You're not actually allowed to. But when the ripe plums in Valsugana are dangling right next to the cycle path, the hand reaches for them reflexively. The sweet and juicy flesh almost melts in your mouth, the fruit is so ripe. It seems that the farmers have their hands full with the grape harvest. For several kilometres of the tour, it smells like a winery. The plums, on the other hand, are already being taken care of by wasps. So I'm sure no-one will mind if we take another bite.
Steeped in history: the trails of the Altopiano
Because of the harvest season, mountain bikers are less likely to visit this south-eastern corner of Trentino. Those who come here have the historic trails of Folgaria, Lavarone and Luserna in their sights. It was here on these strategically important plateaus that the first shots of the mountain war were fired in May 1915. To the south of Caldonazzo, just behind the plum trees, a rock face towers almost 1000 metres high. And at the top of the cliff are the Altopiano plateaus. But how to get up there? At first glance, there is no way up there. You have to stare at the wall for a while with narrowed eyes until you recognise the zigzag of a road: the famous Kaiserjägerweg. Its serpentine bends are stacked almost on top of each other up the vertical rock face. The Austrian troops had built this adventurous route to cart really heavy war material up to the front. And this route ran right across the high plateaus of Folgaria, Lavarone and Luserna. This is where the old forts still tell of the bloody battles. Some of the historic walls have now been converted into museums.
Although the Kaiserjägerweg is completely tarmac today and still winds uphill as a dual carriageway at the bottom, the route soon becomes a single track in the rock, ducking under rocky outcrops and threading its way into two short tunnels. After ten kilometres and almost 800 metres in altitude, the highest point is finally reached. Your eyes sweep northwards over the wide Valsugana and Lago di Caldonazzo to Lago di Levico beyond. But mountain bikers now branch off southwards into the forest. The route now continues onto the plateau on gravel roads, some of which are narrow and overgrown, and old military paths. But the route is far from flat and level. Between 1000 and a maximum of 2000 metres above sea level, the ups and downs are constant and take their toll.
Wooden signs now point the way towards Cima Vezzena: the route continues uphill on gravel. Sometimes there are no signs, but then the GPS device knows the way. The rock becomes rougher, ramps pile up. The last 200 metres to the summit of the Vezzena are a real strain on the legs. But once you reach the top, you realise again why you did it. The view now extends as far as the Dolomites. Back at Pizzo Alto, the route continues on cart tracks across the plateau. The Transalp Challenge signpost arrows keep flashing in the forest. The route towards Carbonare has often been signposted as a race route. On the way, you wind your way through the ski resorts, which are now enjoying a well-earned rest in summer. Only in Bertoldi on the Lavarone plateau is the chairlift busy. The Italian downhill and freeride scene has honed and hammered a playground here with three downhill runs. But we'll have a look at the park tomorrow. The trail descent on the Sentiero della Pace down into Valsugana is still waiting for us!
- Interview: Peter Schlickenrieder, former cross-country skier, Olympic competitor and Trentino expert 100 Kilometri dei Forti - which of the three laps do you like best and why? I actually like the smallest circuit on the Luserna plateau the best, because you walk along "Bavarian paths", so to speak. The original Bavarian language (Cimbrian), which was brought here by emigrants from Benediktbeuern in the 11th/12th century, still lives on in Luserna today. If you want to delve deeper into the history, you should definitely visit Mr Nicolussi's documentation centre (free admission, info: www.luserna.it). In addition to the cultural and historical aspect, it is simply brilliant - without having to climb many metres in altitude - to be able to enjoy a magnificent view along the borders of the plateau.
- Have you ever been to the bike park in Lavarone? How difficult are the trails? Yes, I've been there once. There are various routes from easy to challenging. The entire downhill mountain is accessible by chairlift, but not as steep as the other parks in Trentino. Almost every major obstacle can be bypassed on an easy variant. To summarise: an ideal park to get started and develop step by step.
"100 Kilometri dei Forti" - top tour across the plateaus
Ready for a big lap? Long climbs, fast descents, relaxed sections and then tough climbs and exciting descents await you on the "100 Kilometres dei Forti"... There is no doubt that the 100 Kilometres of Forti is one of the most spectacular mountain bike routes in southern Trentino. Especially because it winds along the former front line of the First World War.
The fully signposted mountain bike route "100 Kilometri dei Forti" through the Cimbrian Alps leads over a total of 104 km and 2700 metres in altitude across the three high plateaus of Folgaria, Lavarone and Luserna and is a real challenge even for well-trained bikers. Those who prefer to take it a little easier can divide the tour into three different circuits: The Folgaria, Lavarone and Luserna circuits. The Folgaria tour is clearly the most difficult. Ready for this new challenge?
