EASTERN ALPS RIDING TOUR FROM SWITZERLAND, SLOVENIA TO ITALY
This motorcycle tour starting from Switzerland to the Adriatic Sea will cross the Eastern Alps following some of the most beautiful roads where you can ride your bike. The trip has three starting points which are Zurich, Bern, and Lugano, while the arrival point is located at Miramare Castle, Trieste, Italy one of the most charming residences on the Italian Adriatic coast. The castle built by Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg stands on the promontory of Grignano, a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea. It is surrounded by a 22-acre beautiful garden featuring among other, rare plants, ponds, and sculptures.
The first pass of this motorcycle ride through the Eastern Alps will be San Bernardino Pass. The 33 km long road that climbs San Bernardino 2,066 m.a.s.l. features many curves, bends, and hairpin turns while crossing amazing Alpine landscapes, vast coniferous forests, beautiful mountain lakes, and thundering waterfalls. A short detour in Italy through Splügen Pass and here you are again in Switzerland facing with your two-wheeler the bends of Maloja Pass, Julier Pass, and Albula Pass. These scenic roads crossing the three Alpine passes offer a pleasant riding. The next one will be Bernina Pass, the road is only 17 km long, but the views around are unforgettable.
Livigno Pass will take you back to Italy and after passing Foscagno Pass, you will get to the heart-stopping switchbacks, hairpins, and bends of the road while climbing the "king of the Alps", the great Stelvio Pass 2,757 m. above sea level!
This 49 km long road is also called by the motorcyclists of all time the "Queen of the Alpine roads" features 42 hairpin bends on the Western slope and 48 hairpin bends in the South Tyrolean side. Beyond the uniqueness of this fantastic road, you will as well enjoy beautiful panoramas all around you while riding your motorbike!
Now, it is time to face another three famous Alpine passes: Gampen Pass, Niger Pass, and Mendel Pass. Here you can stop and visit the noble residences where Sissi, the Empress Elizabeth of Austria and Hungary, used to spend her holidays.
It is here, where you will enter the great Dolomites! This Italian area between Trentino and Veneto is considered by many to be the most scenic region in the world. In addition to the breathtaking views, motorcyclists find here some of the most legendary passes of the whole Alpine arc, such as Giau Pass, Pordoi Pass, Sella Pass, Gardena Pass, and Campolongo Pass.
After you have done with this super-fantastic Italian roads and crossed Tre Croci Pass too, you are about to leave Italy and enter Austria where you can enjoy the two legendary motorcycle roads: the Großglockner Road (Großglockner Hochalpenstraße) and the Nockalm Road (Nockalmstraße).
Großglockner Road crosses mountains with impressive glaciers, just have a stop at Edelweissspitze (2572 m.a.s.l.) where you can enjoy superb views over them. The second one, Nockalm Road, winds up and down by many curves and 52 hairpin bends surrounded by the largest pine forest in the Eastern Alps.
Now you will enter Slovenia and point your motorcycle to the hairpin bends of the road that crosses Vršič Pass first, it is an amazing pass but, pay attention to the road bottom it is made of porphyry cubes that can become slippery, and then Mangart Pass. The road to this pass is surrounded by impressive wild landscapes.
From Slovenia, this motorcycle trip will turn back to Italy and finally reach Miramare Castle near Trieste, the arrival point of this tour.
