It should be obvious that I am a fan of Italy. Not just the beautiful routes in Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna or Puglia. No, precisely also the area in the north and especially the region around Bolzano-Bozen. Born a city boy, I have a natural penchant for cities. Yet recently I have started spending more and more time in nature. But you can take the city boy out of the city...it still always remains a 'city boy'. So the fact that I work with the city of Bolzano is an ideal combo. The city has everything I like (coffee bars, delicious restaurants, friendly atmosphere), but with a few kilometres I am outside and sometimes almost immediately 'alone'. Lovely, then. We set off in the direction of Oberbozen and Klobenstein. A nice cycling route from Bolzano that shows you all the top spots.
Unknown certainly does not make unloved
Whereas earlier on the gravel bike I was heading towards the Jenesien Pass and Stoarnerne Mandl have been, this is slightly different. From Bolzano, just north of the city lies the climb to Oberbozen and Klobenstein via the Wolfsgruben. It's a lovely route that offers plenty of challenge for any cyclist and can be extended as you fancy a long day in the saddle. You just keep adding loops. As Oberbozen is a bit of a remote corner on the alpine pasture, the route has a little overlap, but that should not spoil the proverbial fun. After all, you are treated to beautiful views here. Andiamo!
Hairpin bends
This climb starts with a beautiful series of hairpin bends. They seem to have been laid out especially for cyclists. From the top, it is a picture to lick your fingers at. This section is also nice for getting into the rhythm and warming up. Once past the winding bends, the route turns left pretty quickly and then you can get your teeth into it. The nearly nine-kilometre climb averages 10.7 per cent (!) and there are long stretches that are well above that. All you can do is keep steaming up the little mill. Don't forget to look around from time to time because despite the effort and the painful prospect of 15% road surface again, it is truly enjoyable.
Oberbozen - Soprabolzano
Once you conquer the climb, you get a nice stretch that slopes slightly towards the village of Oberbozen (or Soprabolzano). It was recently agreed that the German name prevails in this section, although the area is bilingual (even trilingual in some places with a local dialect). Hence also Klobenstein and not Collalbo. Oberbozen is also the terminus of the gondola going up from the town. A gondola leaves every four (4) minutes and takes you up in 12 minutes. Oberbozen is very famous for the Erdpyramids, which you can reach with a short walk.
Collalbo's ice rink
Anyone in the Netherlands who mentions the name of Collalbo will immediately think of skating. For years, Klobenstein (Collalbo in Italian) was a popular venue for many a major skating tournament. Ask Ireen Wüst and her thoughts will go back to a Sunday in 2012. A day she would like to forget. For cycling, a route towards Klobenstein is beautiful. You ride along a panoramic road that offers stunning views of the mountains. Beyond the village, you find another set of 'erd pyramids', which seem to scrape slightly against the mountain. You can see it from the road, but it is a better view from the service road, where you are unfortunately not allowed to cycle. Dismount and walk a bit is the way to go, but the reward is fantastic. The whole panorama, including the little church and magical dolomites, is also very special.
For variety, it is nice to continue from there and then dive down at Lengmoos. For this route, we opt for the descent from Klobenstein over the beautiful winding curves again. That descent is pure enjoyment. Long, clear and certainly not too steep. If you've never descended on a road bike before, this is great training ground.
Cycling route from Bolzano to Klobenstein
What makes cycling in Bolzano special
That you can cycle anywhere in the Dolomites should be obvious. Yet Bolzano-Bozen has something special. We give you some extra reasons to choose Bolzano anyway when planning your next cycling trip.
Wine estate in the city
You can't avoid wine culture in Bolzano. If you have the side, visit Schmid Oberrautner. A gorgeous wine estate with flats, right in the middle of town. Some lovely 'Lagrein' grapes still grow on the branches, alongside 'Sankt Magdalener' the town's grape. It is quite unusual for a city to have not one, but even two grape varieties of its own. Well-known examples (linked to a region or a city) are Soave, Valpolicella, Chianti and Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.
Basecamp Bolzano
Schmidt Oberrautner is an excellent base for a nice cycling trip. The apartments at the winery are available to rent. The only thing missing is storage for bikes, but you can find something for that. The couple running this winery has pure passion and entrepreneurial spirit. That's cool to see. The wine, by the way, is of very good quality. Tastings can be booked and after a tasting you will want to have something to eat. A good lunch at the estate with some local cheese, meats, bread and more works wonders.
If you are absolutely crazy about wine then Bolzano the valhalla. You can follow the wine route from the town, towards Kaltern and Tramin an der Weinstrasse. In autumn, this is highly recommended when the 'Törrgelen' season starts and you also have the Autumn Wine Days in Tramin. You can find more info on the wine and everything that comes with it on the site of the South Tyrolean Wine Route
Between Italy and Austria
The city is alive and combines the Italian with the typical South Tyrolean. The daily market offers plenty of fruit, spices, pasta but also flowers. Nice to take a look around. The central shopping street, Via dei Portici is characterised by a beautiful arcade, where you can also take shelter during a (rare) rain shower. Hidden in this gallery is another nice coffee spot, Thaler. It does not look like a coffee bar and you have to take the lift to the 5th floor, but there you will find a beautiful roof terrace, from where you have a great view over the city and the surrounding mountains.
Another recommended option for coffee or an aperitif is Hotel Città, the attraction of the city. The hotel bar and restaurant have recently been thoroughly renovated and everything exudes grandeur. It's see and be seen here and with a bottle of the local 'Spumante' it's good to recover from a ride in the mountains. The fancier Park Hotel Luna Mondschein is also lovely, where you're a little more sheltered by the hotel's beautiful garden.
Cycling in South Tyrol? That calls for a beer!
Beer and cycling have gone well together for a long time. By now, there are many good sports beers, low in alcohol or sometimes completely alcohol-free. Many a touring cyclist just likes to knock back a nice Weizen, blonde or IPA after a long bike ride. There is nothing wrong with that. And if you still prefer a beer to a local wine, go to Batzen Hausl. This craft beer brewery competes at the top of the Italian craft beer scene. The young owner is obsessed with beer and keeps trying new flavours. In the brewery cum bar-restaurant, he even has his own 'lab' where, for example, wine and whisky barrels are used for lagering. Besides the familiar varieties, there are really some fruity beers on the menu, which taste surprisingly good. Combined with a classic, 'hearty' menu that also includes Schweinshaxe and plenty of grilled meat, it's a good place to relax.
Useful to know
- Bolzano has a very nice climate. You can cycle well there until late autumn. Recent trips in October were all doable in 'long-short', with an outlier to 'short-short' in terms of clothing
- The city is well connected. The train will take you across the border to Innsbruck in two hours or to Verona in two. The connection to Innsbruck is also a good connection to the Nightjet network, allowing you to take the night train. Find more info here
- Bolzano Airport is located almost in the middle of the city. Since the end of 2021, this airport has been served exclusively by SkyAlps. This airline inconveniently flies from Dusseldorf and Antwerp for the Dutch. Although: by train from Utrecht, you can be in the terminal of DUS airport in 1 hour and 50 minutes. That's certainly not bad! From there, you can be in the heart of the city in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Another advantage of this small airport is its fast check-in and security. More info on SkyAlps can be found at here.
- Bolzano, like the whole of Italy, has a perfect coffee culture. Besides Thaler and Citta, you can also go to Corte Bar & Bistro.
