Bears you will hardly get to see, unless you visit them in the zoo, but bear strong is the region in any case. The Dolomiti Brenta Bike is a huge area with countless tours, including two tours around the Brenta Dolomites, consistently friendly people, a beautiful nature and all this at a bargain price: this all speaks for a side trip to a Trentino still fairly untouched by bikers.
by Rolf Fleckenstein
The first question you have to ask yourself when you want to travel to a foreign place is probably what you can find there that you can't find as well right away at home or more conveniently elsewhere. With these thoughts, I set off for Trentino to scout out the region as a vacation destination for bikers from Switzerland. Without any expectations I got into the car, which first took me on the highway to Chur/St. Margarethen and at the height of Diepoldsau over the border to Austria, to reach Innsbruck via the A14 and A12 freeways - don't forget your Austrian freeway vignette, the Austrian police like to check this! - and then via the Brenner freeway to Trento, to branch off from there up to Riva del Garda/Madonna di Campiglio. Impressively, especially in sunny weather, the numerous imposing mountains that Austria has to offer show up on the drive, who would have thought it. As a newcomer to Austria, one is amazed. On the Italian side, the Dolomites are unique. Huge rocks pile up in the plain and make a gigantic impression. The Dolomites are a mountain range of the Southern Alps, spread over the Italian regions of Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige, some of which have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2009. The fascinating mountain formations of the Dolomites, with their often powerful jagged shapes and imposing appearance, are the reason for countless travelers to visit these regions. Equally imposing are the countless Brummis on the highway, driving from the north to the south and vice versa. The road from Trento North up to Comano Terme is full of curves and is dotted with the sight of huge rock formations that build up before the visitor's eyes. Enormous. After about 500 km and 5 hours later I arrive in Comano Terme.
The first impression
The region reminds me of Grisons and Ticino. The place seems simple, almost inconspicuous, the people are nice and friendly, no glitzy glamorous facade, but simple being. Luxury does not seem to exist. At the tourist office I meet Valentina, who wants to show me the area and explain the Brenta Bike. But with the accommodation it hapert already. Spoiled as I am, I have trouble finding a luxurious hotel. This is something that usually does not interest bikers at all. But it is important to know that the star category in Italy is not the same as in Switzerland, because each country has its own rules for awarding the number of stars. When looking for a hotel, you have to keep this in mind and better inform yourself well on the Internet. I check into the Villa di Campo, a historic villa with a lovely park with pavilions and newly renovated, stylishly furnished rooms. In a few places the old walls are crumbling, probably due to the earthquakes a few weeks ago. I take the suite with a lovely marble bathroom. There's a bit of a feminine scent in the room, like flowers or something, but what the heck. I'm tired and just want 'something to eat and then to bed. But here a peculiarity of the Italians appears, which should be remembered: The Italians eat early, at noon at 12:00, in the evening at 18:30, the consequence the restaurant is open only until 21:00 and we have already 20:15. One therefore does well to contact the restaurant if one wants to eat later. In Switzerland, we also know this from Ticino, for America or southern France fans, where you can eat until the wee hours of the morning, this takes some getting used to. I do not want to rush and decide to make an evening trip to Riva del Garda, which is about 25 km away and which I have never seen.
The hotels
We have overcast weather, when I get up in the morning, not auspicious to make an outdoor trip, we hope for the best. But the day does not start well. Hot water a foreign word? When I want to take a shower, there is no hot water, a real hassle, then it must just go with cold water. At the reception they tell me that they have a problem with the water pipe today. Even if this is certainly an exception, but we are not that relaxed in Switzerland. The Italian hoteliers definitely have to learn that the Northerner expects everything to work without discussion. The Italians obviously take such things more casually than we do, a bit too casually for my taste! As a guest, one is obviously quickly considered part of the family, easily forgiven. Such experiences are what show travelers the mentality of the foreign country and that you have to accept if you really want to meet and get close to the people here. So I have to loosen up. Also when entering the breakfast room no cheerfulness arises with me, it is off-season and I am almost alone. But already the next peculiarity of the Italians conjures a smile in my face: The Italians really eat a lot of sweets for breakfast, I am amazed, a real dessert buffet is built with several homemade cakes, pies and cookies. For fans of sweets a real paradise. But there is also ham, salami, cheese, rolls, butter, jam and everything else your heart desires. And another peculiarity: a coffee is not a coffee, a coffee is an espresso, our coffee is what the Italians call "American coffee". I'm glad when I'm finally out in the open to explore the area with Valentina and the bikers. As I said, there are countless accommodations in the area, take a good look at them on the net and ask around. It has no official luxury hotels, but one that definitely deserves this rank: the Grand Hotel Terme in Comano Terme is a luxurious top modern 4-star superior hotel, beautifully, almost idyllically located in the park, has a wonderful outdoor and indoor pool, a modern spa and fitness area and stylish rooms and suites where the thermal water can flow and which leave me speechless with their prices of 109 euros per person in a double room and 149 euros for the suite. So if you have high demands and want it luxurious, you have to check in at the Grand Hotel Terme in Comano Terme, there luxury wishes come true. So it's also possible to be luxurious, if you just know the right address.
