Dolomite Domination Overview
- Countries: Germany, Austria, Italy
- Ride Austria's Grossglockner High Alpine Road
- Requires only 7 days away from work
- Add a check to your bucket list—Italy's Stelvio Pass
- Ride over 20 other major mountain passes
- Explore the Italian Dolomites in detail
The Dolomite Domination—a lot of tour in a short time! Over 8 riding days, the Dolomite Domination moves at a pace that is an excellent balance between the sport of motorcycling and the lure of the countryside. The daily route suggestions allow you to dawdle and enjoy a place, or charge and ride every great road available. And it only requires a week, plus a Friday and a Monday, away from work.
Everything about the tour is to the standard of the Classic Alpine Adventure—in other words, excellent! We use the same hotels, ride the same roads, and have the same great adventure—just a little less of it.
Welcome To Bavaria
Beginning and ending in Munich, the first day after arrival is a free day, allowing those who wish to ride the opportunity to do so. Or you may choose to spend time in the city of Munich, visiting the Olympic Park, the BMW Museum, maybe lounging in the Englischer Garten, or poking about the old town.
The view down the Hauptstrasse from the town fountain, Bad Tölz, Germany
Like each free day on a Beach’s tour, rides are suggested for those with a passion for moving! The Bavarian countryside is crisscrossed with lightly trafficked roads. The scenery takes an exciting turn as the Alps come into view, dominating the horizon. The twisty roads in the foothills of the Alps only hint at the adventures to come.
Discover The Austrian Alps
The Alps have been teasing us, adding an unmistakable skyline to the southern horizon during our rides for the past two days. Now it is time to dive into the middle of them and discover what mountain riding is all about!
The mountainsides are dotted with farms and laced with tiny roads connecting them. No one knows these “little white roads” better than Rob Beach, who laid out all the routes for this tour. To follow “Rob’s Roads” on a day’s ride means miles of local roads. And it means finding yourself in places tourists, and often locals, never see.
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road as seen from the Edelweissspitze
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is an iconic mountain pass climbing over 4800 feet to summit at the Edelweißspitze. The views from here are impressive—your camera will be busy!
Explore The Dolomites
The stunning Dolomite mountains are among the highest limestone walls found anywhere in the world.
The view from the patio - lunch on Passo Gardena
The itinerary follows the Dolomites from east to west, allowing enough time to get to know these mountains and roads well.
Better still, a free day right in the middle of the most impressive group of the entire range means that we wake up to an unforgettable view not once, but twice!
High And Wild.
Italy Has Even More To Offer
From the Dolomites we head to Italy’s Valtellina region, known to the Romans as “the territory of the Magnificent Land.” Pliny the Elder visited and wrote about Bormio 2,000 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci did the same 500 years ago, and now it is our turn! This mountainside village features thermal baths and a Medieval old town that is still fascinating.
A stroll around town gives a sense of its history. Surrounded by the steep and beautiful Alps, Bormio abounds with reminders of the ancients; medieval frescoes, ancient carved wooden doors, and rustic fountains that still provide cool, refreshing mountain spring water.
The stunning scenery of the Dolomites make it difficult to concentrate on the ride!
Cross The Mighty Stelvio Pass
Tagged as one of the world’s best roads” by the blokes at Top Gear, the Stelvio Pass generates quite a bit of hype. It is an impressive piece of engineering, and the views from the top are quite special. Better still, the summit arrives at the perfect time to stop for coffee and a bit of “wow, I am really here” realization.
And, just like our visit to the Grossglockner, we overnight on the pass road. That means we have the opportunity to ride it before and after the bulk of the traffic has done there thing. Empty mountain roads are a special part of exploring the Alps!
The following day, a curiosity. Jutting from the middle of the lake near the top of the Reschen pass, a church steeple hints of the village flooded when the lake was dammed. Stop and get the photo—another of the “I was there” images for the scrapbook.
Ludwig’s Castles
The last riding day, already? Let’s make it a good one! Start with some of the best roads in Tyrol—head over the Hahntennjoch. This pass is always impressive, but to head over it first thing in the morning, with the sun at your back and the highlighted scenery all around makes for a very special ride.
The return trip across the same range, following the road up to Berwang is just, ho-hum, more brilliant Alpine riding. You have been able to ride all of this before the weekend mob arrives. Having this great pavement and jaw-dropping scenery all to yourself is the icing on the cake!
The road between Beschlabs and Pfaffler is a favorite of Bavarian and Tyrolian motorcyclists
Before putting the Alps in your rearview mirror, take time to be a tourist. Visit “Mad” King Ludwig’s World famous Neuschwanstein castle, walk the gardens in his “home” castle Linderhof, or visit a 930 year old church. And then, finally, take more “Rob's roads” north to Munich to wrap up this amazing week of adventure.
