Alpine Bike
Overview
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Distance 33 km
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Ascent 540 m
Intro
Zippy forest trail out of the valley, testing ascent at Sur, quiet section along the Roman Septimer route on a terrace high above the valley floor, excellent single trail with spectacular views.
Description
Bivio, the highest village in the Val Surses, is also the only Italian-speaking municipality north of the Alpine watershed. You cycle briefly along the Gelgia (Julia) river before the path branches slightly upwards into the forest. Continuing on a gravel road, you reach Marmorera, which was newly built in 1960 after the historic village was flooded in 1954 to build the current reservoir. The old village is now located at the bottom of the Lai de Marmorera, so the shimmering blue lake is an interesting place to dive.
Past the dam, you continue downwards to Cresta, Rona and Savognin. The last of these is in the middle of Ela Park, Switzerland’s largest regional nature park. The magnificent mountain backdrop, golden larches in the autumn, high plateaus such as Alp Flix and precious moorlands here are all impressive. The restaurant and the Lai Barnagn swimming area as you leave the village are the perfect spot to take a break.
You descend slightly to the next village, Salouf, passing Riom and its castle, a real eye-catcher which is under a conservation order. The rectangular complex, with its narrow tower and tent roof, is reminiscent of a fortress church. It also houses the highest colony of western jackdaws in Europe.
This is followed by your last descent to Tiefencastel. From a distance, slightly above the village of Brienz, you can see a huge scree slope. The mountainside is unstable, and there was a risk of a rockslide for years. The village was first evacuated for a longer period for this reason in spring 2023, and a huge mass of rock ultimately thundered down the mountain in June.
Shortly afterwards, you reach the end of this stage, in Tiefencastel. The municipality, which is also known as Casti, is at the intersection between Albula and the Julier Pass and not far from Lenzerheide.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Bivio
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Tiefencastel
|
| Direction |
One way
|
| Ascent |
540 m
|
| Descent |
1450 m
|
| Distance |
33 km
|
| Distance on tarred ways |
14 km
|
| Distance on natural surface |
14 km
|
| Singletrail (part of natural surface) |
5 km
|
| Technical requirements |
Medium
|
| Physical requirements |
Easy
|
| Theme |
Through a nature conservation area
|
Quick Facts
Route number
