Trail description: way up alongside the church, once you arrived on top, turn right and then take the first trail on the left side. At the junction go straight ahead, and then turn left again. Follow the board “Telefonsteig” (trail n. 521). Return with the Mendel Cable Car. Variation: starting point “C”, valley station of the Mendel cable car: turn right, pass by the church in S. Antonio/St. Anton, continue straight on for about 500 meters, then cross the bridge, turn left once, and immediately after, turn left again. Once on top, as you reached the last houses, follow the sign “Alter Mendelsteig” (trail n. 521 M). On half way this hiking path leads into the “Telefonsteig”-path. NB: this hiking path can also be walked in opposite direction, starting from the Mendel Pass, right behind the Hotel “Kalterer Hof”.

After the ascent from Kaltern – a brief stretch over the Mendelstraße, then on a long gravel path – the pleasant trail finally starts: A gruff, rocky, uphill trail which requires the utmost concentration even for skilled cyclists. Yet after nearly 300 metres this steep channel is over and done with, making bikers take a sharp right onto another path. It’s a narrow, smooth trail, which winds its way through the forest in very tight bends.

This trail flows, as bikers say, and the ride is a smooth ride across the path covered in foliage and featuring tight bends and turns. It’s like going on a roller-coaster, just more beautiful.

After this amazing trail, you’ll reach a gravel path which leads to the Mendel Cable Car tunnel and then merges once again into a trail. It winds its way across the slope, at times flat, at others slightly uphill, until reaching a further gravel path, which leads to the Ziegelstadel and is signposted as the Kaltern alta via. This is where the breathtaking uphill and downhill forest paths start. First you bike on asphalt, later once again on a path below Lake Kaltern, which of course is an open invitation to take a dip during the summer.

After taking a well-deserved swim, the compulsory 180 m elevation gain on the bike path await to take you to Kaltern, where you can end the tour with a glass of wine in the village square.

Alternatives
– Path marking 14: Here you can follow the Mendelstraße and tackle Tours 16 Penegal or 17 Malga Romeno

The Rottenburgerplatz car park is the starting point of the Caldaro Wine Trail. From here head right up Mendelstraße street, then turn left onto the Maria von Mörlweg. Follow this road until it ends, then turn left along the main road, then turn right and follow Europastraße street for a while and turn right onto the Barleiterweg. Follow the no. 12 markers on this trail to Kalterer See lake until arriving at the Barleiterhof farm. Continue following marker 12A to the S. Giuseppe al Lago/St. Josef am See district of Caldaro/Kaltern. Cross over the stream and continue down to the wine road. Turn left and walk along a portion of the main road until you reach a bus stop. Turn right here and follow the road down to the lake. At the car park, head left to the circular route along the lakeside (Seerundweg) on trail no. 3. Follow this trail past the Geier restaurant keeping to trail no. 3, which leads through vineyards back to the starting point in Caldaro. Alternatively, the Wine Trail can also be done by heading to the village of Pianizza di Sopra/Oberplanitzing.

Path description: follow the trail number 500, located right next to the mountain station of the Mendel Cable Car. Pass the alpine hut “Genzianella/Enzianhütte”, then take the trail on the left and follow it until reaching the alpine hut “malga Mezzavia/Halbweghütte”. Continue always straight ahead on the trail n. 500, pass the “malga Romeno/Romeno Alm” and climb up to the peak Roen (2116 meters). Fantastic panoramic view to the Dolomites and the surrounding mountain chains.

Trail description: Starting from the Mendel Cable Car on the Mendel Pass, pass by the former hotel “Kalterer Hof”, then cross the Mendel road and follow the trail number 500 up to the peak Penegal (1.737 meters). Great panoramic view over the Dolomites and the Ortler-mountain chain.

The ascent to the old railway road of the former Fleimstal railway; you tackle around 800 m elevation gain with no more than a 6% incline.

The railroad from Auer to Predazzo was built during WWI by Russian prisoners of war, to bring troupes and material from the Etschtal into the Fleimstal towards the front. After the war, the small railway transported predominantly wood and people, until it was shut down in the 1960s due to inadequate profitability. What remained was the perfectly built and developed railway line, which todays serves as a gravel path called ‘former Fleimstal railway’ or ‘ex ferrovia’. As railways could never overcome more than five to six percent incline, this line is today ideal for bikers: you overcome the elevation gain softly, and so the ascent is pure bliss.

At Kaltenbrunn, you have to leave the railway line and continue uphill for a short stretch on the road to Trodena/Truden. Cross onto the brief, steep, and partially surfaced ramp and continue uphill to the Cisloner Alm.

The downhill stretch on path number 1 requires good technical skills. The route proceeds partially on forest paths covered in leaves, coasting by a scenic post where you can enjoy a nice view across Lake Kaltern to the Mendel and Penegal. Get off the bike and push it for a bit, as the path is partially very steep with tight bends, before you reach smoother forest paths.

Above Egna/Neumarkt you will cross the train line and continue on wide paths into the medieval village of Egna with its historical city centre. Return to Kaltern via bike path – in the afternoon a stronger southern wind blows at times, which makes the ride easier.

Alternatives
At path marking 55 you can follow the railway line and tackle Tour 21 Passo Oclini/Jochgrimm. In Trodena at Path marking 66 you can turn left and head on Tours 14 Kanzel or 20 Corno di Curon.

From the GeoMuseum car park, take trail “W”, the so-called Zirmersteig trail, to the Lahnerwiesen meadows, enjoying impressive views into the Bletterbach gorge along the way. Then cross the Lahnerwiesen meadows on a forest road. Continue along the Zirmersteig trail through the mountain pine undergrowth and scree up the peak of the Weißhorn with its mighty escarpments on the western side. The panoramic view is magnificent! The many peaks of the Dolomites, the Sarntal Alps and the mountains of the Texelgruppe and Brenta ranges are sure to make your heart beat a bit faster!{MQ}After sufficient rest, take the trail to the south down to the Jochgrimm pass. The old no. 7 Jochweg trail leads through gentle mountain pastures back to the starting point.

The way to the Castelchiaro ruins starts directly at the Caldaro lake and leads over the at first quite steep way no. 13 directly up to the ruin. The ruin is secured and can be visited from outside. With paths no. 13 and 13A you finish the circular hike on Monte di Mezzo/Mitterberg and return to the starting point at Caldaro Lake via path no. 13. 

Leuchtenburg/Castelchiaro castle is the ruin of a castle that was built in the 13th century above Kalterer See/Lake Caldaro by the Lords of Rottenburg, in the municipality of Pfatten/Vadena. The fortress was well protected thanks to its position and its striking shield wall. After 1610, Leuchtenburg/Castelchiaro castle remained empty and gradually fell into ruin. Today the ruin is freely accessible, and inside the well-preserved remains of the building, the corridor and the frescoes of the fifteenth century are still visible.