You can go home comfortably on the new trains, which can also take back your bicycles. Alternatively, the bikes can be borrowed in Toblach and returned in Bruneck.
The Brunico|Bruneck to Fortezza|Franzensfeste leg is rich in cultural and historical treasures that make the route unique. The settlements, fortresses, and historical monuments from Roman times through the Middle Ages line the bike path along the Rienza|Rienz, offering interesting insights into the history of the valley.
This leg of the Pustertal|Val Pusteria bike route is also hilly, as it forms the connecting point between the Central Val Pusteria and the Isarco|Eisack Valley. From Brunico, it continues in the direction of S. Lorenzo|St. Lorenzen to the former Roman road station, Mansio Sebatum. Excavations and a museum offer the opportunity to learn more about the Romans in the Pustertal. The petting zoo at Wildberg Manor is a pleasant change of pace for both young and old and not to forget the Castel Sonnenburg. Things continue on quietly through landscapes of forests and meadows toward Casteldarne|Ehrenburg (Castel Ehrenburg) and Chienes|Kiens. Those who enjoy cheese will be in for a treat at the Gatscher farmhouse cheese dairy. The trip then proceeds to S. Sigismondo|St. Sigmund and Vandoies|Vintl. At Lodenwelt, which is located there, the adventure museum devoted to the subject of loden felt can be visited, as can an animal reserve and the fine Capriz cheese dairy. Those who enjoy the finer things in life certainly won’t come up short along this route! After passing Vandoies, the bicycle trail passes by the Rio Molino|Mühlbach Gap, a former valley and road block from the twelfth century, continuing on to Rio Molino. At this point, it is possible to return by train. But for all those who have some energy and motivation left, continuing on to visit the fortress in Fortezza is certainly worthwhile.
Possible variations along the route:
The 80 km long Val d'Adige/Etschtal Cycle Path (Etschradweg) leads along the Via Claudia Augusta, an ancient Roman road.
The trail is mainly flat or downhill. The fantastic bike trail network in the Val Venosta/Vinschgau valley makes for relaxed biking on a good surface, i.e. either asphalt or rolled gravel.
The Val d’Adige Cycle Path (Etschradroute) is especially popular with cyclists looking for a moderate challenge. It is also possible to rent bikes at various train stations and to return them elsewhere, meaning that you do not have to bring your own bike with you. The bike tour can also be shortened or simplified at any time by using the Vinschgerbahn train.
From the Adige Valley to the mountains, visitors can cycle with constant temperatures through shady forests and flowering meadows, far away from the hustle and bustle of traffic.
From Brunecker Rathausplatz drive along the road to St. Lorenzen. There you turn right and follow the path towards St. Martin and then to Maria Saalen. Next, follow the trail towards Plaiken and Enneberg Pfarre. Arrived at the road that leads from Longega to Maria Saalen, turn left and moves up to Plaiken (beautiful church with onion dome) and continued until San Vigilio passing by Enneberg.
Two sharp climbs, two lakes, a tower in the lake, a wonderful side valley panorama
On the San Candido|Innichen to Brunico|Bruneck leg, the green color of the meadows, fields, and forests dominates the view. Along the railway route, sometimes through inhabited areas and sometimes through an undisturbed natural landscape, the bike path runs with a constant up and down from village to village as far as Brunico, the economic center of the Pustertal|Val Pusteria.
After the start in San Candido, the absolute first destination that is reached is the village of Dobbiaco|Toblach, the highest point of the entire leg. Following the Rienza-Rienz down the valley, the cyclist will then continue on to Villabassa|Niederdorf and Monguelfo|Welsberg. Anyone who would like to enjoy a game of golf can do so here in the newly built miniature golf course. For all culture lovers, a visit to Welsperg Castle is recommended. From Monguelfo, it is not far to Valdaora|Olang. Riders will pass by all three parts of the village, namely Valdaora di Sopra|Oberolang, Valdaora di Mezzo|Mitterolang, and Valdaora di Sotto|Niederolang, and the only problem will be too many choices as to whether there should be a detour to the Kinderwelt (“Kid’s World”) of Valdaora, a visit to the Kron Arc Adventure Park, or a trip to the restored Venetian “Lipper Säge” (Lippa Sawmill). From Valdaora, the bike path continues downriver through undisturbed nature until the small medieval city of Brunico is reached. Towering high above the roofs of the city is Brunico Castle, while further down on the via Centrale|Stadtgasse, a lively hustle and bustle is going on in the charming shops and the many cafes, inns, and restaurants. In Brunico, there are a whole variety of museums and art treasures to experience. Of particular significance is the Folklore Museum in Teodone|Dietenheim, the Messner Mountain Museum MMM RIPA which is housed in Brunico Castle, and the newest museum, the MMM Corones. The latter is located at an elevation of 2,275 m (7,464 ft.) on the summit of the Kronplatz|Plan de Corones, and it can be reached from Riscone|Reischach by cableway.
