JUNE 13 TO JUNE 27, 2023

The quiet voice of nature welcomes you from the hills. Here you can hear the birds sing and the wind play among the trees. You can hear yourself breath, your footsteps on the grass, the ice cubes clinking in your glass. In this oasis of peace, in the green Costermano countryside, you can rediscover wellness at the Boffenigo Panorama & Experience Hotel.

BELOW IS A SAMPLE ITINERARY AND MAY VARY FROM OUR ACTUAL TRIP.

DAY 3 & 4 – Lago d’Iseo

Our destination is situated at the lower end of Val Camonica, which is flanked by the Adamello group (3539m) and Punta San Matteo (3678m).  Our ride today takes us over the ridge separating the lakes.  The road becomes tinier and tinier as we climb above unheralded ski stations and finally reach Passo di Croce Domini, where we begin a rim searing descent to Val Camonica.  We arrive at the base of a medieval fortress before a relaxing ride downstream to Lago d’Iseo.  The valley has over 300,000 petroglyphs depicting the 8,000 year history of the early Camunni inhabitants dating to Paleolithic and Neolithic origins.  We will enjoy a two night stay on the lake shore.

DAY 6 – Passo San Marco

Not exactly a household name in cycling , but this climb has been used in the Giro many times. We will all havce to scale it’s 5000 foot slope but it will be our only climb of the day. At the top is an incredible lunch spot to refuel at and then a screaming downhill to our hotel for the night.

DAY 9, 10 – Bormio

Stelvio National Park is the largest not only among the historical Italian parks, but also within the whole Alpine chain. It stretches in the heart of the Central Alps and includes characteristic valleys shaped by the action of ice and water flowing down from the imposing massif of the Ortles-Cevedale group. Majestic ridges, luxuriant forests, high mountain green grasslands crossed by foaming streams springing from perennial glaciers form the Park landscape. Many rare animal and plant species live in wide ecosystems present in this territory thanks to its remarkable differences in height and to its morphological variety. The landscape is scattered with villages and “masi” at the bottom of the valleys and on the mountain slopes: charming evidence generations of rural and religious architecture in harmony with the surrounding environment. This is our “playground” for the next two days and nights. Iconic images of serpentine roads become our reality as we climb the numerous mountain passes right outside our hotel doors.  Passo dello Stelvio, Passo del Gavia, Passo dell’Umbrail, Passo del Foscagno, Passo d’Eira, Passo del Bernina and Passo del Mortirolo are among our choices.

DAY 12 –Torbole

Nearing the finish of our amazing Lakes and Glaciers tour of Lombardy we enter the Alto-Adige/Trentino region of Northern Italy.   Cycling thru apple orchards toward Mezzocorona (location of our favorite winery-diVescovi/Ulzbach) we set our sights on the Brenta Dolomiti.  We leave the val di Non and climb yet another unheralded pass, the Sella di Andalo, on the way to cycling along the shore of Lago di Molveno.    We descend along the Fiume Sarca (river) on quiet roads and a very special cycleroute created from the old roads that once linked the Sarca and Chiese drainages as we pass beneath towering rock walls that define the northern reaches of Lago di Garda.   We wind down following quiet roads to the shore of Lago di Garda where we will stay for three nights. This will allow us ample opportunity to explore a small portion of the nearly 1000km of fantastic riding available. Our hotel is strategically located in a quiet corner of the lakeside town of Torbole so we can relax at the end of each day.

DAY 14 – Lago del Garda: Costermano

This day’s ride follows along on roads where time seems to have stood still. We will climb up the backside of the mountains forming the eastern border of Lago di Garda. Tiny roads dissect verdant pastures and snake along the edge of cliffs as we leave behind the lakeshore to traverse the long ridge separating Lago di Garda from the Alta-Adige valley. We will emerge from the mountains with a descent to the Valpolicella wine region as we return to our tranquil hotel overlooking the southern shores of Lago di Garda.  Disassembly and packing of bikes before a relaxing swim in the pool and aperol spritzes seems an appropriate conclusion to our two weeks bicycling the Lombardy Alps: Lakes & Alps Classic Climbs tour.  Dinner will be memorable as we watch the sunset while dining on the terrace above the lake.