2003  

Across the Alps

Our Alpine Route

June & July, 2003

The Amstutz Family hit the road once again... This time we cycled about 1,300 kilometers around the mountains of Europe.

With our 2 young daughters riding along in their Burley bike trailer, our plan was to cycle across the Alps... Twice!  Our route was determined by several factors.  We had to do the "Piotta to Piota" ride from Switzerland into Italy, due to family history. We also had relatives planning to meet up with us in Genova, Florence, and Venice.  Both Karen & Paul have always wanted to see the Dolomites. And, perhaps most critical, 5 year old Eliza has been fantasizing about visiting Salzburg ever since she first saw the Sound of Music.

Looking on a map, this list creates a semi-circle with Munich in the opening.  We flew roundtrip to/from there, and figured out the rest as we went.

Our actual route was as follows:

Flew to Munich. Train to Bern, Switzerland.

Switzerland:  Bern > Interlaken > Lauterbrunnen> over the Grimsel and Nufenen Passes > Piotta > Locarno > Lago Maggiore.

Italy: Lago di Orta > Casale Monferrato > Nizza > Aqui Terme > Ovada > Piota River > Genoa.  By train to Florence and Venice. Back on bikes to Bolzano > Gardena and Falzarego Passes > Cortina > Lago Misurina > Dobbiaco.

Austria: Lienz > Bischofshofen > Schladming > Bad Mitterndorf > Hallstatt > Salzburg.

Germany: Konigsee > Aschau am Chiemsee > Wolfratshausen > Munich! 

We had almost 8 weeks to complete the journey, which allowed plenty of time for taking it slowly over those high passes!  We also rode quite a few trains in order to arrive on-time to pre-arranged meeting points with friends and family!  Our kids had been anticipating this trip for over a year (and are much larger now), and we wanted it to be as fun as possible for them... therefore we often opted for shorter leisurely riding days (with lots of play-parks and gelato breaks), and a train now and then to "catch up."

Overall?  An awesome journey!!!!  Physically & mentally challenging, phenomenally scenic, great food & drink, and a total immersion in our own cultural heritage...  "When can we move to the Alps," Eliza asks!  It just may happen someday.