Ritten – Sarntal – Penser Joch – Sterzing

Go south to get to the north: starting from Ritten, this tour follows one of the historically most important north-south routes – the one over the Penser Joch and through the Sarentino valley. After starting at Ritten we warm the tyres up by driving down the winding road to Bolzano. As soon as we reach the bottom of the valley, keep right and cross the town at its northern foothills – always following the signs to Sarentino Valley.

The SS 508 state road leads there and crosses the entire Sarentino Valley, one of the longest side valleys in South Tyrol. From Pens it’s a noticeable uphill climb, from here the fun of curves begins. Once on the Penser Joch, you should take time for the spectacular panoramic view and recharge your batteries for the rest of the way. It leads us down from the Penser Joch – always curvy and breath-taking – to the small Fugger town of Sterzing, which once became rich through silver mining. A stop in the city is worthwhile, especially the Neustadt (which is actually a medieval old town) is a splendour.

In Sterzing we choose the easiest solution for the return journey: the Brenner motorway (A 22) to the south, which we leave in North Bolzano. From there it goes up again to Ritten and after about 175 kilometres leads directly to the front door.