Details:
Cold! Very cold! Ice on the road and grass with ice. Getting out of the Dolomites (on SS51) on the shaded side on an early morning was an adventure. But thanks to having both of my hands pratically frozen, I decided to stop on the first plot with some sunlight that could possibly sell some hot chocolate. The bad news: The Café was closed (Sunday, as I just learned, many places do not open Sunday´s in this area). The great news: The place I chose to stop is a "must ride and must stop" for those in Cortina. The Dobbiano Lake is just 25km from Cortina and it offers a great view of its crystalline green water, reflecting the Dolomites. A really beautiful scenery.
The second part of the ride was mainly on highways that cut through Brunico and Bressanone. It was a light descend most of the way, so it was nice to be able to ride over 20km/h for an extended time. SS51 and then SS49 cut through the mountains, but in some case, actually 5, there are tunnels, which are not fun. And I thing that bike are not allowed in most of them, however, the only sign they have at the tunnels´entrance is of a Bike and a Pedestrian, with no lines crossing them as if they were not allowed.
The third and last part was my favorite, as it was entirely along a really really nice cycle path. It started just after Breassanone and ended in Bolzano and lasted for about 40km. The cycle path goes most of the way between the Isarco River and SS12, and also very close the Autostrada A22. It cuts through a lot of vegetation and under a few cycle tunnels. This is "must ride" if you plan a trip around this area.
Overview:
Total time riding: 6:50h
Total time travelling: 8:15h
Total ascent: 532 meters
Total distance: 138.3km
Cities ridden through:
- Dobbiaco, Brunico, Bressanone, Caman e Chiusa
Map:
- https://www.strava.com/activities/760915680
Photos:
