Italy and Slovenia: Carving Through the Limestone Giants
The Dolomites are probably the most beautiful mountain range where you can ride a motorcycle to an extensive degree. But how far can you stretch the ride? Is it possible to see all faces of the range over a single tour?
Entering Italy from the north, it would be hard not to end up on a spectacular alpine mountain road, as the border stretches through the Alps. So why not choose the most famous and spectacular one—Stelvio Pass? The 48 switchbacks on its northeastern side are a blast for experienced riders. The closer you get to the top, the shorter the distance between them becomes. Like everybody else, I stop at the top of the pass to enjoy the unique mountain scenery and contemplate the achievement.
The downhill side to Bormio is almost as exciting, but the best thing after a well-deserved gelato in town is the fact that Gavia Pass is waiting just on the other side of the valley. It’s almost as high as Stelvio, but much less famous and with smaller crowds. Also, in my opinion, the couple of small lakes you can see from the top make it even prettier. Parts of the descending road are only as wide as a car, which might pose a headache for four-wheeled pilots. On the bike, however, it’s just a fun feature that slows me down a bit.
Riding up to the fancy ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio, the road allows for a decent speed again. It’s still tricky, though, since I’m flanked on both sides by the spectacular Mount Adamello and the Brenta Dolomites. I continue a half loop around the latter to arrive at Lake Molveno. Its smooth surface acts like a mirror to reflect the Brenta peaks, which rise directly behind it. On the northern end of the lake is enough space for the tranquil village of Molveno, which even has a small beach. This must be one of the most beautiful lake settings in Italy. As it is so picturesque and cool at an altitude of almost 3,000 feet, I decide to stay another day and use Lake Molveno as a home base for a loop down to its bigger neighbor, Lake Garda.
Motorcycle & Gear
2017 KTM 690 Duke R
Helmet: Touratech Aventuro
Jacket & Pants: Rukka Madagasca-R
Boots: Daytona Road Star GTX
Gloves: Rukka Argosaurus
Luggage: Touratech Photo tankbag, Touratech rack pack
As the largest Italian lake, Lake Garda has a 99-mile shoreline and a road that loops around it. As only the northern half is surrounded by 7,000-foot mountains, I stick to this area and enjoy a mixture of lakeshore and mountain roads along the ridge of Monte Baldo. Great views open in both cases, but along the water, the pace is considerably slower as this has been a choice holiday location for centuries and features proportionate traffic.
Pass After Beautiful Pass
From Lake Molveno, a small pass on SP64 leads me over a ridge, and suddenly the huge valley of the Adige River opens up in front of me. After a long downhill ride, I cross northern Italy’s main valley that the river carves through, passing miles of apple orchards and vineyards. On the other side, I’m caught immediately amidst the most renowned peaks of the Dolomites and the mountain pass roads between them. I start the roller-coaster ride with the Karerpass and a view of the Rosengartenspitze, glowing orange in the evening sun. As the views can’t get any better today, I stay overnight in this wonderland of forests, green pastures, and sharp-edged peaks.