Mountain bike tour across the Folgaria plateau
The starting point is the market square in Folgaria at an altitude of 1168 metres. A path leads up the mountain to the west for about 400 metres, past the football pitch to Costa. Cross the SP350 road there and continue uphill from Negheli (1250 metres) towards Maso Spilzi and on to Passo Sommo (1343 metres). From there, continue through the small villages of Perpruneri and Tezzeli. Then turn off in the direction of San Sebastiano. Descend there and soon pass "Maso dei Morganti" as far as Carbonare (1076 m). At the junction between the SP349-SP350 roads, turn left onto a small dirt road that leads to Malga Elbele and the small village of Virti. Pass under the Virti portal and continue in the direction of the former Austro-Hungarian command centre.
After crossing the main road (SP), follow the old Lanzino road up to Monte Rust. After 1.7 kilometres and 80 metres in altitude, you reach the Austro-Hungarian observatory (1282 m). Then it's down to Lake Lavarone and through Prà di Sopra to Carbonare. There you follow the SP350 for a short while until the gravel road branches off to the right to the Spèr bridge (1070 m). Continue along the Astico river. You soon pass Malga Clama and continue along a long, narrow path past Malga Grimmen to Malga Seconde Poste (4.7 km, 330 m ascent). Continue to Fort Cherle (1445 m). Behind it, cross the SP 142 of Fiorentini and follow the long forest road in Val Fredda to the alpine meadows of Malga Vall' Orsara (1480 m). There, turn into the Camini road and follow it to Fort Sommo Alto (1613 m). From here to the Camini, Passo Coe junction (1599 m) and continue uphill to Dosso delle Somme (1570 m). Descend along the long road to Martinella and continue downhill through Roccolo (1287 m) towards Serrada. The route then continues downhill through the woods of Mezzaselva, the municipality of Francolini, the corner biotope and past the Madonna delle Grazie chapel. Finally, you roll back into Folgaria from the east.
Mountain bike tour across the Lavarone plateau
In contrast to the Folgaria tour, this tour is gentler, shorter and not as mountainous. Ideal for experienced bikers. Lavarone is also known as the Freudian plateau, as Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, often spent his summer holidays at Lake Lavarone. Lavarone is also known for its Belvedere Gschwent fort. The former fort is now a museum with many pictures and stories of the soldiers in the First World War.
The starting point is the market square in Chiesa (1171 m). From here, follow the old military road to the small village of Albertini. Pass the fountain on the right and follow the gravel road uphill towards Stengheli. Shortly after an old farm, cross the SP349 road and continue to Stengheli. From there, follow the signs for "Lavarone Trekking" and follow the path to Bertoldi (1200 m). Your next destination is the village of Slaghenaufi, right next to an Austrian military cemetery. Another 1.5 kilometres uphill to the Tablat plateau. Here you cross the alpine meadows and ski slopes and finally follow the gravel road that leads down to Malga Laghetto. Shortly before the hut near Antal, turn right onto a mule track. This joins the SP349 road. Follow the Passo Cost road for 250 metres, then turn left onto the Camini forest road downhill to Forte Belvedere-Gschwent (1177 m). From here, follow the tarmac road through the villages of Oseli, Birti and Lenzi until you reach Masi di Sotto (1106 m). This part of the route runs on stone slabs "stoan platten", as the German-Cimbrian settlers used to use them.
Continue south until you reach Lake Lavarone (1100 m). The tour leads around the lake to the southern shore, where a gravel road leads first to Prà di Sopra and then via Carbonare to the Sole Neve campsite. There you join the SP349 country road and follow it to the junction for Malga Elbele and Virti. After the Virti archway, continue towards the centre of the village as far as the Austro-Hungarian command post. From there, continue uphill to the SP 349, cross it and continue on the old Lanzino road and later on a gravel road uphill to the summit of Monte Rust (1282 m). The Austrian observatory is enthroned here. From here, take a panoramic path down to Via Roma, which leads back to the market square in Chiesa.
Route length
23.4 km
metres in altitude
622 metres altitude
Cycling time
2 hours
Difficulty
MEDIUM
Mountain bike tour across the Luserna plateau
The tour across the Luserna plateau is long and leads along challenging trails. It leads through the forest of Tannbolt and up and down to the highest point of the Val d'Assa, which marks the border between Trentino and Veneto. Along the way, you will pass some fantastic panoramic spots and forts from the First World War. Another special feature of this tour is that it leads into the "Lont of Cimbarn" region, as Luserna was once called. The town is known for its linguistic speciality and ethnic minority. Even today, Cimbrian is still spoken here, an old German dialect introduced by the settlers in the 13th century.
