THREE COUNTRIES IN ONE SPECTACULAR TOUR
Country hopping at top level in Nauders on the Reschenpass
Nauders is a cozy mountain village of 1,500 souls on the Austrian side of the Reschen Pass. The Tyrolean vacation destination is located at an altitude of 1394 meters and has more than 4,200 beds to accommodate and pamper their guests. Cyclists will find great roads here with fun and sometimes really tough challenges across national borders. Only three roads start from Nauders: northward to the Tyrolean Unterland, you stay within the borders of Austria, southward you cycle over the Reschenpass to the Mediterranean Vinschgau in Italy. And beyond the Ofen Pass in the west, the Swiss Engadine awaits you. The variety of tours and passes here is enormous. A total of 80,000 vertical meters can be conquered on about 20 passes around the region’s road cycling center.
Our tip: the three-country ride
As the title of this article suggests, a wonderful bike tour starts from Nauders that leads/slides from Austria to Italy and Switzerland. From Nauders it then goes over – Reschen – Reschenpass – Glurns in Vinschgau – Prad a.d. Stiflserjochstraße – Trafoi – 48 hairpin bends on the Stilfser Joch/Stelvio – Stilfser Joch/Stelvio – Fuldara Tschirv – Ofenpass – Zernez – Susch – Scuol – Ramosch – Martina – Nauders
- Level of difficulty: difficult
- Duration: 6:30 – 09:30 hours
- Distance: 166km
- Height: 3,782 m
This day tour really has it all and is only for die-hard cyclists. The 3-country tour starts quietly over the Reschenpass to Glurns and on to Prad in Vinschgau. But then it’s done warming up and it’s time to get going: to the 2,800 m high Stelvio Pass, over 48 hairpin bends. Here you overcome 1,800 altitude meters in one go. Once at the top, it’s time to catch your breath and marvel … before continuing over the Umbrail Pass to St. Maria im Münstertal and over the Ofen Pass to Zernez. Via Susch you then follow the Inn Valley to Scuol and via Ramosch you return via the old Reschenpassstraße back to the starting point in Nauders.
TIP: A good contact for your very personal three-country Giro locally is Harry Ploner, race cycling expert, Alpine pass enthusiast and manager of the Alpen-Comfort-Hotel Central****.
His specialty: excellent tour descriptions, personal route tips and individual tour advice for the 12 surrounding Alpine passes. His highlight of the season: Clearly the Dreiländergiro, which starts here every year.
For more info: Rennrad Urlaub in Nauders am Reschenpass
Fotos: © Felix Saller
