Brenta, Dolomites, Lake Garda - Trentino has long been one of the most popular bike holiday destinations in the Alps. The local authorities have now set the course to rekindle the boom and are increasingly expanding the range of services for biking guests. In our large series of articles, we give you an overview and show you the 20 most beautiful mountain bike tours in the ten most beautiful destinations in Trentino. That's enough for more than one summer. Plus eight bike parks with lines ranging from mega-flowy to ultra-difficult as well as the most important stage routes, races and bike projects.
Magical: the allure of Trentino
Mountain biking and Trentino. Since the beginning of the mountain bike boom in the nineties, this has been a word combination that works perfectly. There is truly no shortage of mountains, tours and trails in the Alps. And yet every year we see how German-speaking mountain bikers in particular skip countless destinations in favour of heading straight for the southern edge of the Alps. Their destination: one of the mountain bike areas of Trentino.
But where does this fascination for this region come from? Probably no one has put this into words more aptly - albeit unflatteringly - than Heinrich Laube in his "Travel Tales" from 1834: "The Garda is the first Italian maiden who, when she descends from the Alps, looks into the heart of the blond, stupid Germanic man with a dark, southern gaze."
The fascination that this part of Italy exerts on mountain bikers stems from the combination of almost inexhaustible possibilities and that special flair that is difficult to describe in words, but can be felt in person. Have fun on tour!
The new freedom
Travel journalists often like to talk about the "diverse landscapes" of a region. In the case of Trentino, it is difficult to put the hard facts into other words. When it comes to Trentino, most mountain bikers immediately think of Lake Garda. This very special feeling of being in the mountains and by the sea at the same time is difficult to savour elsewhere.
But then you take the car, drive three quarters of an hour from there and suddenly you are in the Brenta Dolomites. There, grey rock towers rise into the sky like organ pipes, while the glaciers of the Adamello group shine just a stone's throw away. On the eastern side of the Adige Valley, the picture is the same, refreshingly inconsistent. In Val di Fassa, for example, we are dealing with the part of the Dolomites that everyone knows. With famous rock bastions such as the Sella, Marmolada and Sassolungo. Mountains where alpine history was written.
San Martino di Castrozza with its Pala Group is in no way inferior. It is no coincidence that the Dolomites were awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. But then, another hour's drive further on, the Valsugana. A wide trough valley with rows and rows of apple orchards, with comparatively gentle, wooded slopes. And finally the Alpe Cimbra, which borders Trentino to the south. There, bunkers and trenches remind us of far less peaceful times.
Perhaps that is also part of the attraction. Sure, in Trentino we are in Italy, and the Germans love Italy. And yet it somehow feels more at home. You don't have to look far to find evidence that Trentino was part of Austria-Hungary less than 100 years ago. Some historic town centres don't want to look "typically Italian" at all. It's easy to socialise with the locals, even though you may only speak a little Italian yourself. And it seems as if many locals cherish the memory of the imperial and royal era. Historical names such as "Vielgereuth", "Löweneck" or even "Reiff am Gartsee" can even be found on Google Maps.
But what makes mountain bikers make the pilgrimage across the Brenner Pass is Trentino's wealth of "tours and trails". And it is precisely here that the region is clearly travelling towards the 21st century. After some wrangling over the best solution for everyone involved, Trentino has agreed to steer the mountain bike boom in a pragmatic way.
Representatives from tourism, mountain biking, forestry, nature conservation and Alpine associations sat down at a table in all of the province's destinations. They agreed on an "official provincial MTB trail network", which is to be promoted to tourists in future. Trails that are not included in the network can still be ridden freely - with a few small, well-founded exceptions. This new trail network concept will be communicated to the public for the first time in the 2017 season, for example in this Trentino special. Here you will find some of the best tours on this trail network. Have fun on tour and discovering new horizons!
Bike parks in Trentino
Tickets to ride: The downhill fraction also gets its money's worth in Trentino. Eight bike parks with lines ranging from mega-flowy to ultra-deep offer pure adrenalin for beginners to pros!
1st San Martino di Castrozza
A bike park for fans of the more robust pace with two great lines! In the upper part, the granite base of the Dolomites provides rock gardens with many possible lines. From the tree line onwards, it becomes much more flowy.
www.sanmartinobikearena.com
2nd Val di Fassa Bike Park
The first bike park in the Dolomites offers numerous lines from superflow to airtime to downhill-deep and with up to 900 metres of depth. A stunning panorama is included!
www.fassabike.com
3. bike park Paganella
Basically, the Paganella is a single bike park. In the area explicitly designated as such, there are another four lines and a skills area in a very confined space. A killer test piece: the Apocalypse Now.
www.dolomitipaganellabike.com
4th Val di Sole
The Black Snake Line in the Val di Sole bike park is notorious in downhill circles. It is considered the most difficult course in the DH World Cup: a nasty steep monster of roots, holes and dust! But don't worry, there are also much more flowing lines further up.
www.centrobikevaldisole.com
5th Passo Tonale
If you like riding downhill without being tired of it, Passo Tonale offers a top alternative to the Black Snake Line. The brand-new bike park offers three ultra-flowy, easy to moderately difficult descents.
