Bolzano-Vipiteno

A trail segment going from Italy to Germany or in the direction Verona-Monaco di Baviera [Verona to Munich] which follows most of the way on a bike route that is constantly climbing, but more or less gently; we will find in some cases there are short tracts that require pedaling along the Statale del Brennero [Via Brennero, a state highway, not the Autostrada del Brennero. RB]. There are spectacular views along this route.

The point of departure is the FS train station at Bolzano; upon exiting the station turn right and pedal along the railroad tracks until you find, again on the right, the bike path along the Isarco River [Eissack in German]. [Refer to Paolo´s map to find the various street references to find the bike path. RB]. The bike path is exposed to the north and except for the summer months can prove to be rather chilly; it is well advised therefore to be dressed appropriately.

The bike route is a dedicated bike and pedestrian path all the way to Campodazzo [Atzwang in German] where one is required to get back on the state highway; one could see [as of October 2008] that there is work in progress to develop a section of bike path in this location, but the opportunity to use the path didn´t seem imminent, at least as of October 2008. The statale on Sundays is relatively less trafficked but, all the same, requires constant attention; after a few miles on the right you will see the reappearance of the bike path below the road and following along the river; but, in my only traveling along this route [October 19, 2008] how to get down to the bike totally escaped me and I had to pedal several miles further along the highway; in fact there doesn´t seem to be a connection between the highway and the bike path below and the embankment is too steep to attempt a scramble down from the highway. Finally I found a point of connection and was able to get back onto the bike path; from there one comes first to Ponte Gardena, then to Chiusa [Klausen] and finally to Bressanone [Brixen], a beautiful small city and a worthy tourist destination both in summer and winter. If nothing else, one should visit the main piazza del municipio [Rathaus]. Upon leaving Bressanone one follows a few local roads before coming upon the bike path on the left side of the statale right in front of the Fortezza, which lends its Italian name to the village of Franzensfeste and to the small lake of the same name.

Here we come to a point of decision: the bike path from Fortezza to Vipiteno follows along a very quiet small road but one that is exposed to the north and with frequent steep climbs and descents [as much as 10 - 15%]; except for the summer months this means significant effort and bitter cold on the downhill stretches; in my view, it is preferable after a few miles to get back on the statale and take on the motor traffic which here seems to arrive in clusters: one can be cruising along for long stretches in absolute quiet when suddenly one will be accompanied by groups of ten or twenty vehicles in a row; evidently there is some mechanism that causes the cars to be clustered behind slower vehicles. The rider must pay particular attention to those moments in which one cluster will pass another in the opposite direction; in this situation, the biker will see his space menacingly reduced to a narrow lane on the edge of the road.

The climb is strenuous before Campo di Trens [Freienfeld] where we reach an elevation of about 900 meters [about 2,950 feet]; at the end a beautiful castle along a sidespur off to the right from the road announces the arrival at Vipiteno [Sterzing] a tourist destination, known also for its dairy products [and the Orfeo Music Festival. RB]. From 265 meters [870 feet] altitude at Bolzano we have reached close to 1,000 meters [3,280 feet]. Vipiteno is in fact 950 meters above sea level.