or creams, you can find everything in her herb garden. Her husband Hubert, on the other hand, favours apples. We almost lose track of time over coffee and fresh apple pie with the two of them.

Regional only works seasonally

It's now breathing down our necks, as we have an appointment with Florian in the small village of Siebeneich at lunchtime and still have quite a way to cycle. The garden and pub of the "Patauner" are full when we arrive - in the middle of the week and in the countryside. What's the secret? The answer is not long in coming. Florian's cookery skills make our palates dance. He has taken over the inn from his father. Regionality and seasonal produce are close to his heart. Two more weeks and the menu will be changed. Time for turnips and chestnuts with a twist. But we can't wait that long and get back on the pedals.

Only a good ten kilometres to go before we reach Bolzano. Wine connoisseurs inevitably think of "Lagrein" when they think of the city and its surroundings. This red wine variety is only found in South Tyrol. The Gries district once had the best and largest vineyards, but they had to make way for urban development. Demand increased. In Bolzano, 498 hectares of land are used solely for winegrowing. So it goes without saying that this is the focus of our visit. Instead of one winery, however, we visit two. Because the question we ask ourselves is: "Who makes the best wine, big or small?"

At the Bolzano winery, the largest winegrowers' cooperative with 224 winegrowers, we are allowed to take a look behind the scenes. We drive up to the winery and find it to be quite small at first glance. This quickly changes when Robert invites us inside, as the winery was built into a vineyard. We climb a proud 36 metres up and then back down again.

Back down to earth, we now know exactly how the fruit gets into the bottle. Starting with the delivery and inspection of the grapes by the cellar master through to labelling. But how do you do all this in a small family business?

The secret of wine in Bolzano

To uncover this secret, we travel to Karneid just 24 hours later. We have to climb a few metres before we reach the Pitzner winery. We actually have an appointment with Markus, but he is stuck in a traffic jam. Thomas, his brother, is still busy in the vineyard.

This is how we meet their father, who once bought the land and estate. His story makes us sit up and take notice. We listen to and watch with excitement what the father once dreamed of and what the sons made a reality. Both have now arrived. We inspect the winery and cellar together. The secret recipe is quickly revealed: a blend of passion and exclusivity.

Whether large or small, many well-known types of wine are produced in Bolzano. Be it Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer or Lagrein. But which of these varieties has the best flavour is something everyone has to decide for themselves. But the city has another flagship that we visit at the end of our trip. Before travelling up the Brenner Pass towards Innsbruck, we visit Reinhold Messner.

Sigmundskron Castle is located just outside the town, but is easily accessible by bike. The centrepiece of the "Messner Mountain Museums". Various exhibitions focus on the friction between man and mountain, the history of mountaineering and religious significance. An absolute tip for all those who want to do more than just feast in South Tyrol.

Cycle tour South Tyrol: Route & return journey

With the knowledge of conquering mountains, we set off for the Brenner Pass. It's still 430 kilometres to the finish in Innsbruck. We started there eight days ago, directly on the Inn cycle path to Landeck. There we met up with the official Etschtal cycle path. Both cycle paths run parallel as far as the village of Martina.

After leaving the course of the River Inn, we set off on the ascent to the Reschen Pass. The ascent is the only part of the route where there is no separate cycle path. Mutual consideration between cyclists and motorists is mandatory. If the climb is too challenging, there is the option of taking the Postbus, which takes bikes. From Lake Reschen it is all downhill.

The wide tarmac cycle path runs off the road as far as Merano/Meran. The Via Claudia Augusta and the Adige Valley cycle path run parallel for the most part, which also offers the opportunity to follow the signposting for the Via Claudia Augusta. The route then crosses the Adige Valley to Bolzano.

From Bolzano, the Valle Isarco cycle path took us via Franzenfeste, Brixen, Sterzing and Klausen up to the Brenner Pass. The ascent is long and has some steep ramps. But once we reached the top, a reward awaited us. Because from there it's all downhill on the old Brenner road to Innsbruck, where we were soon told: "All aboard, please! The train is leaving." And this announcement, which heralded our return journey to Berlin, was not to be missed.

Pleasure cycle tour in South Tyrol: the tour in detail

A detailed map, elevation profile and GPX data for download are available on the DK tour portal:

Info & tips for cycling holidays in South Tyrol

Arrival

Railway: From Berlin via Munich to Innsbruck by ICE; journey time: approx. 10 hours.

aeroplane: Direct flights with Eurowings from Hamburg and Berlin to Innsbruck.

