Biking tours in Valle d'Aosta

riding between mountains and castles!

• intro
• catalog
• highlights
• useful info
• weather

Welcome to Valle d'Aosta

The mountain is made for everyone, not just for mountaineers: for those who want to rest in a peaceful environment, as well as for those who seek an even stronger rest in fatigue.

Guido Maria Rey
1861-1935

Mountaineer, writer and photographer

Meet Giovanni

Our tour designer for Valle d'Aosta

Get in touch by email, phone or reserve a video call with us.

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OUR CYCLE TOURS IN VALLE D'AOSTA

Highlights from our rides

• 

  CERVINO, AKA MATTERHORN

  One of the most iconic mountains in the world

  The Cervino (4.478 meters) is one of the most iconic mountains in the world. Also known as the Matterhorn: its pyramid shape and its dimension have always stimulated the human imagination and its history often combines reality and legend. One of these legends attributes the birth of the Matterhorn to an accident caused by the weight of the Giant Gargantua. Whether on the road or off-road (Gravel and MTB), we offer different rides on the slopes of this mountain. Its silhouette is enclosed in the Italy-Cycling Alps logo.
• 

  AOSTA VALLEY CASTLES

  The Land of Castles

  Just enter Valle d'Aosta to discover that it is a land of castles: almost 200 if we count towers, fortresses and castles of medieval origin. They dot the landscape as evidence of the strategic importance that the Aosta Valley has assumed for centuries in the history of the House of Savoy. The most representative are certainly Fénis, Verrès, Issogne, Introd and Sarriod de la Tour. But the more recent Forte di Bard also holds a prominent place on a cultural level: it holds an important museum dedicated to the Alps.

• 

  CYCLING HISTORY

  Giro d’Italia and Tour de France battlefield

  Aosta Valley's an important region in cycling history: for several times it has hosted some of the most important mountain stages of Giro d’Italia and Tour de France. Legendary is the Briançon-Aosta stage of the 1949 Tour de France. It was dominated by Coppi and Bartali. Bartali lost the Yellow Jersey to his historic rival after a fall in the Piccolo San Bernardo descent. Coppi won the stage and by winning that edition he became the first rider to win the Giro and Tour in the same year. Without considering that Maurice Garin, Tour de France first edition’s winner, was born in Arvier near Aosta. Passing by his village you can find the stone monument dedicated to him.

• 

  BIKE PARKS

  Mountain biking and Gravity for all

  From June to September it’s possible to ride on MTB trails and stunning tracks. During the High-Season all the 4 Aosta Valley bike-parks are open: La Thuile Bike World, Pila Bikeland, Cervinia and Monterosa Bike. They offer top lifted trails and downhill tracks. You’ll find every kind of activity: from easy and undemanding trail rides to fearsome DH and challenging Enduro tracks or Pump tracks. La Thuile hosts the Enduro World Series every year and Cervinia is the setting of the Maxiavalanche Europe Cup. Pila is commonly recognized as one of the most amazing bike parks in Europe. Let’s ride them all!!!

• 

  FONTINA CHEESE

  best known typical Aosta Valley cheese

  Fontina DOP is the best known typical Aosta Valley cheese. It is a gastronomic excellence that perfectly expresses the identity of this Alpine region: it is produced using the milk of three different breeds of local cows. Accompanied by a slice of Aosta Valley rye bread and a glass of red wine, it expresses all its incredible flavor.

Are you interested
in visiting Valle d'Aosta?

• When is the best time for cycling?

  It is easy: from late spring to summer. The travel window for these high mountains is very narrow, just before June and until the beginning of September.

  Towards the extremities, the weather is less stable. So we use to organize our trips inside the 'safe' window, as the weather is more stable. Facing bad weather on a mountain ride is not pleasant: it means a drop in temperature of several degrees, and if you are on the Piccolo San Bernardo at about 2200 metres when it happens... well, let's put it this way: it's no fun.

  Some days with rain can happen in the core of the good season, but if you go towards the beginning or end of the season, the possibility of a long bad weather increases dramatically, making, not just a single day, but the whole trip an epic experience, but one that you would never want to make.

• What's the best cycling area in the region?