Possible variations along the route:
The beginning of our Bolzano bike-tour is the Talvera/Talfer bridge. We follow the cycle-lane along the left-hand bank of the river, going northwards, passing idyllic Castle Mareccio/Maretsch, nestling in the vineyards, up to Sant'Antonio/St. Anton, where the valley begins to narrow, and on to the fairy-tale Castle Roncolo/Runkelstein with its amazing frescoes. After visiting the castle (leave your bike in the bike-park below, before walking up the short but steep path to the castle), you make your way back to the Talfer bridge. At the Piazza Vittoria/Siegesplatz you could visit the new museum-display entitled "BZ 18-45" in the crypt of the Victory Monument. Then we cycle down the Corso Libertá/Freiheitsstrasse to the square of Gries, formerly a village-municipality in its own right and an internationally-renowned spa. The square is dominated by the massive baroque parish church and Benedictine monastery. Nearby is the old parish church of Gries with its romantic cemetery outside and a gem of Gothic wood-carving inside, the beautiful altar by Michael Pacher. From Gries we take the Vittorio Veneto street westwards. For the first 100 metres you will really need to pay attention to the traffic until you hit the cycle lane again. You then pass farms and vineyards before you come to the hospital. Here the cycle lane forks and you head for the Via Druso/Drususstraße. At the big roundabout follow the signs for Appiano/Eppan as far as the bridge, then take the cycle lane to Castle Firmiano/Sigmundskron and the Messner Mountain Museum. The way back follows the bank of the Isarco/Eisack river, passing below several bridges. After the swimming pool complex we turn left just before the yellow iron bridge, now following the Talvera river until we come opposite the futuristic glass cube of the Museion modern art gallery. We are now back in the town centre, but we have to watch out: the Via Museo/Museumstraße, the Piazza Erbe/Obstplatz and the Piazza Walther Platz are pedestrianized and closed to cyclists, so that means pushing the bike. If you still have got some energy left, you could visit the Ötzi Museum, the Civic museum or the Natural History Museum.
This multiple day tour leads through 3 countries, 3 cultures, including natural oases and cultural highlights. There are very good bus and train connections and numerous bike-friendly accommodations along the route. In South Tyrol, right behind the Brenner Pass, you can enjoy the alpine-mediterranean lifestyle and the southern ambience of the cities of South Tyrol. Let yourself be enchanted by the majestic beauty of the world-famous Three Peaks in the UNESCO World Heritage - Dolomites. Take advantage of the numerous opportunities to discover South Tyrol on a trekking bike. Well-developed cycle routes not only connect the cities of South Tyrol, but also lead you into the quiet side valleys surrounded by the Alps and the imposing Dolomites.
From the village center in Laas on the cycle path westwards through the orchards to Oris, through the Tschengls biotope further to Prad and over the "Prader Sand" to the fishing ponds.
Bolzano/Bozen is a popular destination for many cyclists, as the provincial capital is not far from Laives/Leifers and easily accessible.
The Adige cycling path along the Via Claudia Augusta is a cultural experience through gardens and architecture. The cycling path leads you through the beautiful landscapes of the Etschtal Valley from the Vinschgau Valley to Merano/Meran and to the south to Bolzano/Bozen and Caldaro/Kaltern. Here is the description of the tour from Stava/Staben near Naturno/Naturns to Nalles/Nals, which leads you to Merano and further south. Without any big efforts you can explore the wide valley. The tour is ideal for families and bikers who want to take it slow.
https://maps.merano-suedtirol.it/en/etschradroute
From the Adige Valley to the mountains, visitors can cycle with constant temperatures through shady forests and flowering meadows, far away from the hustle and bustle of traffic.
This variation of the Pustertal|Val Pusteria bike route starts in Valdaora di Sotto|Niederolang end ends in Valdaora di Sopra|Oberolang.
Route length in km: 16,5
Vertical climb: ascent 98m – descent 928m
Surface: asphalt,forest path
Required technical skills: S0 – easy
The 23 km long circular bike tour leads through some of the most famous and most beautiful historical wine villages on the South Tyrolean Wine Road, Cornaiano/Girlan, Appiano/Eppan, and Caldaro/Kaltern, well-known for their Pinot Blanc the autochthonous Kalterer See wine.