The region
Enough analysis. I meet Valentina and the biker Karen, an American who lived in Miami and has lived in the region for two years because of her love and is more than happy, as she says. We set off for Madonna di Campiglio, the world famous ski resort that many will recognize from the International Ski World Cup, to meet our bike guide Andrea. Madonna di Campiglio is about 40 km away at 1550 meters above sea level and on the way there one of the main features of the region becomes apparent. The area is huge! The bike trails run through the Adamello-Brenta Natural Park, bordered on the west by the Adamello-Presanella group and on the east by the Brenta Dolomites. It covers an area of about 620 km2 and is thus only slightly smaller than the Upper Engadine with its 722 km2. The tours mentioned in the brochure, with a length of 171 km and 136 km respectively, don't sound like much at first glance, when you think of MTB regions such as Flims, which like to rave about their 330 km route network, but whose tours, on closer inspection, often range between 10 and 35 km. The peculiarity of the region is the nature park with its heraldic animal. The nature park was created to save the brown bear from extinction. Therefore, the bear is also the mascot of the vacation region. Today there are about 40 free-living brown bears living in the park. But I have to disappoint all animal lovers: The chance to get to see a free-living bear is about 0%. If you want to meet a bear for sure, you have to go to the visitor center "Brown Bear" with the associated zoo in Spormaggiore. In the Dolomiti Brenta Bike (DBB) bikers go around the core Dolomites of the Brenta Group, crossing six independent regional areas, each with its own tourist organization and sometimes very different in character, but which have joined together to form the Dolomiti Brenta Bike. So if you think you are doing a small tour in a small area, be warned, you are sorely mistaken. It awaits him quite different a versatile and large vacation and nature region that meets the most diverse demands and desires.
The tours: Expert, Country
Especially for the mountain bikers, two tours have been worked out, on which they will circumnavigate the local Brenta Dolomites in a counter-clockwise direction, perfectly signposted. The "Expert" tour is aimed at sporty bikers, who cover 171 km on their tour and overcome 7,700 m of altitude. Steep climbs, exhilarating descents, for the most part on gravel, forest roads and trails, within easy reach of the fascinating Dolomites and past magnificent lakes, the tour is a natural experience in a class of its own. The "Country" tour is a bit tamer and, with its 136 km and 4,600 meters of altitude, is aimed at families and pleasure bikers, who largely use the road and the bike path, even a rail section is included. Steep climbs and demanding downhills are avoided here, but the region and the view of the Dolomites is no less beautiful, provided cloud-free visibility. At the same time, the region has organized itself well and has about 100 special hotels, huts and farms that take over the luggage transport to the next station for 10 euros each and offer biker packages from 190 euros. This is a great service, after all, bikers want to concentrate on the ride and the area and not on lugging suitcases and we do not need to talk about the prices, which are simply top by Swiss standards. Extensive information and maps and good signposting help to master the tour without great navigation skills. There are also numerous bike stores in the region that repair and rent out bikes. According to Valentina, you can even rent e-bikes! There are also numerous guides and mountain bike schools. So biker needs are covered all around. Of course, everyone is free to decide whether they want to ride around the region on one of the two tours or go on day trips in the individual regions on their own. Speaking of two-wheelers, you're not alone on the road. Motorcyclists have also discovered this region for themselves. Countless motorcyclists chase during my discovery trip in smaller and larger groups through the winding roads of the region, because here you are still free, except in the villages, where nowadays many radar boxes. Seen in this light, one can truly speak of a small two-wheeler paradise.
6 areas in one
As said, the region is far from being small and the differences between the areas are sometimes very large, which is why there are a total of 6 sub-regions with 6 local tourist associations. These include the "Terme di Coma-o" in the south, the "Paganella" in the southeast, the "Val di Non" in the northeast, the "Val di Sole" in the northwest, "Madonna di Campiglio" in the west and the "Valli Giudicare" in the southwest.....
You can find the whole article in the issue 03/2012
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