  Valle d'Aosta is the smallest and least populated region in Italy. As the name suggests, it develops along a valley where also the most populated places are. That's the valley of the Dora Baleta river, which starts in the highest part of Valle d'Aosta, near the Swiss border and runs to Piedmont.

  There are many ways - and therefore many places -  to enjoy the Aosta Valley by bike: one is to stay in a nice place in the valley - for example Chatillon, where we have our office - and climb the mountains to the east or west. Another is much less demanding: the Aosta Valley has countless castles along the valley and there are beautiful country road cycling trails that make it easy to discover the area.

  In both cases, there's plenty of nice roads and the traffic is never a problem.

  The dirt roads are also great: there are some of the best dirt roads around, some of which will take you around the majestic Mont Blanc, 4,807 metres high, the highest mountain in the Alps.

  That's not all: if you love gravity, there are two of the best bike parks in Europe, in Pila or La Thuile. There is a bit of everything, even in a small region. 

• Where can I fly to?

  Depending on the trip, we suggest either Milan MXP or Bergamo BY.

  Alternatively, Turin Caselle, in Piedmont.

• How are roads?

  Asphalt is as good as mountain asphalt can be. The frost of winter slowly damages the asphalt. There is nothing critical. Repaving takes place quite often.

  Traffic must be taken into account, especially when travelling up some iconic climbs like the Piccolo San Bernardo or to Cervinia. But it's nothing too critical, especially compared to the most renowned locations in the Italian, Swiss or French Alps.

Weather and
rainfall in Valle d'Aosta

Biking tours in Piedmont

Ride along the barolo wineyards
or challenge the alps!

Welcome to Piedmont

As with a glass of old Barolo the senses of native condescension are suddenly reawakened in the bitterest souls.

Carlo Emilio Gadda

Italian writer and poet

Meet Giovanni

Our tour designer for Piedmont

Get in touch by email, phone or reserve a video call with us.

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OUR CYCLE TOURS IN PIEDMONT

Highlights from our rides

• 

  Piedmontese wines

  Nebbiolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Dolcetto...

  We guess you know these wine names. Could you guess they're all coming from the same Italian region?
  The name Piedmont comes from latin “ad pedem montium”, meaning at the foot of the mountains, and it’s considered worldwide as one of the most important wine-growing regions in the world. Whilst the region champions a number of varieties, Nebbiolo is the most spectacular, ethereal and capable of producing truly profound wine such as Barolo and Barbaresco, whose names come from small villages of the Langhe region. However, the most cultivated variety is Barbera, from which lighter, fruity wine is produced, typical of the Monferrato area. In the case of white wines, the Gavi is number one. Here, the Cortese di Gavi variety produces delicate, flowery plants, while the Arneis is more likely to have a fruity-spicy, honey-like bouquet. Wine of Piedmont is of its own character, as many of the local grapes are either not grown in other parts of Italy or play a comparable qualitative role there. This applies to the Nebbiolo, the Grignolino, Dolcetto, Cortese and even the Barbera does not quite play the role in the rest of Italy as in Piedmont.
• 

  Alba

  the truffle paradise

  Alba is a lovely, roman and medieval town and it is best known for its white truffles, wines and hazelnuts. Alba truffles, in particular, are the local landmark and the leading quality in the International Truffle Market. The truffle fair which takes place in autumn is an absolute highlight. “Tajarin al Tartuffe” is one of the most renowned dishes from the region involving local delicacy. “Tajarin” is the finer version of tagliatelle from the Piedmont region. A must taste!
• 

  Hazelnuts

  Nutella homeland

  It is not casual that Ferrero, the creator of Nutella, has its headquarters in Alba: the special hazelnuts named “Tonda Gentile delle Langhe” - its main ingredient - grows right here. The local hazelnuts have an higher fat content than an ordinary one and therefore a special taste. Hazelnut is also the ingredient of the cake par excellence: the 'Dolce', probably the best-known pie in Piedmont, stunningly baked without a gram of flour. The recipe can also be refined by adding a pinch of freshly ground coffee, cocoa, or lemon zest. Delicious!

