Our Dolomites Tour is the perfect 2 days trip if you like curves. In fact we aimed to take as many mountain passes as we could. Something that seems to be pretty easy in South Tyrol if you consider the countless options. However, finding the right combination of passes is the key to a great drive.
Meeting point:
We started the Dolomites Tour at the AGIP station near the toll area Bolzano Sud of the Brennero – Modena Motorway A22. This seems to be the favorite place for all motorbikers to meet in the morning and then drive up into the mountains. So did we.
After all the participants of the tour showed up and everybody was either primed with fuel or coffee, we left from our meeting point taking the main street.
Maybe 15 minutes after we started we arrived at the first set of hairpins: The street that leads up to the Passo Nigra, our first pass of the day. These fun roads are so nearby, isn’t that amazing?
We stopped at the picturesque Lago di Carezza, even if it was only a short while after we started but it was certainly worth it. In fact the picturesque lake is famous for its crystal clear water and the colors with hues of emerald.
Back on the road Passo Sella was waiting for us and what a road it is!
When you arrive on top you will have a fantastic view of the Sassolungo. The Passo Sella is also the starting point of the Sellaronda, non only a skitour, but also a famous bike tour. Nevertheless we opted for our cars.
After Sella we took Passo Gardena, which is really spectacular in the way the route is meandering down from the top in the most beautiful nooses.
Lunch stop
For lunch we stopped at the restaurant Saré near San Cassiano. A relaxing break with some good food. If we you would ask us for a recommendation, that would have to be Spatzle!
Before the food coma had a chance to kick in, we were already heading towards Passo Giau, another highlight that you cannot miss.
Spending all afternoon on winding roads, we were really lucky to find most roads quite empty. The only pass that turned out to be a bit tricky, was the Passo Duran. It is really quite narrow and everytime a car comes from the other way you end in a roadblock of cars that no longer know where to move.
This was quickly forgotten on the way up Passo Rolle which was a fast and smooth drive to the top.
After having negotiated the final pass of the day, Passo San Pellegrino, we arrived at our overnight stop, Hotel Arnika.
At this point most of the drivers of convertibles presented with a fine collection of funny sunburns or rather selective, driver type tans.
Not too late after the delicious four course dinner, we all hit the hay to recover for the next day of driving.
Day Two
In the morning, having woken up to the “ding ding” sounds of the bells of cows grazing nearby, we packed up and headed for Canazei. The plan for the day way to take two passes that we couldn’t miss: Pordoi and Falzarego.
Pordoi was a mess, brimming with cyclists, cars, motorbikes not all of which showed a decent level of driving. After having taken some pictures, we left for our next destinations.
Since we passed by Restaurant Saré again, this time arriving from the other side, we found it would be the right thing to stop for a quick coffee there.
Back on the road we headed on to the Passo delle Erbe. Beautiful landscapes again and a wonderful winding road to the restaurant on the top. We were allowed to use their underground parking, which was fantastic, since the place was brimming with parked cars.
The Ütia du Börz restaurant turned out to be a very good choice: A large variety of dishes. Italian, Austrian, Tyrolean. Wunderbar.
Diverging roads
After the visit to this restaurant it was time to say goodbye to our driving buddies: Some needed to depart for Bruneck since they became so addicted to mountain road driving that they wanted to carry on into Austria and to the Grossglockner. Some needed to head home north or south, some were on their way to their holiday destination at Lago di Garda.
All in all we had two exciting days on the road with the most pleasant acquaintances. Everybody left in a good mood, looking forward to the next adventure on the road.
If you would like to join the next Dolomites Tour, stay tuned for the next event or sign up to our Newsletter. If you prefer driving on you own drop us a note and we can provide you with the route.
