Day 13

August 31, 2021

Meran to Brixen

Today I undid the rest of what I’ve ridden so far, save for the Downhill from Brenner Pass to Brixen. Largely speaking it was everything in reverse with all the uphill in the last 30 miles, all 1,000ft of it.

I was in a foul mood when I started out this morning. The route out of Meran is a cobbled together series of alleys and bits of bike paths with an awful lot of people in a hurry. Very broadly speaking I’ve found Italians to be in as much of a rush as Americans. I was thinking a more laid back culture, but definitely not. They drive their sports cars fast and they ride their ebikes and race bikes fast too. When the path is narrow and takes some very sharp blind corners and you’ve got people coming the other way cutting the corner, it’s unnerving.

Once I escaped Meran it was back along the Etsch on a mostly straight and only very slight downhill to Bozen. The path rarely leaves the river and never goes into any towns. If you want something to eat or a bathroom you’ve got to leave the Radweg and find your way into a town, if you can find a town. Mostly it’s just Apple orchards. Given how wide the plain there is, it’s strange there aren’t more towns. I’m not sure what the reason for that is, but I’m sure there is one. There really wasn’t anything compelling to photograph or do during those 20 miles besides put my head down and ride. I did stop at one point to put more air in my tires to see if that would help me speed up any. It might have helped a little, but fully loaded with slow tires and no desire to pedal hard, it was slow going as usual.

The Rosengarten finally is free of cloud cover

Given how monotonous it was, I managed to get to Bozen around 12:30 or 1pm. I located a grocery store in a weirdly industrial area. It was back in some sort of commercial type market. Very strange, but they did sell premade salad with a little fork and everything. Between that, a mediocre pastry, and some raspberries, I had a relatively healthy lunch. The food did seem to help improve my mood as did leaving Bozen finally behind for good. I still don’t like that place.

Beyond Bozen it was back for the third time to the stretch between Kollmann and Bozen, except this time in the opposite direction. There were a couple views that were new because of the angle including one just outside Bozen that was a trip highlight. It also helps that this section is not part of any major Radwegs which means a lot less traffic on the Radweg. There also aren’t many towns along this section due to the narrow gorge that the Radweg passes through. I suspect most people up on the mountain do not desire to ride down the mountain to ride on the Radweg. After dreaming of remote riding with minimal people, I finally got my wish.

Seriously. It would take guts to mow something this steep

I knew the path would be an uphill grade heading north. While it did gain 1,000ft of elevation, it did so without being mean about it, in stark contrast to the first four miles of the ride to the Reschen See. I don’t mind gaining elevation. I just don’t want to do it all at once! I’d say something interesting happened along the way, but then I’d be lying. Well, it did sprinkle for a bit when I hit the tunnel section of the path. Rather good timing since it doesn’t rain in tunnels. It also was alternately very hot in the sun, or very chilly in the shade. Rather than put on and repeatedly take off my jacket, I just sucked it up and toughed it out. I did stop and patronize the very nice bathroom in the very nice park in Kollmann as well. For such a small town, it’s a pretty swell park. You can find it right across the road from the pink checkerboard castle. And no, I did not just make that up.

The tunnel section. Despite the blue skies, it’s about to start sprinkling.

Covered bridges are surprisingly common her on

Not a covered bridge, but still a bridge nonetheless

The pink checkerboard castle across from the park

Beyond Kollmann it was only my second time through that section. It has its moments. I find the section with the tunnels and the narrower canyon more dramatic, but it is also nice when the valley walls become more gentle and you can spot farms perched up on the steep slopes. Then you can ride along and contemplate how in the world they manage to mow something so steep and, of course, how they manage to get up there in winter.

Once I hit Klausen, I started counting down the miles until the end. Today was my longest ride of the entire trip. I’ve gotten soft with all these shorter rides and even though the scenery between Bozen and Brixen is fairy varied, beyond 40 miles I start getting antsy.

City square in Klausen. I had a delicious piece of cake here.

A new bit of the Dolomites leaking out behind some clouds

The outskirts of Brixen go on forever and, as is often the case, the path takes you through unsightly commercial areas. I am now intimately familiar with the heavy industry of Brixen. Stone work is popular here and actually granite is a prominent industry in this area.

When I last rode through here I did not pop into Brixen given that it was late and I was pushing up against sunset. Turns out Brixen is a charming town with a cozy Altstadt, a couple city gates, and a massive Dom. I think if memory serves this used to be the seat of a bishop or something. That would explain all the churches in Brixen. It has a distinctly Austrian flavor to the buildings, probably because it used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian empire when those buildings were built. The hostel is in a large old building with high ceilings and character, though some of that character has been hidden behind the usual attempts at making the place look hip. My room has a very nice view of the mountains. You would think given the age of the building that the walls and ceilings would be quite thick, but I can very clearly hear someone stomping away the floor above me. This is why I have earplugs with. This hostel also makes the bed for you and offers a dispenser with hand soap in the bathroom. These are rather posh elements for a hostel. By the end of the trip I will have stayed in all of the hostels in South Tyrol. So far Bozen was awful, but Meran was good though slightly dated, and Brixen seems to be quite good as well. So, Bozen, get your act together!

A chapel near the dom. They were just finishing a service and the organ was playing

For supper I ate at a sort of fancy looking restaurant with still not fancy prices. I got a Bergsteiger pizza that had a couple kinds of cheeses, spinach, and a soft boiled egg plopped in the middle. It is exactly as weird as it sounds. I ended up not eating most of the middle of the pizza. I’m not sure what possessed me to order it in the first place.

Tomorrow I head into new territory when I ride to Bruneck. I’m curious to see if the eastern part of South Tyrol is as over touristed as the western portion. I suspect with the Pragser Wildsee and the Drei Zinnen that it will not provide me the wild and remote experience I’m looking for. Rather than spend my last day riding back from Toblach to Brixen I may choose instead to take the train to Brixen and then the train on to München all in one day. Then I’ll have a full day in München to pack up the bike rather than part of an afternoon. But before that happens I still have a week of riding to do and at least I know I can find some remoteness on the great bit of trail between Brixen and Bozen.

Today's ride: 50 miles (80 km)
Total: 398 miles (641 km)

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