www.centrobikevaldisole.com
6th Brenta Bike Park
In 2015, the four-kilometre-long Sfulmini Trail was inaugurated near Pinzolo and quickly made many friends with its wall rides and north shores. Two more lines are due to be added by June 2017!
www.facebook.com/brentabikepark
7th Bike Park Garda Trentino
Not a bike park in the true sense of the word, as the trailheads on Monte Baldo and near Santa Barbara can be reached under your own steam or by shuttle. There are currently two lines set up there for bikers.
www.gardatrentino.it
8. bike park Lavarone
The Lavarone bike park offers four lines with a length of four kilometres (270 m elevation gain). The trails are spiced up with Northshores and lots of jumps.
www.bikeparklavarone.it
Stage tours & bike projects in Trentino
Trentino Mini-Transalp and other multi-day tours
Dolomiti Brenta Bike
The circumnavigation of the Brenta Dolomites is a classic. The Transalp in mini format is available in two levels of difficulty. The expert tour is aimed at experienced bikers and climbs up into the bumpy high mountains. The country tour runs more in the valley and is suitable for beginners. The service here includes luggage transport, a guide and shuttles on request. This makes the Dolomiti Brenta Bike an attractive alternative for all those who would like to undertake a multi-day tour without dragging themselves down. Or as preparation for a Transalp ...
Mountain & Garda Bike
The tour highlights on northern Lake Garda, packed into five intensive days. In a nutshell, this is the concept of the Mountain & Garda Bike circular tour with the classics Ponale Road, Monte Bondone, Valle dei Laghi and Monte Baldo. The tour runs mainly on forest and military tracks, but can be spiced up with single trails. A great adventure away from the hustle and bustle of the lake!
Grand Tour Dolomiti Lagorai
The Dolomiti Lagorai Bike region comprises the territories of Val di Fassa, Val di Fiemme, San Martino di Castrozza, the Piné plateau and Valsugana. Their geographical link is the Lagorai massif, a mighty granite mountain range in the centre of the Dolomites. The Grand Tour circumnavigates the Lagorai chain in four to six stages and leads over the Transalp classic Passo Cinque Croci and through often wild, lonely nature.
Tour de Non
A new addition to the Trentino stage tours is the four-day tour around the Val di Nons. 154 kilometres and a good 6000 metres in altitude are on the programme here. The aim of the trail scouts was to avoid forest tracks and tarmac roads on beautiful, epic single trails. If you want to see the success for yourself, the tour will open in spring 2017.
100 km dei Forti
Fit bikers can ride the legendary circular tour on the Alpe Cimbra in one day. If you have more time, you can visit the forts and sites of the mountain war. More information about Alpe Cimbra and the MTB tour 100 km dei Forti in two stages
All further information about the routes can be found here:
www.dolomitibrentabike.it
www.mountaingardabike.com
www.dolomitilagoraibike.it
www.tourdenon.it
www.alpecimbrabike.it
More information about the Trentino bike region
Bike-friendly accommodation - From campsites and holiday flats to five-star hotels, you'll find it all here: www.visittrentino.info/de/unterkunfte/bike-friendly
The official MTB route network of the region is described in detail on the Internet. The GPS data is of course available to download free of charge. There are currently 517 official mountain bike tours. And the trend is rising.
www.visittrentino.info
Tourist Guide App The complete Trentino for your pocket: the smartphone app is available for iOS and Android and offers Trentino's guests holiday information on outdoor activities, sights, accommodation and tips on where to stop for a bite to eat. The app also works offline and can be found at www.visittrentino.info/mobile-anwendung
Trentino Guestcard With the region's comprehensive guest card, holidaymakers receive many free services and discounts, such as for the Bicibus shuttle. More information at: www.visittrentino.info/guest-card
Trentino e-bike Also ideal for families: the bike region of Comano Terme in the south of the Brenta Dolomites offers its guests a well-functioning e-bike programme. Information at www.evvai.bike and www.visitacomano.it
FiemmE-Motion Card Val di Fiemme offers a good 500 kilometres of bike trails that are recorded with GPS. Guests receive the FiemmE-motion Card for free use of lifts, public buses, shuttles and much more for a daily tourist tax of two euros. Info: www.visitfiemme.it
Events
- Circuito Trentino MTB, the CC marathon series in Trentino! Info: www.trentinomtb.com
- Tour of the Alps: professional road race across Trentino and East Tyrol. Date: 17 April - 21 April 2017, tourofthealps.eu
- Giro d'Italia: The famous racing bike classic turns 100! Venue: many mountain passes in Trentino! Date: 5-28 May 2017, stages and information at: www.giroditalia.it
- UCI World Cup Final - the UCI World Cup with Cross Country, Downhill and 4X will once again end in Val di Sole in 2017. Date: 25-27 August 2017, www.valdisolebikeland.com
The 20 best mountain bike tours in the ten most beautiful destinations in Trentino - including GPS download - can be found in the other parts of our article series "Italy: The most beautiful mountain bike tours in Trentino".
