Round the Dolomites

Arrival to your starting hotel in valley “Hochpustertal” in the heart of the Dolomites.

On the first part of today’s route the Pustertal-cycling-path will show you the way. River Rienz accompanies you to Bruneck/Brunido, inviting you for a rest and a stroll through the city. Back in the saddle you pass the ruins of Mühlbacher Klause – the final point of the Pustertal. Shortly before Brixen/Bressanone you can visit the convent of Neustift or the fortress Franzensfeste. Brixen is worth to be visited as well. From afar convent Säben is welcoming you located high over the city of Klausen, where you will spend the night.

From Klausen you cycle along river Eisack to Waidbruck, from where you will admire the view on castle Trostburg. The valley leads you to South Tyrol’s capital city Bolzano where two different linguistic cultures meet each other as well as the Italian and Tyrolean life styles. After a visit of Bozen’s pedestrian and shopping area “Lauben” and the fruit market you will follow river Etsch and leave South Tyrol passing the “Salurner Klause” – border between the German speaking South Tyrol and the Italian speaking Trentino. Fruit trees and wine yards accompany your way to the former bishop’s town Trento with its inviting historic town and castle Buonconsiglio.

You cycle past Lake Caldonazzo, inviting you for a longer stop. The first part after Caldanazzo is quite steep and can also be shortened by train on your own. Through the impressive Valsugana valley the way leads you to Feltre, a small city on the former “Via Claudia Augusta”, an important Roman road from Aquileia to Augsburg.

Through an alley of broad-leaved forests you reach Belluno, small capital city of the homonymous province. Today you will pass picturesque village, inviting you for a rest every now and then. Towards north you look back to the mighty Dolomites, you companion during the first stages.

Today you continue your way back north, passing Longarone. This town was rebuilt in a very short time after it was flooded by a tidal wave in 1963 which was caused by a rockfall into the former Vajont Dam reservoir. On the new cycling path you will get from Longarone to Pieve di Cadore, where you will spend the night.

Pure nature is the motto of today’s stage. The most important stop of the former Dolomites railway has been Cortina D’Ampezzo surrounded by some of the most famous Dolomites peaks - 1956 Winter Olympics have been celebrated there. Along the track of the former Dolomites railway you reach the border of the region Veneto and get back to South Tyrol. Nature park “Three Peaks” on your right and nature park “Fanes Sennes Prags” to your left have to show you lots of scenic highlights on this last stage: enjoy the panoramic view on the famous “Three Peaks”, a Cappuccino or an ice-cream at Lake Landro, a boat trip on the emerald green lake of Toblach.