Brad Hepler's bike travelogue

Zillertal trail (bikepacking.com)

Featuring three breathtaking passes, the Zillertal Trail connects the Italian and Austrian sides of the Zillertal Alps in a challenging and rewarding loop. Riders will pedal a diverse mix of trails, enjoy Austrian and Italian cuisine, experience the rugged natural environment, and see two distinct sides of the range, each with its unique history and people...

The Zillertal Trail is a 177-kilometer bikepacking loop through the Italian and Austrian Alps. This route guides those brave enough to ride over three spectacular passes in the Central Eastern Alps. It’s a loop that starts and finishes in Brunico, right by the train station to allow for an easy connection. You’ll find that it stitches a lot of popular and lesser-known cycling sections together into a single route that can usually be completed in three to five days. The natural environment along this track is alpine at higher elevations, with colorful flowers, glacial lakes, and perhaps even snow-capped peaks. The valleys are lush and green, with good infrastructure available to offer accommodation or a taste of local cuisine.

The Zillertal Trail provides a looped adventure over passes that can only be crossed by bicycle or on foot, just north of the well-known Dolomites of Italy. It contains traces of old border posts with Austria, impeccable vistas from each pass, and resource-rich valleys to help you on your way before every climb. The region it crosses in Italy is called Südtirol, an area that was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire but was annexed to Italy in 1919 at the end of World War I. This fusion of cultures provides an interesting historic background, as well as a mixture of food that’s very nicely catered to bikepackers’ wishes: rich Austrian bakery treats but also pizza, pasta, and gelato.

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Routing on short steep segments

Hi Richard, I think the routing is 99% perfect so that just leaves 1% to kvetch about 😄

I found that I was routed on this short, very steep stretch instead of either of the longer, shallower alternatives (which I don’t think are “busy roads”). Even with MTB gearing and no luggage, I had to push.

Is this down to map resolution limitations or is it a conscious choice to prefer a shorter segment? I humbly propose that this steepness of road should be avoided — even for a 500 meter segment. 😁

Comments (2)

Elevation profile glitch on website

Hi, on this route which includes “direct” routing between two points (cable car), the elevation profile has a very long perfectly flat section — improbable in the Alps 😉 . The length of the flat section is much longer than the length of the “direct” segment.
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/495502

The iOS app displays the elevation profile correctly (I think)