This is the day we leave the Italian province of South Tyrol and the German speakers.
We’re still going downhill, but at an ever-slower rate. On this 60ish-mile day from Bolzano to Rovereto, we will lose about 60 meters in elevation, as much as we did over the 24ish miles between Merano and Bolzano.
We’re also still seeing apple orchards, though the number of vineyards is increasing as we near Trento, the capital of Trentino.
And yes, we are still on a paved bike path. I’m just amazed. True, we now need to pay more attention to signs because we are crossing back and forth over the Adige river. And it’s more out in the open, atop the embankment that keeps the river in check, rather than in the shade. Every once in a while the path is really a small road we briefly share with maintenance vehicles or local traffic, supposedly going no more than 30 km/20 mph.
When we reach the province of Trentino, it announces that we’re on Eurovelo 7. Eurovelo is a network of long-distance cyce routes traversing Europe. Admittedly some routes and some sections are more developed that others (see my experience on a small piece of Eurovelo 8 in 2022). This one is the Sun Route, which goes from the northern tip of Finland by the Arctic Circle all the way to Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean about 7,700 km (around 4,750 miles) away. We actually picked it up in Bolzano, but maybe South Tyrol is less excited about broacasting the European element? Or it has other rules about signs?
Still — who knew that Italy had such a long and lovely bike path? We’re already over 120 miles, and there’s still another day to go. And why is it so hard to have something like this in the U.S.?
We detour into a village for a coffee break. Head for the church — you’ll probably find a bar (cafe to us) near there. This one looks like the town social spot, especially for the seniors. I try evesdropping, but no one bites when one person asks about the upcoming regional election. Who they vote for is a secret, they say.
We see signs for more bike loops, like the one heading around a lake by Caldaro/Kaltern. But we’ve decided to push for Rovereto over Trento. When the trail leaves the river to take us around a nature reserve, we “grumble” over a modest climb along another river. Isn’t this ride supposed to be downhill? We’re now in a town, so as good a reason as any to stop for lunch. Because for better or worse, this bike path generally doesn’t take us into the heart of a town, inviting us to take a break and spend some money.
Oh no, the bike trail is closed! (Chiusa = closed in Italian for feminine words like pista. Chiuso for male words.) But the detour is signposted. Thank you! We just follow the gold arrows, even if it does mean we have to briefly bike on the road. The trail section is supposed to reopen later in October, so I bet you’ll be fine.
And then there’s another food stop catering to cyclists. We’ve seen more of these bici bars/bici grills/bici breaks ever since that one between Malles/Mals and Merano/Meran a few days earlier. Bet you’d find that apres-ski vibe at this one on a hot summer afternoon. But on a weekday in October, it’s pretty quiet.
Time to turn on directions as we approach Rovereto, a quiet town of about 40,000. We’ve opted for a hostel again. I wanted a place at a winery several miles down the road, but a shared bathroom was the dealbreaker.
We spot another public (and free) e-bike charger as we wander around Rovereto. Another sign that e-bikes are taking over in Europe.
Check out this pizza with that mozzarella di bufala in the center, ready to spill onto the toppings:
Yes, the waiters spoke English. So did the hostel staff.
Practical stuff
-The hostel in Rovereto offers a free Trentino Guest Card on request, which would let us use public transportation for free and give us free admission to the modern art museum in town, among other attractions.
-We find yet more variations on the bike path signs. I’m guessing Route 1 is from Brenner all the way to the border with Trentino, and Route 2 from Resia/Reschen merges into it at Bolzano. In Trentino, the name changes to Ciclovia Adige or the Val d’Adige. As long as there is a bike symbol and perhaps a major city in the direction you’re headed, all is good…
Exploring by bicycle 
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