Roman Trails: Explorations along the ‘Via Claudia Augusta’
The classic among our alpine traverses with views of the highest peaks and passes in the Eastern Alps! Dramatic mountain panoramas, unmatched cultural diversity, history spanning four millennia and an impressive distance end-to-end, altogether make for a great trip package.
Our itinerary follows a route blazed by the Romans 2,000 years ago, a heritage still vivid as we ride across wagon wheel scars and by age-old ruins.
The ‘Roman Trails’ routing provides for both the easiest crossing of the Alps but also daily rides that will challenge just about anyone’s endurance – depending on whether you decide to go ‘easy’ or ‘epic’.
| Quick Facts | Roman Trails: Exploring the ‘Via Claudia Augusta’ |
| Tour Length | 12 days |
| Days of Riding | 12 days |
| Tour Rating | 
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| 2006 Tour Dates | 18 - 29 June; 02 - 13 July; 16 - 27 July; 12 - 23 Aug; 10 - 21 Sept. |
| Tour Price |
€ 1,995.- (if needed, add € 250 for rental bikes; €300 for single supplement) |
| Tour meeting point | Munich International Airport, Germany |
| Tour starting point | Neuschwanstein Castle (Bavaria, Germany) |
| Tour destination | Riva del Garda (Trentino, Italy) |
| Countries visited | Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy |
| Max. # of participants | 12 riders in two groups plus 2 guides |
| Min. # of participants | 4 riders in one group plus 1 guide |
| Total vertical | 4,800 m / 15,750 ft. (easy option) to 14,800 m / 48,500 ft. (epic option) |
| Total distance | 405 km / 252 miles (easy) to 625 km / 388 miles (epic option) |
| Services included | 11 x accommodation, breakfast & lunch; 10 x dinner; all fees & gratuities for 3rd-party services; accredited & multi-lingual guide(s); all transportation needs from rendezvous to final tour destination. |
| Additional info. avail. | comprehensive e-itinerary (tour prep. guide) upon your booking |
This tour is ideal for individuals who value diversity in riding, and couples or small groups who differ in their fitness and technical skill levels but want to share a mutually rewarding vacation experience. Whatever your vice, this trip should offer something for every taste. Scroll through the itinerary of daily highlights below to whet your appetite for joining the league of TRANSALP RIDERS.
| Day | Important stage highlights and attractions |
| 1 | meet us at Munich airport; trip briefing during our two-hour rail transfer to Füssen; 1-hour spin to our accommodations with views of the “Mad King’s” castles, options to ride or rest up, enjoy a hearty dinner in a typical Bavarian tavern with menu & drinks of local flavor. |
| 2 | visit the most famousof the fairy-tale castles (Neuschwanstein); cross into Austria and the scenic town of Ehrwald via epic trails along turquoise Lake Heiterwanger or choose the easier trails in view of the dramatic Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak 2,980 m (9,800 ft.). |
| 3 | ride across legendary Fern Pass with amazing sights of ancient Roman cart trails; tough it out across the Dirsttrittenkreuz Col en route to the town of Tarrenz, or spin easily along the lush valleybottom in preparation for a brewery tour (option to bathe in beer!). |
| 4 | explore the antique town of Landeck and its 13th century castle by way of the very steep Venet Range (epic) or the delightfully charming Inn Valley (easy); lodging in a mountainside B&B with traditional apiculture and animal husbandry. |
| 5 | ride to Ischgl, world-class ski area and location of the famed annual ‘Ironbike MTB Race’, crank up a steep double-track or get a little help up the mountain by chair lift en route to the Heidelberger Hut, an authentic 1889 Alpine Club hotel at 2,260 m (7,414 ft.). |
| 6 | follow legendary smuggler trails across the border into Switzerland, take advantage of photo opportunities in a magnificently wild and vast landscape that is so typical of the remote Grison region where an ancient Latin dialect still serves locals as first language. |
| 7 | climb through the epic World War I tunnels and ducts of Val d’Uina Canyon to access the Italian border or detour Reschen Pass passing by the famous drowned village of Graun; we stay in Glurns, Europe’s smallest, authentic mid-evil city with its lovely arcades. |
| 8 | enjoy the endless, rolling apple orchards on the easy route to fortress Juval, private castle of world-renowned mountaineer Reinhold Messner; catch a glimpse of the location where the famous Iceman was discovered or punish yourself across the Madritsch Glacier (epic). |
| 9 | take it easy relishing the splendor of Merano, spa town for royalty; and visit the Iceman museum in Bolzano (easy) or crank across the Auener Pass (epic). Reunite in Appiano on the Strada del Vino (yes, you guessed it – wine tasting as the evening program) |
| 10 | ride from Appiano to Mezzocorona through seemingly impenetrable rockwalls of Grauner Col and down the Val di Sole (epic) or roll smoothly along the lazy Adige River through endless orchards (easy) with opportunities for castle visits and culinary sampling. |
| 11 | cherish the sights of the Brenta Dolomites from high-altitude Lago Molveno before descending to the north shore of Lake Garda (epic), or spin below stunning 4,000 foot canyonwalls near sea level (easy); last group dinner in a charming outdoor restaurant. |
| 12 | take in the Mediterranean ambience of Lago di Garda, world-renowned mountain biking paradise and rock climbing mecca before our departing ride to Rovereto (options to leave the tour here for nearby Verona and Venice) and the train trip to Munich in the afternoon. |
This tour itinerary is for guidance only. Forces of nature, trail closures or extraordinary opportunities may compel us to change the program at short notice for the sake of your safety, comfort and satisfaction. Our Transalp rides are de facto mountaineering endeavors and require some flexibility on your part.