The starting point is the market square in Luserna (1333 m). From here, take the Castellani avenue. After the town, take the small road on the right that leads down to the terraced slopes. Near the Reiniger, head uphill towards Tezze and take the path to Masetti (1156 m). Then take the tarmac road to Malga Laghetto, a mountain pasture famous for its "Avez del Prinzep", the tallest fir trees in Europe. From the malga, cross over to the SP349 country road. Cross the road and follow the paved path uphill to Tablat (1350 m). At the summit, turn right and take the road to Spiazzo Alto (1380 m). After crossing the Menador road, follow the path along the road to Seghetta. Then there is a long climb (3.2 km) to Spiazzo della Volpe and Ponte Alto (1460 m). Follow the paved road and leave the Busa Verle fort on your left. Continue towards Passo Vezzena (1402 m) and turn right onto the SP349 at the top.
After 800 metres, climb up the forest road on the left. This is the toughest climb of the tour and leads up to Monte Cucco (1582 m). At the top, take the cart track to Malga Costalta and cross the alpine meadows of Malga Millegrobbe di Sopra (1430 m) near Malga Basson in the direction of Vezzana. Then follow a cart track for about 400 metres and then turn right. Now take the long downhill trail from Bisele. As far as the first crossroads (1410 m). Now turn onto the path towards Malga Campo and at the hut itself take the climb up to Fort Campo Luserna (1549 m). Once you reach the fort, take the forest road down to Malga Millegrobbe di Sotto (1424 m), where the route joins the SP9. Follow the road briefly, then turn left onto the "Fratelle" road. Simply follow this road to Luserna.
Route length
39.2 km
vertical metres
1097 metres altitude
Riding time
3.5 hours
Difficulty
MEDIUM-DIFFICULT
Info Alpe Cimbra
Mountain bike routes
The Altopiano is bordered to the north by the steep slope into the Valsugana and to the south by a steep slope into the Venetian lowlands. The last bastion before the Po Valley - this made the plateau a strategically important area during the First World War. To the west, the area borders the Pasubio and to the east, the plateau is separated from Monte Grappa by the Brenta Valley.
The main routes for mountain bikers are well signposted across the entire plateau. They link the many relics from the First World War with the most scenic peaks in the region. If you are mainly looking for trails, you need to branch off from the main routes. The best way to do this is with well-prepared GPS tracks, as the network of old mule tracks is finely branched and often leads through dense forest, which can make orientation difficult.
Alpine crossers usually climb from the Valsugana on the spectacular Kaiserjägerweg to the Altopiano. If you want to go on day tours in the region, it is better to head for the three main towns on the Trentino plateau: Folgaria, Lavarone or Luserna. The circular tours of the "Cento Kilometri dei Forti" also start here.
Journey
From Munich, take the Brenner motorway to the "Trento Sud" exit. Then continue on the SS12 and the SS350 to Folgaria (distance from Munich: 367 km, journey time: 3:45 hours)
Bike shops
The few small shops are geared towards road bike and hardtail riders. It is therefore essential to bring spare equipment.
Best touring time
Due to the southern sunshine, the season starts here as early as March. However, it can be as early as May before even the highest peaks are free of snow. In July/August, however, it can be too hot for biking. Especially in the upper regions, which are mercilessly exposed to the sun. But autumn (until November) is the best time to bike here. The air and views are particularly clear then.
Events
1000Grobbe Bike Challenge in Lavarone, date 10/11/12 June 2016, info and registration: www.1000grobbe.it
Maps
Tabacco map 057 "Levico-Altopiani di Folgaria Lavarone e Luserna" (1:25000), price: 10.80 euros. Interactive 3D reality map of the Alpe Cimbra regionwhich can be viewed with the appropriate app and suitable hardware
Tour literature
"Dynamite Trails - by mountain bike on the military roads of the First World War", with 34 tours including maps and GPS data by Ralf Glaser, price: 29.80 euros, info: www.dynamite-trails.de
Bike park
The Bertoldi ski resort has a bike park with a lift, rental bikes and three downhill and freeride variants. Length of the runs: two kilometres. Info: www.bikeparklavarone.it
Accommodation
The plateau is very well developed for tourism. The many small villages offer accommodation in all price categories, from campsites to four-star hotels.
Culture tip
Be sure to stop off at Fort Belvedere near the village of Oseli. The old restored fort has been converted into a museum. Among other things, you can see fascinating photos and documents from the war. fortebelvedere.org
More Mountain bike tours and GPS data in Valsugana can be found under www.trails.de
All further information about the region can be found on the website:
www.alpecimbra.it
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
