428 The Royal Dolomites Tour
Mountainbike
This mountain-bike or e-bike tour treats bikers to a view of all of the Kings and Queens of the Dolomite mountains, including the Marmolada – Queen of the Dolomites, the majestic Langkofel and Plattkofel, King Laurin and his Rosengarten massif, and the Schlern in all of its legendary might. The route leads from the Eggental Valley to the Fassa Valley and on to the Gröden Valley, followed by a stretch through the Dolomites region Seiser Alm and back to the set-off point. Given its length of 105 km, we recommend taking this tour in a few stages. If you opt to use an e-bike, it is possible to cycle the full length in one day, stopping off at one of the countless mountain huts to recharge your bike along the way. You can choose to begin the tour from any one of the valleys it covers.
Information about the timetables and tickets of the summer lifts: www.seiseralm.it/cablecars
The cycling path leads first from Seis am Schlern to St. Konstantin. Shortly after the restaurant Gasthof zum Schlern, the ascent to the Völser Weiher natural swimming lake begins; this is a wonderful spot to jump in for a refreshing dip. The trail then leads to Ums (a hamlet of Völs am Schlern) and on to the Schnaggenkreuz cross before the final stretch along the main road towards Tiers am Rosengarten and St. Zyprian, where a trip on Italy’s first cabrio cable car to Frommeralm is well recommended. If you start from Welschnofen, you have to take the Laurin 1 cable car to Frommeralm. The next stretch of the mtb-trail leads towards the Karerpass/Passo di Costalunga, where the descent to the Fassa Valley begins.
Here, a flat, even trail runs through fields and forests and along the banks of the Avisio river to Pozza di Fassa and Campitello di Fassa; this section boasts superb views of the Dolomites and runs through a series of vibrant villages. From Campitello di Fassa, you can take the Campitello-Col Rodella gondola and soar your way up 800 metres of altitude to the Sellajoch/Passo Sella with its breathtaking views of the surrounding Dolomites, including the 3,343 m Marmolada, Queen of the Dolomites, together with the Langkofel, the Plattkofel and the Sella mountains.
The tour continues onwards and down to Wolkenstein in the Gröden Valley. This Ladin valley, surrounded by the majestic Dolomite mountains, is famed far and wide for its traditions, including the art of woodcarving. The following section leads into the Langental Valley, up to the Regensburger mountain hut, and on to the Odles and the Fermeda mountain huts before heading downwards once again, to St. Jakob and the village of St. Ulrich.
From here, the St. Ulrich-Seiser Alm cable car will take you to the largest high-mountain pasture in Europe: The Seiser Alm, where you can enjoy a ride through lush alpine meadows with a view of the Schlern mountain – emblem of South Tyrol – and a vast array of mountain huts where you can stop for a breather and a bite to eat. The route continues onwards over the Seiser Alm to Compatsch, where the descent to the valley and to the set-off point begins.
· On the mountain you greet each other, this is tradition and this applies to bikers and hikers
· Give way to pedestrians
· Respect signage and stay on the trail/path
· Close pasture gates and don’t scare/stroke animals
· Always ride in a way that allowes you to stop in case of emergency (ride with foresight)
· Use your brakes smoothly in order not to ruin trails, paths and gravel roads
Good shoes
Sun glasses
Bike wear
MTB Gloves
Drink and snacks
Protective pads