High Alpine Tour - HAT2602
🇬🇧 Munich on Foot – The Warm-Up Before Our Alpine Motorcycle Tour Before the engines of our Alpine Motorcycle Tour even had a chance to roar to life, Gerald was already leading the way – just without motorcycles for the moment. Together with his two guests, Rod and Urs, he took the train from Erding straight into the heart of Munich. The sightseeing adventure began at the Isartor with one of Munich’s more unusual attractions: the clock running backwards in honor of legendary comedian Karl Valentin – perhaps the perfect reminder that in Bavaria, things occasionally work a little differently! From there, Gerald guided his small but determined group past the Old and New Town Halls, including the famous Glockenspiel, and on to the Viktualienmarkt. Being Sunday, however, much of the market was closed and unusually peaceful. Fortunately, Bavaria’s essential food supply was still functioning perfectly: it was time for a second breakfast of Weißwurst, sweet mustard and beer in a beer garden. After all, every experienced motorcycle traveler knows that climbing church towers on an empty stomach is simply irresponsible! Properly fueled, the trio climbed the tower of St. Peter’s Church, earning a fantastic view across Munich – one stair at a time. Back at street level, Gerald’s cultural endurance test continued with St. Michael’s Church, the Frauenkirche, Bayerischer Hof, Fünf Höfe, the Hofgarten and the Munich Residenz. By this point, Rod and Urs may have started wondering whether they had signed up for a motorcycle tour or accidentally booked a hiking holiday. But Gerald had saved the perfect finale: Munich’s legendary Hofbräuhaus! Thanks to the ambitious sightseeing schedule, lunch arrived rather later than planned, but in true Bavarian surroundings it was well worth the wait – and by then everyone had learned an important lesson: sightseeing creates a remarkable appetite and an equally impressive thirst. Afterwards, the train carried the trio back to Erding, bringing a fun, cultural and unexpectedly athletic day to an end. Rod and Urs are now perfectly warmed up for the adventure ahead – and there is just one piece of good news for their tired legs: from now on, the kilometers will finally be covered on two wheels instead of two feet!
First day on the motorcycle and setting off for the Alps: long, winding roads snake their way over the hills to Lake Chiemsee. We stop to stretch our legs and have a coffee at Bavaria’s largest lake. Not far from there, we cross the border into Austria; the peaks of the Alps tower above us, heightening our anticipation for the mountain passes we’re about to tackle. For lunch, we stop at another lake, where we discover that there are no small portions here—not even for salads. I figure sharing meals is a good option from now on, since we want to focus on the ride. Finally, we reached the highlight of our day, the Großglockner High Alpine Road, and yes, we had a blast even if the sky did cloud over a bit, we’re here more for the ride than for the view. Tony reminisced a bit and returned to the roads where his Alpine adventure began in 1997, when he completed this tour for the first time. At the end of the day, we celebrated the tour in a small alleyway, which was prettily decorated with laundry hanging out to dry in true Italian style, with a good drink in hand. Cheers!
🇬🇧 Day 2 – Sunshine, Mountain Passes, a Picnic and the Great Rain Battle to Bolzano On the second day of our motorcycle adventure, Tour Guide Gerald led his 12 guests on 10 motorcycles from Lienz straight into the spectacular mountain world of the Dolomites. The ladies enjoyed the journey as passengers, taking in the scenery from the back seats while the riders up front concentrated on the serious business of cornering. The route followed the beautiful Pustertal High Alpine Road before crossing the border into Italy and climbing up to picturesque Lake Misurina. The weather was still behaving perfectly, spirits were high, and during a relaxed coffee stop everyone could happily believe that the sunshine would surely stay with us all day. A wonderfully optimistic thought! From Misurina, we continued over Passo Tre Croci, through the busy streets of Cortina d’Ampezzo and up toward Passo Falzarego. That was exactly where the weather gods decided our ride needed a little more excitement: the first raindrops arrived, transforming our pleasant Dolomites tour into a proper Alpine motorcycle adventure. But anyone who knows the Alps knows that the weather can change faster than a rider can change gloves. By the time we reached Passo Valparola, the sunshine had returned – and something even better was waiting for us: a fantastic picnic of local specialties, lovingly prepared by Claudia. Surrounded by magnificent mountain scenery, everything tasted twice as good, and the rain at Falzarego was quickly forgotten. From there, we continued toward Passo Gardena, followed by a well-deserved coffee stop on the descent with breathtaking views of the Sella Group and Sassolungo. Sunshine, spectacular mountains and coffee – surely the perfect ending to a great riding day? Not quite! The Alps had saved one final surprise for us: pouring rain! The remaining kilometers to Bolzano became less of a scenic ride and more of an enthusiastic field test for waterproof motorcycle gear. Eventually, everyone arrived safely – and considerably more water-washed than in the morning – at the Magdalener Hof in Bolzano. The final score: ten motorcycles, twelve guests, countless curves, sunshine, rain, one fantastic picnic and plenty of great memories – proving once again that a perfect motorcycle day doesn’t require perfect weather, just the right group of people!
