298a Tour San Giacomo-Rifugio Firenze

A great tour with a mix of history, nature park landscape and breathtaking views. This tour, which is the clockwise version of the Regensburger-Hütte tour, is particularly suitable for bikers who are not yet very familiar with mountainbiking. Of course, it is still not a walk in the park, because you should have some uphill and downhill riding skills. The St. Jakob’s Church is the first highlight of the tour: the small church, the oldest in Val Gardena, is located in the middle of the forest and only the church spire towers above the trees of the Rasciesa Forest. The legend of Count Jakob and the wonderful view of the Sassolungo group lend this place something magical. The rest of the tour runs through the Puez/Geisler Nature Park: pure nature, a beautiful Dolomite landscape and numerous places to stop and enjoy the delicious South Tyrolean food in traditional mountain huts. Most of the route is on gravel roads, although some steeper sections uphill and especially downhill should not be underestimated.

All in all, a great ebike and mountain bike package to enjoy!

From the centre of S. Cristina, follow the walking path along the main road to the fraction of Soplajes. There, at the point where the promenade crosses the road, turn slightly right and follow the asphalt road until another road turns off to the right. This road, which winds through the forest, leads to St. Jakob, a fraction of Ortisei. At the upper end of the village, a road turns left uphill and after 30 metres you follow a path on the left that leads over gravel, especially in the last part very steeply, to St. Jacob's church. Here it is worth going up to the front of the church and taking a short rest on one of the benches, because the view of the Sassolungo group is magnificent.

Continue along a gravel path into the valley, i.e. briefly back along the path that led us in front of the church and then slightly uphill. This path runs idyllically and quietly through the forest, but still offers now and then a view of the Sassolungo group. Past Christauta, we continue on the gravel road. Here the road is quite steep at the beginning, but then climbs gently towards Seceda. Here the forest thins out and you see the beautiful and famous Geisler peaks for the first time. At the Fermeda hut, the road continues towards the Col Raiser mountain station. In the restaurant of the mountain station or at the adjacent Odles Hut you can enjoy traditional South Tyrolean food and then continue towards the Regensburger Hut. This trail leads through a wonderfully fragrant spruce forest. As there are also hikers on the trail, respect and caution are of course required, as always. Past the historic Regensburger Hütte, we continue downhill on a gravel road, always accompanied by breathtaking panoramas and the impressive rock faces of the Dolomites in the Puez/Geisler Nature Park.

As soon as we reach a small pond at the end of the descent, it's time to shift into an easier gear and pedal the 10-minute climb to the Juac Hut. From there, we continue downhill along a path that is also used by hikers, as before, until we reach the Wolkenstein fraction of Daunei. The Via Crucis, a flowing path through the woods, leads to the idyllic Vallunga Valley, a paradisiacal spot in the Puez/Geisler Nature Park, with its small chapel of San Silvestro and the soothing sound of cowbells grazing in the pastures. Now we have arrived in Selva Gardena and can take the cycle path along the route of the historic Val Gardena railway, which ran here until 1960, back to the starting point in S. Cristina.

To the map

The bike tour starts in the centre of S. Cristina near the town hall, which you can easily reach by public transport.Ideally, you can reach the starting point by bike or by public transport. Alternatively, there are parking facilities below the gym or at the Iman Center.Bus to the bus stop S. Cristina Municipio/Rathaus with the bus line 350 or 352. 
Timetables at: www.valgardena.it/busRULES OF CONDUCT:
· Give way to pedestrians.
· Respect signage and stay on the trail.
· Close pasture gates and don’t scare animals.
· Always ride in a way that allows
you to stop in case of emergency.
· Use your brakes smoothly
in order not to ruin trails.

At the beginning of the summer season, some sections may still be snow-covered, depending on weather conditions. Please enquire about conditions before setting off on your hike.

To avoid injury when cycling, it is very important to wear a cycle helmet, cycling clothing and sturdy shoes. A drink, snack, sunscreen, sunglasses, gloves and protectors should also be carried in the backpack.