• 

  Castelmagno Cheese

  A cheese from the Middleage

  Castelmagno PDO is considered the most famous Piedmontese cheese and has its origins already in the Middleage when it was used as a bargaining chip for the payment of annual fees for the use of pastures. It is named after a Roman soldier whom despite being persecuted, kept on preaching gospels and gave its name to the famous sanctuary town of Castelmagno in Grana Valley. What's really important is that it pairs perfectly with a glass of Barolo wine but it’s also used as a sauce of dishes such as gnocchi or pasta.
• 

  Sacra di San Michele

  and... The name of the Rose

  The Sacra di San Michele is an ancient abbey built between 983 and 987 on the top of Mount Pirchiriano, 40 km from Turin. It’s a symbol of the Piedmont Region and also the place that inspired the writer Umberto Eco for his best-seller “The name of the Rose”. From the top of its towers you can admire the Piedmontese capital and have a breathtaking view of the Val di Susa. Inside the main church of the Sacra, dating back to the twelfth century, members of the royal family of the House of Savoy are buried.

Are you interested
in visiting Piedmont?

FIND OUT WHY YOU SHOULD, WHEN AND WHERE!

• When is the best time for cycling?

  Piedmont is a very wide region and, as explained, proposes different cycling conditions. The Alpine areas follow the Alpine seasons: so a quite narrow, three-months season, from June to September. The rest of the region is somehow inverse: better spring or early autumn. We don't use to propose summer trips as the temperatures on the hills are very hot and along with the humidity and the little shade of the wine region can make for a not quite comfortable climate for cycling. Roads are not very busy and traffic is never an issue.

• What's the best cycling area in the region?

  Depends on what you like best: wine regions are great for easier trips. Alps are a very challenging environment. Our Piedmont Treasure trip, for example, explores the rolling hills of the wine region and it doesn't present very challenging climbs.

• Where can I fly to?

  The closest airport for our trips in Piedmont is Turin Caselle, but the best availability of flights is towards a not too far airport: Milan MXP. We suggest checking them both.

• How are roads?

  The quality of asphalt varies from good to average. There are many roads of different categories. Most are suitable for cycling, not all are suggested.

  Traffic can be annoying especially near or around the larger towns, but our tours are designed to explore the Piedmont countryside using the most scenic, safe and fun roads, regardless of the time of year.

Biking tours in Tuscany

A region created to amaze cyclists!

• intro
• catalog
• highlights
• useful info
• weather

Welcome to Tuscany

Americans who visit Tuscany or Umbria love the landscape: the silvery olive groves, the fields of sunflowers, the vineyards, the stone houses and barns.

anthony Lewis

American public intellectual and journalist.

Meet Giovanni

Our tour designer for Corsica

Get in touch by email, phone or reserve a video call with us.

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OUR CYCLE TOURS IN TUSCANY

Highlights from our rides

• 

  Siena

  Cycling in a Middleage setting

  Snuggled within the Tuscan hills, Siena is one of those places where it seems time stopped in the 13th Century. The outskirts of Siena offer a series of wonderful itineraries that, from Piazza del Campo, wind for miles through the curves and bends of the Tuscan hills. It's also the location for the most exciting race in the World Tour calendar: the famous Strade Bianche road race.
• 

  Lucca

  THE HIDDEN GEM OF TUSCANY

  Close your eyes and set yourself in an old medieval town protected by its walls. Lucca is the perfect location for a cycling holiday, just 30 km from the sea and 30 km from some great climbs, it has more than 50 different routes for all kinds of different cycling levels.
• 

  Wine tasting in Tuscany

  Chianti, Montepulciano or Brunello? All of them!

  Wine tasting in Tuscany wineries is an adventure that deserves to be done, the experience always includes the tasting of a number of local wines, which are combined with local products such as cheeses and cold meats, a visit to the winery’s cellars and demonstrations of the various stages of processing to obtain the delicious Tuscan wine.

• 

  Gravel cycling: a very Tuscany thing

  the paradise of gravel roads

  The gravel roads in Tuscany guarantee relaxation, adventure, history and adrenaline. The spectacular gravel paths lead you up and down the rolling hills surrounded by vineyards, cypress lined lanes, and dotted with small medieval villages. The quality and quantity of dirt roads make Tuscany the ideal place for a cycling vacation, but also the scene of some of the most exciting road races such as the famous Strade Bianche!