🇬🇧 160 Kilometers, Four Motorcycles and Plenty of Curves Under perfect blue skies and ideal riding conditions, the three riders Benjamin, Rad and Urs, together with Tour Guide Gerald, set off from the Magdalenerhof in Bolzano for a short but perfectly formed 160-kilometer ride through South Tyrol – although with this many curves, “short” is definitely a matter of opinion! The route first climbed the fantastic roads of Passo Mendola and continued up to Monte Penegal, where a well-earned coffee break came with spectacular views – because, as every experienced rider knows, motorcycles may run on fuel, but riders run on coffee. From there, the group continued to Castel Katzenzungen, a place with a name almost as entertaining as the roads leading to it, followed by a relaxed lunch nearby. Properly refueled, both riders and machines headed back into the mountains, enjoying beautiful winding roads toward Klobenstein – following Gerald’s simple navigation rule: if there is a straight road and a twisty one, always choose the twisty one! After around 160 kilometers, countless bends, plenty of sunshine and big smiles inside the helmets, the four riders returned happily to the Magdalenerhof.
Since five members of our group decided to ride on their own and three chose the shorter route, only two riders remained for the long tour: Kuty, Chris, and me (Claudia). With six mountain passes and 260 km of endless curves and hairpin turns ahead of us, we set off at 8 am to beat the traffic. Our first pass, the Lavazè, took us deeper into the heart of the Dolomites. At the second pass, the Passo Rolle, we took our first break and enjoyed a real Italian coffee while admiring the view of the mountains. Since we were only a small group, we could stop whenever we wanted, which made it easy for us to take plenty of photos and enjoy the spectacular scenery to the fullest. We stopped for lunch at the Passo Duran, but unfortunately, a road closure prevented us from continuing on our planned route. The upside was that we were able to drive along the narrow, winding road one more time before taking a short detour to the Passo Fedaia, where we stopped for another photo session. Our last pass of the day was the Passo di Costalunga, which took us past the breathtaking turquoise waters of Lake Carezza. While the temperatures in the Dolomites were pleasant, they rose noticeably as we descended into the valleys toward Bolzano. Fortunately, a refreshing dip in the pool at our beautiful hotel awaited us as the perfect end to the day. The self guided riders made things even more interesting, Tony and Essam had to rely on an old-fashioned paper map for part of their self-guided tour after their GPS stopped working. Fortunately, they found their way, proving that sometimes the best navigation tool is the one that never runs out of battery.