Route: the shortest of the three wine routes begins in Caldaro in the square in front of the two large wineries, the Kellerei Kaltern and the Erste + Neue Kaltern. The route then leads through a section of forest to the two Montiggler Seen lakes. Continue on to Cornaiano, a historical wine village featuring underground cellars that take up more space than the village itself. The next stages are San Paolo/St. Pauls and San Michele/St. Michael, the actual centre of the Appiano castle region. A visit to the wineries in this outstanding wine region is really worthwhile. The wine route now leads back to Caldaro by the lake, famous not only for the wine named after the Kalterer See, but also because it is one of the most well-known wine villages in the province.
This tour, the Valle Isarco route I, links the biking region of the Seiser Alm/Val Gardena with the bottom of the Eisacktal Valley, where a number of tours lead in the direction of Brixen and Bozen. These well-maintained bike paths guarantee great routes for mountain bikers and road cyclists alike.
From the Adige Valley to the mountains, visitors can cycle with constant temperatures through shady forests and flowering meadows, far away from the hustle and bustle of traffic.
The Pustertal Valley Bike Route is particularly suitable for bicycle tours and family cycling tours, not only for beginners but also for experts. The paved bike path starts in Rio Pusteria-Mühlbach and leads via the villages of Vandoies di Sotto-Niedervintl, Vandoies di Sopra-Obervintl, Chienes-Kiens, Casteldarne-Ehrenburg and S. Lorenzo-St. Lorenzen to Brunico-Bruneck. This first section is very flat and 25.5 km long.
From Brunico, it takes about Perca-Percha, Valdaora di Sotto-Niederolang, Valdaora di Mezzo-Mitterolang, Valdaora di Sopra-Oberolang, Ried, Villabassa-Niederdorf and Dobbiaco-Toblach to San Candido-Innichen. This second section is again very flat, 33.5 km long, and suitable for everyone.
The third section takes us from San Candido on Versciaco-Vierschach to Prato Drava-Winnebach where you cross the Austro-Italian border. Now follow along the Drava River to Lienz. This last subsection is 44 km long, very easy, and ideal for families. For the return, we can use the train to come back to the starting point. If the total distance is too long, you can also take only a small part of the track, and the rest you can travel by train.
The bike trail of Val Pusteria/Pustertal goes through grasses and fields and crosses in the first part some villages and the little city of Brunico/Bruneck. The good sun exposition makes it practicable also at the beginning of the season, the transport of bikes with the train of Val Pusteria/Pustertal makes independent from the car. The 70 km and the 300 m of altitude difference going out of the valley ask for a basic level of training condition. The trailway offers anyway the advantage of being able to interrupt the trail and cover the remaining part on the train. Also families with kids, in this way, run no risks.
This leg San Candido|Innichen - Lienz is simultaneously the third leg of the Pustertal|Val Pusteria Bike Route and the first leg of the Drava-Drau Bicycle Route which leads from Dobbiaco|Toblach (the source of the Drava) to Maribor in Slovenia. As the name suggests, the wide, secured bike path runs along the Drava River and is paved with a slight descent for nearly the entire route. For this reason, this leg is especially popular with families with children and bicyclists who may not be in peak condition. The railway route which runs parallel to the bike route makes it possible to plan a trip very individually. And because the bike path receives sufficient use, the infrastructure of services and care is well developed along the route, leaving no wish unfulfilled for bicyclists.
The bike path passes many small villages in East Tyrol, the largest of which is Sillian. That is the location of the beloved Wichtelpark. Lienz, the City of the Dolomites, as it calls itself, has a great deal to offer and can look back on a long history. The settlement, which had been founded back by the Illyrians, was continued by the Romans and developed into the Roman city of Aguntum.
From the village center in Schlanders on the cycle path to Holzbrugg, through fruit gardens following the river to the lake Goldrain.
This variation of the bike path continues from Brunico in the direction of S. Lorenzo|St. Lorenzen to the former Roman road station, Mansio Sebatum. Excavations and a museum offer the opportunity to learn more about the Romans in the Pustertal. The route goes from San Lorenzo to San Vigilio or to San Martin – 23 or 24 km (14.5 or 15 miles).
The southernmost ‘Wine & Bike’ route leads from the wine villages of Cortaccia/Kurtatsch and Magrè/Margreid to Cortina all’Adige/Kurtinig and Salorno/Salurn. Return via Egna/Neumarkt and Ora/Auer, the Lake Kaltern and back to Termeno/Tramin. The stretch from Salorno to Ora can be completed by train.