Bike
The European Alps are one of the best, most impressive places to go if you are into mountain biking. We asked photographer and writer Mattias Fredriksson to pick out his favourite places in Italy, Switzerland, France and Austria. Here are his hand-picked gems.
Aosta Valley, Italy
Nearest airport: Turin
Good for: Big bike DH runs
Local speciality: Fontina cheese
Italy's Aosta Valley is one of the best mountain biking spots in the Alps. There are amazing trails all over the valley, but Pila (where Holger Meyer and Karen Eller are riding in the photo) is the premier bike destination. Contact Aosta Valley Freeride if you want to have the best experience on the trails there, they know every corner of the valley and where to find the best gelato, wine and beer once you come down to lower ground!
Chamonix, France
Nearest airport: Geneva
Good for: Lift-assisted, multi-country all-dayers
Local speciality: Savoyarde fondue
By the foot of the biggest mountain in the Alps, the majestic Mont Blanc, you'll find a playground for every action sport worth talking about. We recommend you go as far into the Chamonix Valley as you can to the little village of Le Tour for the best possible mountain bike experience. There are lifts here to give you easy access to the alpine terrain up above and many options back down again. You can even plan a ride to Switzerland and back if you want a bigger adventure.
Sölden, Austria
Nearest airport: Innsbruck
Good for: Singletrack trails
Local speciality: Tyrolean Kiachln and Krapfen
Sölden is the best-known resort in Austria’s Ötztal, a 65km-long valley about one hour west of Innsbruck. Hikers and mountain bikers are equally as welcome on the trails. Sölden is a beautiful area if you're into lift-accessed single-track riding.
Verbier, Switzerland
Nearest airport: Geneva
Good for: Bike park trails
Local speciality: Maple syrup tart
In the winter Verbier is an internationally-renowned ski resort. In the summer the town is sleepy, but behind the luxury chalets and nice restaurants there's amazing mountain biking to be found. There's a pretty decent bike park on Les Ruinette, but the gem in Verbier is the trail riding. There are so many great trails and the scenery is mind-blowing. Here Janne Tjärnström is on the Farmers Trail on the Medran side.
Grindelwald, Switzerland
Nearest airport: Zurich
Good for: High-altitude excursions
Local speciality: Farm cake
Grindelwald, by the foot of Eiger, is well known among climbers and hikers, but is not so famous for mountain biking. However, there are an incredible 160km of biking trails in the area. The Jungfrau region is a very spectacular and beautiful part of the Alps, especially the area right above the town of Grindelwald, where this photo of Elle Cochrane was taken.
Zermatt, Switzerland
Nearest airport: Geneva
Good for: Epic mountain trails
Local speciality: Fondue flavoured with kirsch
While in Zermatt things are put into perspective – we're talking about big mountains and small mountain bikers! The scenery is epic. Standing at the Gornergrat on a clear day, you can see more than 30 mountain peaks which are more than 4,000m high. Zermatt is a trail-riding paradise so put this place on your bucket list! Here Elle Cochrane rides with the beautiful Weisshorn in the background.
Dolomites, Italy
Nearest airport: Venice Marco Polo
Good for: Rocky singletrack
Local speciality: Tris di Canederli
Italy’s Dolomites are a unique mountain range in the Alps. The mountains have their characteristic shapes and colours because of a special carbonate rock that is unique to the area. That’s why the mountains have such a pale look. Mountain biking around here is a truly breathtaking experience.
Livigno, Italy
Nearest airport: Zurich
Good for: DH race-track runs
Local speciality: Traditional Italian cuisine
In Livigno you ride on high altitude, shop tax-free and live 'la dolce vita'. The World Mountain Biking Championships were held here in 2005 and since then the little village has been developed into a great mountain-biking destination. There is a decent bike park, but the trail riding is world class and not to be missed.
St Moritz
Nearest airport: Innsbruck
Good for: Fast-flowing cross-country trails
Local speciality: Nusstorte
St Moritz is more known as a luxury ski area, but summer bike tourism is growing fast. There's lots of great cross-country riding to be had here and a few good machine-built trails too for more relaxed days.
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