Accommodation

Giernhof, 39027 Graun im Vinschgau (at Lake Reschen). www.giernhof.it

Maratscher Hotel, Mitterplars 30, 39022 Algund (Meran). www.maratscher.com

Herbal heritage BacherhofVicolo Gebreidweg 10 a, 39010 Nals (between Meran and Bozen). www.kraeutererbe.info

Pitzner WineryKarneiderstr. 15, 39053 Kardaun (Bolzano). www.pitzner.it

Worth seeing

Marienberg Monastery: With its location at 1,340 metres, Marienberg Abbey can be seen from afar, making it the highest Benedictine abbey in Europe. Schlinig 1, 39024 Mals, www.marienberg.it

Englhorn farm cheese dairy: Owned by the Agethle family for well over 200 years. Until 50 years ago, original Braunvieh cattle grazed in the Vinschgau Valley. The family farm is once again dedicated to breeding this endangered breed of cattle. The milk from the cattle is processed into raw milk cheese and sold in the farm's own cheese dairy. Fraction Schleis 8, 39024 Nals, www.englhorn.com

Glurns: The medieval village is one of the smallest towns in the Alps. Its completely preserved town walls are a special feature. www.glurns.eu

Sissi Museum by Uncle Taa: The passionate collector, Uncle Taa, has transformed the old Badl into a museum in over 50 years of collecting. On display are many personal belongings of Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth, better known as "Sissi". Uncle Taa is usually on site and enjoys chatting with his guests. Bahnhofstraße 17, 39020 Töll/Partschins, www.onkeltaa.com

Sigmundskron Fortress: An extensive castle and fortress complex near Bolzano. The ruins have been completely modernised and now house the fourth mountain museum of the South Tyrolean extreme mountaineer Reinhold Messner. www.schloss-sigmundskron.com

Franzensfeste: On the way back along the Brenner road on the banks of the reservoir in Franzensfeste, the Franzensfeste fortress rises up. The extensive fortress complex with its gigantic labyrinth of rooms, corridors and staircases is now a museum with many exciting exhibitions. Among other things, there is a permanent exhibition on the construction of the Brenner Tunnel. www.festung-franzensfeste.it

Food & Drink

Christian Pinggera - Schnalshuberhof: Nature sets the tone at the Schnalshuberhof. Outside on the vineyards and orchards cultivated according to organic guidelines, inside in the listed parlours of the organic farm. A very special and above all healthy flair can be felt everywhere. Guests experience a trip into the past in the so-called newspaper parlour: Newspapers from times gone by are displayed on the panelling. The beautiful farm shop is also a special attraction. Oberplars, 2, 39022 Lagundo BZ.

Restaurant Patauner: The inn, popularly known as the Vogelmeierhof, in which the restaurant is located, was built in 1664 and is situated in the centre of Siebeneich. Since that time, the building has always been carefully maintained. Via Bolzano 6, 39018 Terlano, www.restaurant-patauner.net

Restaurant (and museum) Uncle Taa: A historic restaurant with a romantic atmosphere that specialises in the creativity of traditional recipes and the use of herbs, wild herbs and edible flowers. It is run by three generations of women with passion, dedication and attention to detail. Bahnhofstraße 17, 39020 Töll/Parcines, www.onkeltaa.com

Bolzano Winery: Bronze-coloured perforated aluminium sheeting covers the façade, interspersed with branching lines that stylise a vine leaf. You can recognise it from afar, the shining cube that seems to grow majestically out of the hillside: the new wine landmark of the city of Bolzano, the Bolzano winery. The architecture, design and sustainable functionality clearly demonstrate what this place is all about: wine in all its diversity and fascinating facets. The first climate house wine cellar in Italy. Old and new knowledge about vineyards and vinification leads to a unique selection of quality wines. Guided tour of the winery with wine tasting: 30 euros per person. Moritzinger Weg, 36, 39100 Bolzano, www.kellereibozen.com

Cycling tour organiser

The following organisers offer guided tours on the Adige Cycle Path:

• The Landpartie, www.dielandpartie.de
• Danube voyages, www.donaureisen.at
• Sackmann cycle tours, www.sackmann-fahrradreisen.de

Travel guide, maps and further information

can be found under

• suedtirol.de
• etschtalradweg.de
• eisacktalradweg.de