🇬🇧 Day 4 – Hairpins, Sausages and Alpine Dream Roads Under perfect riding weather, our group left Bolzano for a day packed with everything a motorcyclist could wish for: sunshine, spectacular Alpine passes and more curves than anyone could possibly count. The first stop was the beautiful medieval town of Glurns, where a relaxed coffee provided the necessary energy for the big challenge ahead: the legendary Stelvio Pass! Hairpin after hairpin, the motorcycles climbed higher and higher, and somewhere around what felt like the hundredth switchback, everyone understood why Stelvio is both loved and feared by riders from all over the world. At the top, the perfect reward was waiting at Bruno’s sausage stand – a proper biker lunch at high altitude. One thing is certain: a sausage tastes at least twice as good after conquering the Stelvio! From there, the route descended toward Bormio, but there was no time to relax for long because the next adventure was already waiting: the spectacular Gavia Pass. Narrow, wild and breathtakingly beautiful, it offered scenery that constantly tempted you to look around – while the road itself strongly suggested that looking straight ahead might be the healthier option! At the foot of the Gavia, a well-earned coffee break gave everyone a chance to recharge before continuing over Passo dell’Aprica toward the Swiss border. After crossing into Switzerland, the magnificent Bernina Pass welcomed the group with yet another spectacular Alpine landscape. Glaciers, crystal-clear lakes and towering mountain peaks surrounded the riders on one of the most scenic roads in the Alps. Even after a full day of twists and turns, nobody seemed to have had enough—in fact, the smiles inside the helmets only grew wider with every kilometer. By the time the group rolled into Pontresina, everyone agreed it had been another unforgettable day on two wheels. Four legendary mountain passes, endless curves, breathtaking scenery, Bruno’s famous sausage and plenty of laughter had combined to create another highlight of the tour. Anyone who still believes motorcycling is just a hobby has clearly never ridden through the Alps.
Today we’re tackling the last mountain passes in the Alps and leaving Switzerland via the picturesque Albula Pass - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - on our way to Austria. While there aren’t many switchbacks, the route is quieter, and you get to experience the Alps in a more rugged way. Anderson and Fabio walked all the way up to the Swiss flags to hoist the flag of their Brazilian motorcycle club there. We really appreciate our tail-end rider, Urs, and his “Bumble Bee,” who’s got our backs almost every day on this tour. After riding down the narrow road, we pass through Chur and have lunch in Heididorf the village of Heidi from the world-famous novel, which has been translated into over 70 languages. Shortly afterward, we cross the border into Liechtenstein, which is really just a sign, as is typical for European border crossings, but since this is one of the smallest countries in the world, it’s worth a stop; and just 25 km later, we’ve left this tiny country behind and arrived in Austria. In Feldkirch, we hit a small traffic jam and have to take a slight detour before reaching one of our last mountain passes of the day, the Furkajoch. I let part of the group ride ahead on their own to the summit, where we then meet up for coffee. We enjoyed the breathtaking view at the meeting spot for motorcyclists. It wasn’t far from there to our lovely hotel in Warth, and since letting my participants ride freely had worked out so well, half the group continued on without a leader to our gas station; from there, Urs took the lead to guide the group to the hotel, while I rode ahead to photograph the famous Hochtannberg Pass curve a bridge jutting out from the mountain. At our hotel, Gerald was waiting for us with cold beers - what a lovely surprise. And we even had enough time to enjoy the pool before dinner.
🇬🇧 Day 6 – The Final Ride: Castles, Curves and a Farewell Full of Smiles The final riding day began in Warth under perfect blue skies, as if the Alps had decided to give the group one last spectacular farewell. Riding through Reutte toward Füssen, the first highlight was an essential photo stop at the fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle. After a relaxed coffee break, the journey continued along the beautiful shores of Lake Starnberg, where the sparkling water almost competed with the polished motorcycles for attention. Lunch was enjoyed in a traditional Bavarian inn, where conversations revolved around the best mountain passes, the funniest moments of the week and, naturally, everyone's version of the "perfectly ridden" hairpin—stories that somehow became just a little more impressive every time they were told. By the afternoon, the group rolled back into Erding, bringing six unforgettable riding days to an end, even though the memories were only just beginning. The evening concluded with a wonderful farewell dinner, where everyone gathered once more to celebrate an unforgettable journey. Tour Guide Claudia and Gerald looked back with a smile on countless curves, legendary Alpine passes, breathtaking scenery, excellent food, endless cups of coffee and even more laughter. It became obvious that a motorcycle tour is never just about the distance covered—it is about the people you meet, the friendships that grow and the memories created along the way. Between shared stories, playful teasing about missed apexes, perfectly mastered hairpins and the inevitable jokes about Alpine weather, the evening passed far too quickly. As everyone said their goodbyes, there was one thought shared by all: this tour may have reached its destination, but the excitement for the next adventure had already started.