A day by bike in Lessinia

(written by Laura Lorenzini, Verona)


As I am trained enough and August heat doesn´t let you breathe, I take my mountain bike and move for a few days to Boscochiesanuova, in Lessinia, to cycle in the fresh mountains.

Only 40 minutes by car from Verona it is still possible to find an uncontaminated place, full of farms, grazes, a few stone houses and a lot of silence.
The Veronese mountain, inhabited back in the ages from the German originated Cimbri people, offers lots of routes by bike.
In August I did a very nice day excursion, adapted for cyclists with some training, which offers an amazing 360 degrees panorama, between big mountains and Lake Garda: the Boscochiesanuova-Castelberto route.

From the Bosco main square you have to take the road to Erbezzo, from which, at 1.100 metres on sea level, you can see the Corno d’Aquilio Mountain and Sant’Anna d’Alfaedo village. At this point there are still around 12 kilometres to go till the top, between cows and nuts trees.
In the last part there is a plateau from where you can spot the amazing Dolomites of Trento and the Padan Valley on the other side.
Finally you get to Malga Lessinia, where you can enjoy the typical ¨Gnocchi¨, made of white flour, and polenta with deer meat.
Back to our bikes, follow the direction to Castelberto, from where you can spot the whole Adige Valley.
The return way, passing by Podesteria, is nice, almost all downhill till Boscochiesanuova.
This excursion has around 50 kilometres in total, it is worth doing it slowly, enjoying the fresh air, the silence, the great panorama and the Malga Lessinia food.
Enjoy it
Laura

Skiing in the Dolomites: the SELLA RONDA tour

Reinhold Messner once said that "the Dolomites are the most beautiful mountains in the world".
This is more than true for me as my passion for these mountains is fired up every time I return.
Since the age of 5 I have been going to these incredible mountains and their breathtaking beauty never ceases to astound me.
For me I still remember the unforgettable panorama which takes place every sunset, when these incredible mountains are tinged with an intense red colour, which slowly turns violet.
This display of such intense and vivid colours occurs because the Dolomite stone is calcareous, full of calcium carbonate and magnesium, slowly created by erosion for thousands of years.



There are some fantastic areas to go skiing in the Dolomites.
Today we'll concentrate on the Sella mountain range, which for lots of skiers is the soul and Mecca of the Alps.
On the geographical border between the Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige regions, and at the same time between Italy and Austria, this place is just out of this world, and has a strong identity which mixes classical Italian elegance with the simple life of the mountain inhabitants.

Here, amongst postcard sceneries, picturesque chalets, baroque churches, and an agricultural economy, live the Ladins, an authentic cultural and linguistic minority recognized by the European Union. In this context lies the "Sella Ronda", which means a trip around the huge Sella mountain.
Skiing between incredible rocky cliffs more than 10.000 feet high, with conveniently connected ski tracks, woods and virgin snow, it is possible to ski the Sella Ronda clockwise or anticlockwise in one day.

By car, it’s very simple to get to any of the four starting points: Corvara, Arabba, Canazei and Selva.
The ski route is around 25 miles, you need to be a bit fit but the tracks are not very difficult, let's say suitable for average skiers.
It's best to start skiing before 10 a.m., as it's very important to reach the last peak before 15.30 in order to avoid finding the uphill transport closed. In this case it would be a problem to get back to your car.
Anyway, the skiing net time is about two hours, which means you have time to rest, enjoy the panorama and feast away to your heart's content on typical Tirol cuisine including my favourite dessert, the Apfelstrudel, puff pastry with apples and cinnamon. Delicious, especially with a shot of grappa from Veneto, and afterwards you'll be skiing even better than the historical skier Alberto Tomba!!!

You can do the Sella Ronda again another day or if you fancy skiing somewhere different in the Dolomites area, there are two more options which are absolutely amazing as well: the Marmolada Glacier, with its 10.964 feet, and Cortina, famous for its 1956 Winter Olympic Games.
It's best to buy the Dolomiti Superski, a worthwhile and not too expensive skipass solution.
For information on combining winter sports with great family lodgings and what to do in the Dolomites you can contact us. We'll be more than happy to help you make this trip an unforgettable adventure!!
Come on, this season is full of snow!
Ciao
Sergio
italianfeelings