In July, 2023, I flew to Venice airport for a tour that started in Motta di Levenza. With friends, I rode to Trento and then I rode north from Trento to Merano with my friend Matt. From there, I went solo over the Resia (Renschen) Pass (to Austria), into Switzerland and the Inn (Engaden) Valley to St. Moritz, then down to Lake Como, ending at Desenzano del Garda. I took over 1250 photos. Of those, I've selected 54 pictures that represent the things I saw and the places I experienced. The trip started for me and my friends Alfredo and Ancilla with a car ride to Ponte nelle Alpi, to the house of a friend where we could leave the car and start our ride. Pont d'Alpi is in the Piave Valley. This is the view looking across the valley at the mountains on its south side.  We climbed up those mountains to the Brent De L'Art, a stream (brent) that has cut a channel through some interesting layers of rock.  While we weren't in the Dolomites, we could see them.  Our first day ended at Feltre, which is on the Torrente Sonna.  From Feltre, we continued down the north edge of the Belluna Valley where we saw this steeple in the town of Fonzaso in front of the tree-covered cliffs.  From the Belluna Valley, we climbed over Le Scale di Primolano into the Valsuganna, the valley of the Brenta River.  We rode all way to Lago di Caldonazzo, one source of the Brenta River. The next day, Alfredo and Ancilla left and I rode with my friends Matt and Rita out of the Valsuganno and over to Trento and the Valley of the Adige River. One of the best views of the city and its surrounding hillsides was from the bathroom window of Matt and Rita's apartment!  Two days later, Matt and I rode on the fabulous Adige bike path and saw more stunning mountain views.   We spent the night in Termeno (Tramin in German, where the white wine Gewurztraminer gets its name) and the next day rode through apple orchards and vineyards and past Lago di Caldero.  We continued on the Adige bike path (piste ciclabile) and got this expansive view over the fertile valley north of Bolzano.  It is hard to ride past a steeple in front of tree-lined cliffs without taking a photo. This is the town of Terlano.  The Passer River runs right through Merano.  I continued alone up the Adige bike path after Matt left. I came to an area with a series of stone sculptures. This one had both a front and a back.  I passed this reflective pond a bit further on the path.  The Adige bike path, that ends in the Resia Pass, steepened seriously pass Malles di Venosta. I took a photo of/rested on the bridge over this unnamed stream.  This vista through the trees of the Lago della Muta provided another opportunity to rest.  Just north of Lago della Muta is the much larger Lago di Resia. This photo looks over the lake to the town of Resia at its north end.  Once over the (flat) pass, I rode in Austria for about 30 minutes. This view, just past the summit, looks down at the town of Nauders.  Once down the pass and into a rainy Switzerland, I came along the milky blue Inn River.  Dark, cloudy vista into the Inn River (Engaden) Valley.  After the muddy Italian rivers, the Inn River seemed pristine.  The quality of Swiss bike routes (65 in this case) never fails to impress.  Typical fresh baked goods display in a Swiss grocery store. This one is in Scuol.  I took the cable car up to the heights above Scuol on a rest day. This view looks down at the town from the ski area's deck (the path is for hiking, not biking).  The climb out of Scuol was brutal but afforded broad valley vistas.  Swiss Bike Route 65 degraded into little more than a goat path before descending toward the river and the town of Lavin.  On the valley floor, the Inn widened.  The weather the next day was rainy and the Inn became gray.  St. Moritz surrounds the reflective Lej de San Murezzan.  The picturesque Inn River west of St. Moritz.  There is a series of lakes west of St. Moritz. Some are small;  some are large. All are pretty.  This waterfall sounded like a low flying jet.  The large Lej da Segl is just before the final climb up the Majola Pass that separates Italy and Switzerland. Note the snow on the distant mountains. It was the only snow I saw this entire trip!  The descent from the Maloja is a series of tight, steep switchbacks.  Stunning scenery continued in Italy's Val Bregaglia.  I saw this fabulous, two pronged waterfall above the town of Borgonuovo from several angles as I rode along.  At the end of the day, I was along side Lake Como and got this look, over a common corn field, of the cliffs rimming the lake.  The next day, I rode along the northwestern corner of the lake.  At the town of Bellano, I headed in the hills and got this final view back at the lake and the autostrada that bypasses it.  After a hard climb, I reached the Valsassina and followed the Torrente Pioverna on a well-kept bike path.  I spent a bit of time watching and listening to the Troggia waterfall, which was right next to the bike path.  It took me almost 3 hours to climb out of the Valsassina. Along the way, I got this view down into the valley.  Just over the pass, I got this fine mountain vista.  Once past the Passo Culmine di San Pietro, I easily rode down and came along the pretty Enna River  where I saw this bit of rock humor.  As I rode east out of Bergamo, I crossed the River Serio.  On my way to Lago d'Iseo, I rode along the Fiume Oglio.  To make the urban ride from Bergamo to Brescia more interesting, I rode up to and along Lago d'Iseo.  Just south of Lago d'Iseo is the Riserve Naturale Torbiere del Sebino with its several pretty blue-green reflective ponds.  I spent a rest day on the shore of Lago di Garda sipping Aperol Spritzes.  That evening, I saw this sunset from the balcony of my B&B.  I had originally planned to end this tour in Trento, another 2 days of riding. But, a family emergency caused me to cut my ride short. |