If you love mountain biking and dream of riding all the way around a whole Dolomite group, the Dolomiti di Brenta Bike is one of those journeys that stays with you. It is a signed loop that makes the full circle around the Dolomiti di Brenta group, moving from valley to valley, through woods, mountain pastures and gravel roads with the peaks always in front of you. It is not a ride you do in an afternoon: it is a multi-day trip, made for those who are fit and love the good kind of effort that climbing gives. In this guide we explain how it works, what the two versions of the route are, and what you need to know before you set off. We at Italy Holiday have been welcoming guests in these valleys for a long time, and this is the ride we would recommend to a friend who loves bikes.

1. What the Dolomiti di Brenta Bike is

The Dolomiti di Brenta Bike is a mountain bike ring that goes all the way around the Brenta group, in Trentino. It is signed on the ground, so you can follow the markers along the way, and it is ridden in several stages, usually over three days or more. It is not a flat valley-floor ride: it is a true mountain loop that climbs and descends from valley to valley.

The route exists in two versions, made for different levels: the Expert version, longer and harder, and the Country version, gentler and more accessible. Both make the full circle around the group and cross the same valleys, but they choose different roads: the Expert seeks out trails and high climbs, the Country stays lower, along the valley-floor cycle paths and the roads between the fields. You can also take on the loop on an e-bike, which makes the climbs more manageable.

2. The Expert version, for those who are truly fit

The Expert version is the full loop for the demanding cyclist. It is about one hundred and seventy kilometres with almost seven thousand seven hundred metres of total elevation gain, up to altitudes of around two thousand three hundred metres. You ride on gravel and trails, with challenging climbs and long descents, and it is usually done in at least three days.

It is a ride that asks for legs, lungs and mountain bike experience: it is not for someone starting from scratch. In return it gives you the wild side of the Brenta Dolomites, the high passages and the views that open up only to those who climb. If you are a fit rider looking for a multi-day adventure, it is one of the finest in the Alps.

3. The Country version, the ring for almost everyone

The Country version is the lighter ride, described as a tour for almost everyone. It is about one hundred and thirty-six kilometres with around four thousand six hundred metres of elevation gain, up to altitudes of around one thousand eight hundred metres, also over three days or more. It stays much lower than the Expert and chooses the valley-floor cycle paths, the country roads and the stretches between cultivated fields.

It is still a multi-day ride with its own elevation gain, so it needs a minimum of training and being used to a bike: it is light compared to the Expert, not compared to a flat ride. It is the right choice if you want to experience the ring around the Brenta more calmly, enjoying the villages and the landscapes without facing the hardest passages. On an e-bike it becomes even more accessible.

4. The valleys and places you cross

The beauty of the Dolomiti di Brenta Bike is that, by riding around the group, you cross very different valleys one after the other: the Val Rendena, the Giudicarie, the area around Molveno and Andalo, the Val di Non and the Val di Sole. Here are some of the most beautiful places you meet along the ride, or just off the route, that are worth knowing.

1. The Dolomiti di Brenta, the group you ride around

The Dolomiti di Brenta are the only Dolomite group west of the Adige river, and they are part of the Dolomites recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are a world of spires, rock towers and vertical walls, with peaks rising above three thousand metres. The whole bike ring goes around this group, which you always have in front of you as you change valley.

It is a landscape that changes constantly with the light and with the point from which you look at it. Cycling around the Dolomiti di Brenta means seeing them from every side, from the gentle slopes of the pastures to the most severe walls, and this is what makes the ride so special.

2. Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta, the nature you cross

Much of the ride takes place inside or at the edges of the Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta, the largest protected area in Trentino. The park watches over the Dolomiti di Brenta, the glaciers of the Adamello and the Presanella, dozens of alpine lakes, woods and pastures. It is one of the last places in the Alps where the brown bear still lives.

Cycling here means moving through a protected and wild environment, where nature is the true protagonist. Between one valley and the next you meet conifer forests, mountain huts and high-altitude meadows: it is the green heart around which the whole ring turns.

3. Madonna di Campiglio, at the top of the Val Rendena

On the side of the Val Rendena, the ring touches the area of Madonna di Campiglio, one of the best-known mountain resorts in Trentino. It is a high-altitude village set between the Dolomiti di Brenta and the Adamello and Presanella group, surrounded by woods, slopes and trails. In summer it is a great starting point for two wheels.

For those taking on the ride, it is a natural stop where you can pause, catch your breath and set off again. All around, climbs and high-mountain views open up, and the area lives on sport and the open air in every season.

4. Cascate di Nardis, in the Val Genova

Just off the ring, in the nearby Val Genova that opens from the Val Rendena, the Cascate di Nardis await you, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Trentino. The water, which is born from the glaciers of the Adamello, falls for over one hundred metres along the rock wall in a spectacular double drop, inside the Parco Naturale Adamello Brenta.

It is a detour that is worth the effort, especially in early summer when the falls are more powerful from the melting snow. The Val Genova is known as the valley of waterfalls, and it is a perfect addition for those who want to combine the bike with the most spectacular nature.

5. Lago di Molveno, the mirror beneath the Brenta

On the eastern side of the ride, in the area of Molveno and Andalo, the Lago di Molveno awaits you, a large alpine lake with clear waters at the foot of the Dolomiti di Brenta. It is often awarded as one of the most beautiful lakes in Italy, with the peaks of the Brenta reflected on the water. Its shore is a perfect place for a stop away from the saddle.

It is one of the most photographed spots of the entire ring: from here the Dolomiti di Brenta rise very close above the water. For those cycling on this side of the group, it is a stop that combines rest with one of the finest views of the ride.

6. Val di Sole, the northern side of the ring

To the north of the group, the ring touches the Val di Sole, a wide alpine valley enclosed between the Dolomiti di Brenta and the Adamello and Presanella groups, inside the Stelvio National Park. It is a valley that lives on nature and sport, crossed by the Noce river and by a comfortable valley-floor cycle path.

For those taking on the Dolomiti di Brenta Bike, the Val di Sole is one of the most open sides of the ring, with its villages, orchards and mountains all around. It is also a valley where it is lovely to stay a few extra days, before or after the loop.

5. What you need to take on the ride

The Dolomiti di Brenta Bike is a multi-day adventure, so it should be prepared calmly. First choose the right version for you: the Country if you want a gentler ride on the valley-floor cycle paths, the Expert if you are a fit rider looking for trails and high climbs. In both cases you need a minimum of training and being used to riding in the mountains.

Take a bike in good condition, a helmet and layered clothing, because at altitude the weather changes quickly. Plan for water, something to eat and a small repair kit. Plan your stages and where to sleep each night, because the ring covers many kilometres a day. An e-bike is a good choice to make the climbs more manageable. It is best to take it on in the warm season, when the high passages are free of snow, and before setting off it is always worth checking the condition of the trails and the latest weather.

Where to stay for the Dolomiti di Brenta Bike

The best way to take on the ring is to have a comfortable base in one of the valleys it crosses, where you can return in the evening after a day in the saddle and from which you can set off in the morning. The Val Rendena, towards Madonna di Campiglio, and the Val di Sole are two ideal bases: they are right along the ride and let you experience the Dolomiti di Brenta up close. With Italy Holiday you find well-cared-for stays in these valleys, made for those who love the mountains and two wheels.

Discover where to stay in Val Rendena or in Val di Sole and book your stay with Italy Holiday: your ideal base to take on the Dolomiti di Brenta Bike and discover the valleys around the Brenta.

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