Are you a lover of cycling trips and looking for the ideal place to test yourself this summer?
If you’ve read my article on the 7 things to do in summer in Trentino-Alto Adige, you’ll have noticed I recommended this region for the countless routes you can ride on your mountain bike.
One I liked most was a long ride along the cycle path between San Candido and Lienz. Maybe it was the beautiful scenery or that emerald green you find only in the Alps, but I didn’t feel the effort of the roughly 44 km needed to cross the border with Austria at all.
The landscapes you’ll meet along the path are among the finest in the region. And if you have a sweet tooth, there’s one more reason to tackle it.
What’s that?
Along the cycle path there’s a Loacker shop, where you can taste and buy plenty of products. After 44 km on the bike, you’ll certainly feel less guilty!
Fancy knowing a little more?
Off we go!
The Val Pusteria: a paradise among the mountains
Riding the San Candido to Lienz cycle path will let you take in breathtaking scenery: here nature is truly unspoilt and you can breathe the mountain air deeply.
It’s the ideal route to discover this splendid region: called Südtirol on the Austrian side or Alto Adige on the Italian one, whatever the name, the Val Pusteria can enchant hikers and nature lovers alike.
The green valleys, the rugged mountains, the rivers and little waterfalls, the farms with animals and the lovely houses full of flowers at the windows all make you feel that the history of this land was for centuries that of a single territory: the inhabitants, on both sides of the mountain, share the same culture and respect for the environment, even though they now live in different countries.
The cycle path between San Candido and Lienz: what you’ll find
The stretch from San Candido to Lienz is about 44 km and is in fact only the final part of a much longer route, the Drava cycle path, which follows the river from its source (at Dobbiaco) all the way into Austria.
The ride is perfect for beginners and easily accessible to children too: it’s almost all a gentle downhill (about 500 metres of favourable descent, from San Candido towards Lienz) and winds through fields and woods, passing several small villages such as Sillian, Strassen, Anras and Assling.
The enchanting landscape between the valleys: cows, waterfalls and wafers!
Along the route you can admire little churches with pointed bell towers, small waterfalls, footbridges and rivers (you follow the Drava), but also the Heinfels castle at Sillian and, as I said, the Loacker shop of the famous wafers.
The path is perfectly paved and, among its gentle curves and descents, you’ll also come across a water park, an adventure park and plenty of rest areas perfect for a picnic.
Just follow the signs and enjoy the scenery!
Renting bikes between San Candido and Lienz
But what, on holiday without your beloved bike?
Don’t worry: bikes are easily rented in San Candido and can be brought back by train from Lienz (for a small surcharge), or returned directly at the meeting point next to the station.
And you, would you be ready to pedal 44 km between two countries with the excuse of a wafer at the end?
