Bikepacking: Descent to Italy
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Today, I would like to invite you to join me on a calming adventure through winding streets, quiet little towns and magical forests. Make yourself a drink, get comfortable and relax. Take a sip. Take your time. I’d like to take you to a place at the back of my mind.
This blog post has been written for the IndieWeb Carnival topic Adventure hosted by Pablo.
Once you wake up, it’s still early in the morning. You get out of your tent. The sun slowly climbs up the mountains and shines down on the valley below. You grab a snack, pack up your tent, and load everything onto your bicycle. Let’s hop on and start our day!
Your path follows a nearby river through a ravine. You can hear the water rushing and the leaves rustling. On the opposite bank, near the cliff, you can see a medieval outpost. Birds fly around, visible through the trees. Follow the path alongside the river. After crossing the river on a small bridge, you find yourself at a mountain pass.
This is the final challenge you must overcome before reaching Italy. Slow and steady. The path ahead is smooth. You know the drill. Slow and steady. You start climbing.
After a few switchbacks, you suddenly notice the breathtaking view. You look down into the valley, which is waking up in patches of sunlight. Forests cover the mountainsides, basking in the spotlight. The light warms your skin, giving you a boost of energy.
You continue climbing. A drop of sweat runs down your forehead. You are getting close to the top. It’s still early morning and it’s still cool. You greet some forest workers along the way and take the final winding path. You are almost there. Suddenly, a new view opens up on the other side of the mountain.
This side is shrouded in mist and clouds. Below, you can see a small, picturesque Austrian mountain village. Groups of trees break through the mist.
It’s time for a break. You sit down on a bench, grab a snack and take a sip, enjoying the view for a few minutes. This side is less misty, but cloudier. You put on your wind jacket and begin your descent. The road is wide and fairly straight. The village gets closer and closer. The wind hits your face and lifts the corners of your mouth.
You brake to slow down and drive through the alpine village, with its wooden houses adorned with flowers on the balconies. You follow the roads that lead you out of the village and into the green, grassy valley beyond. It starts to rain lightly.
In front of you is the last hill. It’s small and flat, but it obscures your view of what lies beyond. You still have lots of energy left, and you know there’s a reward waiting for you at the top. You stand up on your bike and start pedalling hard. In about half a minute, you reach the top.
The view opens up to reveal a blue lake surrounded by mountains. In the middle of the lake, a lonely church tower rises from the depths of the water. This view immediately lets you know that you have arrived in Italy.
Continue along the pavement on the left side of the lake. Follow it along the riverside, cross the river and find yourself on the opposite bank in a forest. The narrow road is surrounded by a beautiful green, mossy atmosphere. Birds sing around you and sunbeams filter through the canopy of trees.
Focus on the moment. The winding road leads you downhill. You accelerate. Press the right pedal, lean to the left, and take the curve. Your eyes are fixed on the next bend. Right. You flow through the curves. You lean down and let the bike do the work. Left. It’s just you and your bike. Right. The rain stopped long ago. Left.
Suddenly, the canopy of trees opens up to reveal the blue sky behind. You sit up straight and slow down.
A town with a mix of alpine and Italian buildings appears in front of you. You drive down the cobbled streets and find a place to get some pizza and a cup of coffee. You enjoy your break, reflecting on what you’ve seen and experienced today.
After some time, you continue your descent and leave the hilly village behind. The landscape changes. Now, you drive through apple orchards and vineyards. The mountains surrounding the valley become smaller and feature ancient ruins and castles on their slopes. It slowly gets warmer and warmer. Occasionally, you are cooled down by a few droplets of water from sprinklers.
You arrive in a tiny town with a small church near the town square. The buildings are made of sandstone and the streets are narrow and cobblestone. People are chatting in the town square. The sun brightens up the scenery. You leave the painting untouched and continue your journey alongside a new river. The water is greyish-blue and fast-flowing.
It is still flowing downwards, so you don’t have to pedal much. As you go along, you see more and more people around you. Some are walking and some are cycling. Compact tractors transport stacks of apple crates several metres high.
Near the riverbank, you spot a small stall selling sweet apple juice. You stop to refill your bottle. You take a refreshing sip. After all that work, the sweet, sugary juice tickles your brain and a spark of joy hits your throat.
You come to a small avenue lined with trees. At the end of it, huge chairs are perched on the edge of another valley. Dozens of metres above the ground, you can see the city. Your goal. Tiny cars and people move slowly around like toys.
You take the route down, with bushes, trees and flowers on either side. You take each turn. A couple of minutes later, you arrive at the horizon that was just in front of you a few moments ago. The city. Cypress and palm trees line the roads. The quiet, peaceful atmosphere vanishes, replaced by a colourful medley of people, dogs, bicycles, delicious smells of food, and music.
You spot a lovely café near the river. You sit back and watch the world go by, calming down as you do so. As you drink your espresso and eat your cake, you reflect on your day. How far you’ve come! What you’ve seen. The things you’ve felt along the way.
I hope you enjoyed this little trip through my memory. Adventures like this can’t be made online or at home. Whatever motivates you, let it lead you wherever you want, whenever you want. Load up your bicycle or backpack with everything you need and go out and explore the world.
This was day three of my adventure from southern Germany to northern Italy from 2025. The route described starts in Austria just before the Reschen Pass (Passo di Resia) and ends in Merano. It follows the Via Claudia Augusta route.