Biking between the vineyards of Valtellina and the glaciers of the Bernina massif at over 4000 metres - nowhere in the Alps are Mediterranean warmth and Arctic cold closer together than in the deep valley incision of Val Poschiavo (pronounced Poskiavo). The valley behind the Bernina Pass, in the very south of the Engadine, offers one of the most varied and contrasting landscapes in Switzerland. And just like the landscape, the language of the locals changes with the altitude: Because from the Bernina Pass onwards, you can hear the otherwise so throaty Swiss speaking melodious Italian more and more often.
The special attraction of Val Poschiavo is the Rhaetian Railway. The fiery red cogwheel railway is considered a technical masterpiece by connoisseurs. Several times a day, it whizzes over a circular viaduct and various hairpin bends from Tirano (430 m) up to the Bernina Hospice at 2,253 metres above sea level. A world-famous panoramic ride that mountain bikers can also use as a convenient lift.
You can find these tours in the PDF download:
1st Alp Grüm (33.58 km | 1472 m elevation gain | 2 h 48 min.)
2nd Viano Smugglers' Trail (32.39 km | 1940 m elevation gain | 3 h 14 min.)
3rd Magic Trail (14.52 km | 725 m elevation gain | 1 h 27 min.)
