Lago di Lavarone, Italy, June 2024 −  Travels −  Captain Tom

Lago di Lavarone, Italy, June 2024

Summer has begun and it's time to go to Italy again.

Thomas had already organised something in the winter and so we all met up at the Hotel al Lago on Lago di Lavarone. We had different amounts of time and different leisure interests, but we spent the morning and evening together.

I joined the group on Sunday and had to return home a week later on Sunday.

The weather was not so kind. Quite a lot of rain at the beginning. Later, high temperatures and very high humidity. Nevertheless, we had some nice rides and saw and experienced a lot.

1The participants

We are a group of nine, most of the participants come from Schwedt and surroundings and I am from Berlin

Andreas, Thomas, Martina, Axel, Frank, Peggy, Tom, Frank, Birgit (fltr)
Andreas and I ride all motorbike trips. On some of the trips we have additional riding companions.
2The journey to Italy

I ride over two days.
On the first day, I ride across Germany to the Austrian border. On the second day, I ride through the Ötz valley over the Timmelsjoch into Italy and then over various passes to the hotel on Lago di Lavarone.
The weather is not quite so merciful. It rains cats and dogs between Berlin and Leipzig. After a short coffee stop at Wolfgang's place, it rains heavily again on the last 60 kilometres to the intermediate destination in Jungholz.
The next day I start at 8 degrees and drizzle, but it stops quickly. At the Timmelsjoch it was 4 degrees and fog. In Italy it was initially dry before the rain set in again about 100 kilometres before the finish.

Click here for a map with the route of the day

Karte 2024_06_22

Hide map
Shortly after Berlin, I find the Hotel al Lago. Not the one I actually want to go to, though.
Nice weather and scenery in Bavaria
The Hallertau region is known for hops farming
Coffee stop at Wolfgang's place
Heavy rain on the last 60 kilometres
Intermediate destination hotel Waldhorn in Jungholz
Click here for a map with the route of the day

Karte 2024_06_23

Hide map
8 degrees and drizzle
Haldensee lake in Austria
Northern ramp of Timmelsjoch
Timmelsjoch
Snow walls on Timmelsjoch
Snow walls
The tunnel connects Austria and Italy
View to the Italian side
Jauffenpass
On Penser Joch I have a guide. On top of the pass we have a short chat.
Penser Joch
Nice cow
Penser Joch
On Ritten road one can see Bolzano
Grauno
Fog and rain on the last 100 kilometres
3Monte Grappa

We have chosen a tour to Monte Grappa.
We drive over beautiful passes and find the spectacular SP73 near Valstagna in the Brenta valley and the SP78 (Strada del Piovan) near Castelletto.
After Monte Grappa, the approaching rain drives us away from the planned route. But we stay dry.

Click here for a map with the route of the day

Karte 2024_06_24

Hide map
Lago di Lavarone in the morning
The Hotel al Lago
A snail is on the way
Andreas gets ready
Tunnel on Kaiserjägerstraße
Kaiserjägerstraße
View point Belvedere on Kaiserjägerstraße
View
Morning coffee in Gallio
Coffee
Spectacular SP73
Valstagna
Southern ramp of Monte Grappa promises 28 hairpins. The road is freshly made for the Giro d'Italia
View from Monte Grappa
World War I memorial
Andreas and Tom
Lunch in Valstagna
Impressive view into the valley on SP78 close to Castelletto
Exciting road layout
SP78 from the other side of the valley
In the evening dinner together in the hotel
4Rain day

It's pouring cats and dogs. A tour is out of the question.
While the majority of us go shopping in Trento, Andreas, Axel and I decide to do a bit of sightseeing.
The first attempt to visit a nearby fort is not possible due to a 10 minute walk in heavy rain.
We then decide to drive to Longarone. There was a serious flood disaster there in 1963 when a landslide caused a reservoir to overflow and raze the village to the ground. More than 2000 people died as a result

Heavy rain
Decision not to walk to the fort
Longarone
View to the reservoir dam
The dam
A very beautiful monument. A chapel and meeting place at the same time.
Inside the chapel
A model of the reservoir
Remainings of the village after the flooding
A meeting place on top of the memorial
The names of the victims
Nice Italian lunch in Longarone
Another memorial at the dam
The dam (mountain side)
The deep gorge in front of the dam
The dam (valley side)
A coffee stop on our way back before rain sets in again.
5Passo Lavaze and Passo Manghen

A northern loop via Passo Lavaze and Passo Manghen is planned.
Thomas, Axel, Andreas and Peggy also join us on the tour that day.
We don't get away completely rain-free, but for the most part we stay dry and have a nice ride.

