On the other side of the Etsch / Adige River, there's an official tour on a steep grade just waiting for cyclists with strong calves and stamina. This ramp on the way to Truden / Trodena features segments with an uphill inclination of up to 17% – a great opportunity for practiced cyclists to show their stuff! But this short and exciting tour offers not only athletic challenges, but also beautiful landscapes and cultural sightseeing. This tour begins gently. Before your legs have to really exert themselves, you'll still have the chance to just glide along the route. From the market square in Kaltern / Caldaro, this excursion first takes you along the bicycle route through the Lavason Valley to Lake Caldaro, along its eastern shores and into the Etsch / Adige Valley. You will now proceed for a few kilometers over level ground, through fruit orchards and over the Etsch to Neumarkt / Egna where the ascent on the other side of the valley begins. If you like and have the time, you might want to visit the historical center of Neumarkt and maybe enjoy a hearty refreshment before embarking on this steep tour. Honestly, it's practically a duty to visit the old part of town with its medieval arcades. Its center has been lovingly restored and is among the most-beautiful in all of South Tyrol. Neumarkt thus represents the stylish first act of this exciting and charming tour. The road now leads along the sun-drenched slopes of the Etsch / Adige Valley up through the villages of Pinzon / Pinzano and Montan / Montagna whose cobblestone lanes and handsome residences with their rich histories are sure to delight you. The narrow passage through the little hamlet of Glen marks the end of this cultural journey and the beginning of the athletically challenging segment. Once you've passed by the last houses of the hamlet, the road now tilts up sharply. With a grade of up to 17%, you'll have to shift into the appropriate gear to manage it. But then you'll come to Truden where you can either stop for refreshments or continue on your merry way. The downhill road to Kaltenbrunn / Fontanefredde, along the Staatsstrasse coming from the Fleims / Fiemme Valley, will afford you an unobscured view of the Etsch / Adige Valley. After passing through the community of Auer / Ora – Neumarkt's neighboring village – you'll have crossed the river. Between the Etsch River and Lake Caldaro, you will encounter the Kreither Saddle with its 150 meters of altitude differential and grade of about 13% will test your stamina – a fitting segment of this overall challenging tour. But be thrifty with your physical resources, because you still have to manage the ascent to the market square of Kaltern; it isn't all that steep, but still adds another 200 meters or so of altitude differential.
