Arriving in Dobbiaco is like arriving in a new country. Although technically part of Italy, it feels, looks and sounds much more like Austria. The architecture has changed, as well as the dominant language and culture. According to the last census, almost 85% of the population speaks German as their primary language.
And, of course, it was once part of Austria. Dobbiaco is in the Alto Adige region, also known as South Tyrol. It’s the northernmost province in Italy, and belonged to Austria until 1918, when it was ceded to Italy at the closure of the First World War as repayment for Italy’s agreement to enter the war on the side of the Allies. Today, the region is granted a large degree of regional independence to minimize tensions over its identity and historical association with North Tyrol, its neighboring province in Austria.
Prior to 1918, the Italian/Austrian border ran through the Tre Cime. So it’s no wonder that it feeels like we’ve landed in a new country after coasting down from those awesome peaks.
We’re staying in Dobbiaco for three nights, at Hotel Rosengarten. We’re here largely for sentimental reasons - it’s the same hotel we stayed at in 2010 when we were here on a skiing vacation. We have very warm memories of staying here, skiing right from the hotel, and returning at night to a delicious five course dinner.
Today it feels very much like it did then: there’s a rose on the bed when we arrive; the hotel is still run by Alexander, who looks still youthful but a bit older; the waitresses wear dirndls; and we are presented with the evening menu at breakfast so we can choose between the two main course options. It’s changing though. It is encased in scaffolding, and Alexander says it will close for the season next week so that major renovations and modernization can occur before reopening for the ski season. He says that we are the last guests staying in this room, and next year it will look much different.
Hotel Rosengarten, poised for a facelift. In the winter, the skiing begins in the broad field across the road.
Dobbiaco sits at the high point in the long, east/west Puster Valley. It’s at the watershed - to the east the Drau River runs to Lienz and eventually on to Slovenia; and to the west the Rienz flows to Bressanone and eventually merges into the Adige River. For today’s ride, we’ve chosen an out and back to the northwest. For the first ten miles we follow the Dobbiaco-Brunico bike path west down the Rienz, at first little more than a stream, until reaching the Anterselva valley. This is really beautiful country, and so different from where we were just a day or two ago. We’ll revisit this route when we finally leave Dobbiaco, and continue on downriver to Brunico and then Bressanone. We find the bike route easy to follow, well marked and quiet. A substantial portion of it is unpaved, but its hard, clayish surface is easy to cycle on with our wider 1-1/2” tires.
I really like Dobbiaco’s distinctive green Catholic Church. It’s an unusual color, and the only church like this I’m aware of. Among other things, it’s a nice beacon - you can recognize Dobbiaco from a long ways off.
The Anterselva, one of the tributaries of the Rienz, flows south from its origins in the High Tauren Range for about twenty miles before emptying into the Rienz. The road we follow runs up the valley along the river, eventually topping out at Staller Saddle, a high pass on the Austrian Italian border. We ride up it toward the mountains for as long as we have time and energy. At first it’s an easy ride that climbs gently through very similar country to what we’ve ridden so far today. After about ten miles though, things get more serious and we’re pushing into another ten percenter.
The pass is too far for us today, or we won’t make it back to the hotel before dark. When we come to a level patch and a lovely alpine lake, we feel like we’ve found the natural place to turn back. Anterselva Lake itself surprises us, because there is significant development alongside it and many people are walking around. It seems so remote for so much activity. Later, we learn that it’s a place of significance. The development is a major biathlon center, and in many years is the venue for the biathlon world championships.
The descent down the Anterselva is a fast, fun glide. The ten miles back to Dobbiaco are taxing though, and I’m pretty well spent b the time we arrive in the village square. I haven’t eaten enough today, and it’s caught up with me. Dinner is only an hour away, but that’s too long. We raid a bakery, and I down a liter of milk and a pastry before we continue on to the hotel.
Looking north toward the Austrian border up the Anterselva Valley.
Anterselva Lake. We didn’t know it at the time, but this is one of the most important biathlon (a winter sport combining Nordic skiing and shooting) venues in the world. In many years the world championships are held here at the large biathlon center by the lake.