Click here for a map with the route of the day

Karte 2024_06_26

Hide map
Chain care with Frank in the morning
The air is clear and I get an overview of the surroundings at Lago di Lavarone
Lago di Lavarone
The other side of the lake
Hotel al Lago
Peggy, Frank, Thomas and Andreas are ready
Martina, Frank and Birgit go cycling
Morning coffee on top of Passo del Redebus
Rain gear required
On top of Passo Manghen
Wood carvings
Wood carvings
Coffee
A little pond
Pond
We find SP75 before Grims with magnificent hairpins
Hairpin within the mountain
Just before destination we get caught by a heavy rain shower
6Lake Garda

We take a tour around Lake Garda.
The weather has calmed down and the sky is blue. We experience the beautiful mountain race track on Monte Bondone, quite a bit of heat and a lot of traffic on the banks of Lake Garda and great mountain roads with beautiful views to the lake. There is also a ferry crossing and a very pleasant lunch.
On this day, Andreas and I are accompanied by Frank and Axel.

Click here for a map with the route of the day

Karte 2024_06_27

Hide map
At the Monte Bondone mountain race track at Chalet Rocce Rosse
Nice view
View
The bikes are waiting
Morning coffee
Lunch at a known space
Pasta
Chocolate ice cream with Espresso - quite tasty at this place
Lake Garda
Ferry approaches
Us four on the ferry (Axel, Andreas, Frank, Tom)
Lake Garda
Lake Garda
Afternoon coffee with a view
Lake Garda
Lake Garda
7Passo San Boldo

Our destination today is the Passo San Boldo.
At around 700 metres, the pass is not particularly high, but it is technically interesting and has a history.
The hairpin bends on the southern ramp are all built into the rock. The road was built in just 100 days by the Austro-Hungarian troops during the First World War in order to defeat the Italians. But the Italians won.
On this day, Andreas and I are accompanied by Thomas.

Click here for a map with the route of the day

Karte 2024_06_28

Hide map
We start with Kaiserjägerstraße
Then the SP75 at Grims
Two hairpins inside the mountain
Decoration for Giro d'Italia
Morning coffee on Brocon pass
We have seen this group before on Monte Bondone
Nice views to the valley
Finally a Porsche driver who knows how to corner
Passo San Boldo
Lunch on the pass
The road on the southern ramp is so narrow that traffic lights regulate the traffic and you can only drive in one direction at a time.
This is exactly when the camera's remote control fails. So there are no pictures. But I was already there with Thomas in 2021. The picture shows the southern ramp with the hairpin bends inside the mountain.
Rain approaches ominously
There is a classic car meet on Monte Grappa and we see many classic cars
Classic cars
Afternoon coffee with a view
View into the flats
We observe an interesting glider. A monoplane, high wing with auxiliary engine. Most likely an Aériane SWIFT'light.
Glider
At the end again the SP78 near Castelletto
SP78
SP78
Us three
8Mendel-Rolle-Brocon

I do the last tour with Andreas only.
We head north to the Mendel Pass, then over to the Rolle Pass and back over the Brocon Pass.
It's very warm in the valleys and there's quite a lot of traffic for a Saturday morning.

Click here for a map with the route of the day

Karte 2024_06_29

Hide map
Through the fruit farms in Trentino
Mendel pass
Nice views on our way
Lake Karer See
The cable car is in operation in Cavalese
A big Ferrari parade on our way up Rolle pass
Ferraris
Ferraris
Rolle pass
The financial police practise dropping off and picking up persons.
Rolle pass
Helicopter in front of mountains
Tom and Andreas
Lunch on Brocon pass
Andreas and Tom
Old Ducati, quite similar to a 70er MZ
Old Ducati
Loading in the evening
Andreas gets some cooling
Frank and Peggy too
In the evening, as always, a cheerful get-together. The next morning, almost everyone leaves very early for home. Only Frank and Peggy are able to stay a little longer.
9Summary

Karte 2024_06_italien