• 

  Dante Alighieri

  Tuscany is the region of culture and the region of the "supreme poet" Dante Alighieri, or simply Dante in Italy. Where would Dante have placed cyclists in his vision of the afterlife? We think in Purgatory, trudging on a bicycle in search of Paradise!
• 

  Via Francigena by bike

  ON THE WAY FROM CANTERBURY TO ROME

  The Via Francigena is an important cultural itinerary linking Canterbury and Rome. The most beautiful part of this historic route passes through Tuscany and gives you the chance to discover by bike the ancient path passing through woods, hills and Medieval villages, amongst history, art and delicious food and wine.

• 

  The land of exciting cycling events

  The Italian hearth of road racing

  Tuscany has a number of amazing cycling events. The most famous ones around the world are the Strade Bianche, the One Day Northern Classics series most southern race venue which takes place during the first week of March along the Gravel Roads of that surround Siena, and L’Eroica, the famous vintage cycling event which combines challenging routes, magnificent landscapes and unforgettable refreshments in a unique way.

• 

  Medieval hamlets

  discover the hidden villages from the Middle age

  Tuscany has dozens and dozens of small medieval hamlets located all around its main towns. The best way to discover these small hidden villages is during a bike ride.

Thinking of visiting Tuscany?

FIND OUT WHY YOU SHOULD, WHEN AND WHERE!

• When is the best time for cycling?

  Tuscany is a large region and offers diverse conditions for cycling. The cycling season is quite long and runs from the beginning of April to the end of September. October can also be good, but as is the case everywhere, there may be some extra risk of weather variability.

  Weather stability is best between late April and late June and again between late August and late September. The summer months (second half of July and August) are not the best time to tackle the hilly roads of Siena or Chianti, as the temperatures can make cycling uncomfortable: the Tuscan wine region, with its low vegetation, provides little shade for cyclists.

  Traffic is never a critical problem, and we always choose the best and safest roads to reach the must-see places. Bars or restaurants along the way are never a problem: Tuscany is super touristic and services never shut down.

• What's the best cycling area in the region?

  Tuscany offers a lot. We can say that the areas around Lucca, Siena and Chianti are the first places to visit. The entire region, and these areas in particular, not only offer a large number of options for all levels of difficulty, but also allow you to enjoy one of the best assets of this Italian region: its dirt roads.

  A paradise for cyclists who like to eat dust on a gravel bike, they are also absolutely enjoyable on a road bike and are in fact one of the most famous routes in the World Tour or amateur races: just think of the Strade Bianche for professional road racers or the Eroica in Gaiole in Chianti. The most typical roads in Tuscany are hilly, with an endless series of climbs and descents always with similar gradients, around 5-6%.

• Where can I fly to?

  Traveling to Tuscany is quite easy: Florence, the capital of Tuscany, is one of the most visited art cities in the world, making its airport a landmark, well-connected to many European or international destinations. To check connected destinations and how to reach major destinations from Florence airport, check the airport's website: https://www.aeroporto.firenze.it/en/

  Another excellent option is to fly into Pisa airport. It covers many European destinations even with low fare flights and is very close to our headquarters in Lucca. Check out the airport's website: https://www.pisa-airport.com/en/

• How are roads?

  Asphalt quality varies from average to excellent. The strong agricultural vocation of this region means that heavy vehicles and tractors use the small roads, putting them under stress. This is not a widespread phenomenon and is not too worrisome. There are many roads that connect small rural towns and farms.

  These are roads that run through some of the most manicured landscapes in the world, where every cypress tree or bush is there to create a breathtaking aesthetic.

  This vast network of winding, slow-moving ancient roads offers many choices for cyclists to enjoy cycling on relatively traffic-free roads.

  But remember that if you want to enjoy the roads where cycling was born, and totally free of traffic, there is an endless number of dirt roads that are also perfect for road riding.

  Our tours are designed to explore the island using the most scenic, safe and fun roads, regardless of the time of year.

