Bike
MTB
Südtirol has a problem – it's just too spectacular
Why riding Europe’s most breath-taking mountains should be your next trip.
Südtirol sits in the heart of the majestic Dolomites in north-east Italy. Nestled close to the Austrian border it has its own unique feel – think Italian flair and energy paired with Austrian order – and even its own language, Ladin. The appeal of Südtirol’s dramatic peaks to climbers, walkers and sightseers has left it with a legacy of 5,000km of trails for every level of mountain biker. Wide flowing trails for the beginner, intermediate and e-MTB riders rub shoulders with narrow, technical singletrack for the serious backcountry addict and dozens of purpose built enduro and freeride bike trails for the gravity crew.
The riding
Whether you tackle one of the classic epics like the 58km Sella Ronda tour (clockwise: 330m ascent/4,000m descent, anticlockwise: 1,020m ascent/3,400m descent) or plan your own ride by connecting some of the 300 different marked trails, the riding is world class.
Our two days in Val Gardena packed in every possible type of trail, starting with the fast, easy trail down to Ortisei to grab the funicular railway uplift to the 2,100m-high Seceda area. A twisting, rooty 400 m descent through shady forest led us to the upper Furnes-Seceda cable car, and another effortless 500m uphill for a tasty mountain lunch at the Baita Sofie restaurant. We rode east past dramatic cliffs, on a perfect natural flow trail through towering boulders to the Firenze Refuge. Rugged jeep tracks and singletrack shortcuts took us back to Selva di Gardena to finish this 29km flow loop.
2 min
Südtirol: Tom Oehler, Firenza
Mountain biker Tom Oehler riding in Firenza, Südtirol.
In comparison, our second taste of the Dolomites was a 42km adventure epic, starting beneath the breathtaking 3,126m-high Punta Grohmann at the Passo Sella and its retro Sassolungo single-person cable car. From here we shared the way-marked course of the Hero Dolomites race, before diving into some serious hike-earned singletrack that cut across wild, untamed mountains to challenge our riding skills.
If you want steep, Südtirol's got it!
© Dan Milner
A 20-minute push up to the Vicenza Refuge, nestled among vast, vertical rock faces, delivered a pasta re-fuel that gave us the energy for the next 20km of traverse and descent to Campitello di Fassa. A lap on the Col Rodella cable car packed in an extra 1,000 m of descent down a loamy enduro trail, before a second ride up the same lift fed us to one final, fast singletrack descent back to the Passo Sella and a well-earned apple strudel.
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Südtirol – Tom Oehler, Vicenza
Mountain biker Tom Oehler riding in Vicenza, Südtirol.
Our two days were just a small taster of what the Dolomites have to offer, but enough to realise Südtirol has it dialled: there are few areas so well set up to deliver amazing trails backed up by never being too far from a hut or restaurant for an essential energy top-up.
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Südtirol – Tom Oehler, Val Fassa
Mountain biker Tom Oehler riding trails in Val Fassa, Südtirol.
Where to stay
The three villages of Ortisei, S. Cristina and Selva Val Gardena, all in the Gardena valley, are perfect for exploring Sud Tirol. Ortisei even has its own microbrewery pub, Monpier.
Riding here's about more than just dirt
© Dan Milner
The three villages are connected by an easy, flowy trail that traverses the northern side of the valley. Südtirol has 36 bike-friendly and bike-tool equipped bikehotels, like the three-star Hotel Linder in Selva, run by Gunther Linder, himself a bike guide offering a wealth of trail knowledge.
Mountain food, Südtirol style
© Dan Milner
Riding the lifts
Waymarked trails are easy to follow
© Dan Milner
The unique Sassolungo lift – not for bikes sadly
© Dan Milner
Südtirol's extensive lift system operates from first week of June to the first week of October. Single rides typically cost €14, but multi-ride or multi-day passes are available. The Gardena card (€65/3 days, €85/6 days + €5 per ascent for the bike) gives unlimited lift access in Val Gardena, and Val Fassa’s Panoramapass costs €58 for three days. The Dolomiti Supersummer pass accesses more descents than you can ride in a lifetime, covering 90 lifts in 12 valleys (start of June to start of November, 1 day/€45, 5 days/€140).
On-mountain service stations
© Dan Milner
Getting there
Traditions that still live on today
© Dan Milner
Val Gardena sits 120km from Innsbruck (INN), 190km from Verona (VRN), 270km from Venice (VCE) and 350km from Milan (MXP) airports. You can reach nearby Ponte Gardena by train from anywhere in Europe, and easily from Venice, with a short bus connection to Val Gardena.
When to go
Plenty of tech to test your skills
© Dan Milner
You can ride Südtirol’s amazing trails from June to October, but be prepared – snow might persist above 2,000m until early July. The region boasts 300 days of sunshine per year, but like any mountain area, be prepared for any weather at any time of the year.
With thanks to our partners at www.Suedtirol.info
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