TransDolomiti: Alpine Adventures between Bavaria + Venice
This 10-day traverse of every famous mountain massif between Munich and Venice demonstrates the stunning cultural, natural and scenic diversity of the spectacular Eastern Alps like no other. Our itinerary purposefully skirts the usual tourist traps and concentrates on authentic sights off-the-beaten path.
Join this tour if you would like to get a taste of the race itineraries of some classic European MTB competitions – with the day-by-day option of riding either an easy or an epic route. The daily choice between ‘taking it easy’ or ‘giving it all’ allows travel partners to pedal independently from one another and still meet up at a mutual destination at night.
| Quick Facts | TransDolomiti: Alpine Adventures from Bavaria to Venice |
| Tour Length | 10 days |
| Days of Riding | 10 days |
| Tour Rating |  |
| 2006 Tour Dates | 18-27 June; 02-11 July; 16–25 July; 12–21 Aug; 24 Sep – 03 Oct |
| Tour Price |
€ 1,795.- (if needed, add € 200 for rental bikes; €300 for single supplement) |
| Tour meeting point | Munich International Airport, Germany |
| Tour starting point | Eschenlohe (near Garmisch, Germany) |
| Tour destination | Bassano d. Grappa (Veneto, Italy) |
| Countries visited | Germany, Austria, 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 | 11,100 m / 36,500 ft. (easy option) to 13,750 m / 45,000 ft. (epic option) |
| Total distance | 415 km / 255 miles (easy) to 400 km / 245 miles (epic option) |
| Services included | 9 x accommodation, breakfast & lunch; 8 x dinner; all fees & gratuities for 3rd-party services; accredited & multi-lingual guide(s); all transportation needs from rendezvous point to final tour destination. |
| Additional info. avail. | comprehensive e-itinerary (tour prep. guide) upon your booking |
The varied riding along the legendary Eastern crest of the Alps leaves little to be desired as we use everything from contemporary single-track and forest double-track to forgotten World War I military mule trails and ancient salt-trading routes along the way. The XC enthusiast will enjoy the fact that this tour follows some of the stages of famous European MTB races. Warning: Awesome mountain vistas, unexpected sanctuaries of unspoiled nature, and charming pastoral landscapes on this tour may seduce you to serial Transalp riding for years to come.
If you’re still unsure about what to expect on this tour, read through the following brief stage descriptions that explain the growing appeal of this particular tour itinerary.
| Day | Important stage highlights and attractions |
| 1 | meet guide(s) for pick-up at Munich airport in the late morning; 2-hour rail transfer to Eschenlohe, Bavaria; easy spin or epic ride across the Ester Mountains; early evening arrival at our Mittenwald B&B, visit the Olympic resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen for dinner. |
| 2 | ride from Mittenwald, Germany, into Karwendel Alpine Park, Austria, via the easy Ferein Valley or the challenging Hochalm Pass; re-group at the Big Maple Hole before climbing to Plums Pass high above beautiful Lake Achen, our final destination.. |
| 3 | warm up spinning to the Inn River; epic MTBers ride upvalley through pastoral villages before cranking hard across Geisel Pass while easy riders enjoy some Austrian Gemütlichkeit downvalley and in the leisurely Ziller Valley. |
| 4 | cross at least two challenging passes near Brennero with the hard core or join the others who take it easy and traverse Pfitscher Pass to meet the rest of the gang at Kematen, Italy. |
| 5 | (in-)famous Pfunderer Pass is on the epic program this morning while those kicking back drop into Sterzing for cappuccinos and ice-cream and a long but leisurely spin up the Puster Valley. We re-group in St. Lorenzen at the entrance of the Badia Valley. |
| 6 | determined riders take on the long, sustained ascent to St. Vigil and the traverse of the spectacular Fanes; easy riders choose to detour via tranquil riverside trails and Cima Banche Pass to meet up at the famous Olympic resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo. |
| 7 | our options to cross the Pelmo massif to the south are limited today and we head off as one group on a scenic dirt road and later on fun, sustained single-track. Our destination is Alleghe, a quaint, typical mountain town in the heart of the Southern Dolomites. |
| 8 | the spectacular but imposing Pale di San Martino Range again leaves little choice as far as getting across is concerned. We ride as one group but those who tire in the afternoon can descend on tarmac into the valley thereby passing on the last fierce but highly scenic climb. |
| 9 | Choose to pass around the Cima d’Asta massif either on its west or east side - depending on your constitution. By the end of the day, we notice a huge difference in vegetation, geology and terrain, a sure tell sign that we’re getting close to the coastal plain of the Adriatic Sea. Reason to celebrate as we’ll get a view of the Adriatic Sea tomorrow - weather-permitting. |
| 10 | we ride to our final Transalp destination, Bassano del Grappa, which we reach mid-day via flat valley-bottom roads or by climbing some more through quaint mountainside hamlets. We celebrate our arrival at the tour destination with a sumptuous lunch, before a stroll through the picture-perfect old town along the river. We catch the mid-afternoon train back towards Bavaria but some may want to leave the tour already here for a visit to nearby Venice or Verona (both just a convenient 1-hour train ride away). |
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.