Weather and rainfall in Tuscany

Biking tours in the

Dolomites

Get ready to discover your next
favorite mountain region

Welcome into a true cycling paradise

great things happen when men and mountains meet

william blake

English author

OUR CYCLE TOURS IN THE DOLOMITES

Highlights from our rides

• 

  Sellaronda bike event

  A bike-only day in the Dolomites

  It is a non-competitive cycle event along a famous loop during which roads are closed to cars. From early in the morning to 3.30pm roads are just for cyclists and thousands gather to ride the 53 kilometers through the famous mountain passes: Gardena Sella Pordoi Campolongo. This cycling festival is open and any can choose from where to start his ride. Just make sure to ride your way anticlockwise as it is highly recommended.
• 

  Knödel

  ride like an Italian, eat like a ladin

  This old recipe of ladin heritage is the perfect way to refill the tank after a day up and down the Dolomites.

  As many dishes from the past, they were intended as a great way to give new life to leftovers, in particular bread, not pleasant to eat after a few days. Knödels are the confirmation that recycling is good.

  Knödels are an iconic and recognizable dish: shaped as 4-6 cm balls made of stale bread cubes, milk and eggs. Don't forget a big beer and the day after your legs will be as brand new! 
  
  
  
  

• 

  Enrosadira

  get up early and catch the pink light

  At a certain time of the day you might see the peaks around you getting pink. No, it's not because you've burned out, it's a naturalphenomenon called 'enrosadira', which literally means 'turning pink', derives from the Ladin word rosadüra or enrosadöra. This phenomenon is most clearly visible on summer evenings, when the air is particularly clear and the twilight is longest and the hue taken by the mountain peaks varies from pink to orange to purple. The phenomenon is enhanced by the reflectivity of the pale Dolomite rock faces and it's a perfect pic to collect your likes.

• 

  Puzzone di Moena

  Super Stinky super good

  Puzzone - Italian colloquial for super stincky - is by far the most known local cheese. Name comes from a popular radio broadcast during which this cheese, produced in the small town named Moena, was jokingly said to be the 'super stinky Moena cheese'.
  The name, and the smell, make this cheese a very distinctive gastronomic excellence of this Alpine region.
  The good of Puzzone cheese, in the good old times, was that with its flavour and smell could improve - also in little quantity - the poor cuisine of the past: an entire dish of polenta could turn super stinky and delicious.

• 

  Tre Cime di Lavaredo

  Dolomites Iconic Three Peaks

  With no shadow of a doubt The Three Peaks of Lavaredo are a must-ride in the Dolomites, representing one of the most important natural wonders in the world of mountaineering. They witnessed epic days in the history of cycling: the Giro d'Italia riders rode up on their steep slopes on three-speed bikes in the 1930s, and Vincnzo Nibali won a stage under a spectacular snow storm in 2013.
  They separate Italian from German speaking Italian regions and still mark the border between areas of Italy where cappuccino is served at breakfast and those where it's served in the afternoon.

• 

  Ladin Culture

  alta badia alpine population

  Ladin people have inhabited the valleys of Dolomites since the ancient times and because of the geographical isolation, this special culture has survived and kept alive its language and traditions. You can see it in many aspect of everyday life: dresses, food, language, architecture, artistic handicrafts. The name of this culture recalls the Latin and Roman direct influence: after the integration of the Alps into the Roman Empire, the Rhaetian people inhabiting the Dolomites at that time adopted the vulgar Latin that gradually evolved into the Ladin language. The Ladins cherish their traditions and value and protect the strong yet fragile mountain nature that surrounds them, and this makes for an authentic style of hospitality that we're sure you'll love..

• 

  Cycling lanes network

  riding thousands of kilometers along bike lanes

  Trentino and Dolomites are well known for their incredible network of cycling lanes. By far the best region in Italy under this point of view. And this extensive network, as well as the offer of services for cyclists, makes cycling the best and most enjoyable way to discover the Dolomites. A very important thing is that the cycle lanes,especially those going along the valleys, turns a region that would be otherwise a paradise for climbers, in a perfect spot for intermediate, e-bikers or even casual riders': everyone can enjoy the feautures that you had the patience to read here!