Motorbike tour to Anterselva - Passo Stalle

The Val Pusteria is an ideal starting point for motorcycle tours. In this article we describe a half-day tour starting from Brunico.

Drive towards Rasun eastwards of Brunico and enter the valle di Anterselva, a side valley of the Val Pusteria. At the entrance of the valley lie the villages of Rasun di Sotto and Rasun di Sopra which you leave behind you. Proceed through the valley, passing the villages of Rasun di Sotto, Rasun di Mezzo and Rasun di Sopra. North-west of the valley you have a stunning view of the Vedrette di Ries with the 3,364 m-high Collalto.

Then, follow the road towards the end of the valley until you arrive at the enchanting lake Anterselva at 1,642 m a.s.l. We recommend taking a rest at the lake to admire it in all its beauty. The next section leads up to passo Stalle, a mountain saddle which connects the valle di Anterselva with the Defereggental and represents the point where the Vedrette di Ries group and the Monti del Villgraten meet. In former times, this mountain pass was used by animal smugglers. Please note: passo Stalle is closed from the end of October to mid-May. On the Italian side, there is a narrow one-way road with a traffic light that switches from red to green every 30 minutes. At the pass you can enjoy a truly fascinating view of the valley and lake Anterselva. Drive past lake Obersee and have fun while tackling the four hairpin bends before the valley floor of the Defereggental near Erlsbach. Then, continue towards Huben at the entrance of the valley, where the road to Lienz branches off.

Side trip: the 7-km long Grossglocknerstrasse through the valley basin leads up to Mt Grossglockner, the highest mountain of Austria, via Kals am Grossglockner.

Continue via Lienz and the Alta Pusteria towards Sillian and the Italian border, and eventually return to Brunico. This route can be completed in a half day, however, we highly recommend taking a few breaks along the way to enjoy this trip and the natural landscape to the fullest!

Length: approx. 200 km
Opening times of Passo Stalle: from May to the end of October (please check this information in advance)
Highest point: 2,052 m a.s.l.