Eppan High Trail

From the town hall square in St. Michael, take Kapuziner Street towards the ice rink. First follow the Marking 540 and ride upwards between the historic houses of Pigeno. Before the second fountain, turn right, pass by a small altar, and turn onto the gravel path. Continue towards St. Pauls on Path 8/B until you meet an asphalt road again. On the road, first turn left, then immediately right to reach Gasthof Steinegger on a steep path. Keep following path 8/B to reach the St. Valentin forest road, which leads downhill in long, pleasant sections to the entrance from where the road to Gasthof Buchwald ascends (open from Easter until the end of September). With a wonderful panorama, you can enjoy a well-deserved break here. Now ride back a bit along the road to the entrance of the Buchwald forest road on the right side to continue towards Matschatsch on Path 9 (Eppan High Trail), which is reached after a short distance. This path is mostly exposed and very technical, so it is suitable only for very experienced riders. To enjoy this exciting trail, you still have to endure some pushing sections and also expect hikers on the path.

 

The official tour continues almost parallel to the forest road, which descends after the last climb until shortly before the junction with the path.

Here you face the same decision again: either on Path No. 9 (including technically difficult sections and some pushing passages) or on the forest road with a steep ascent towards Furglauer Scharte, crossing the stream and pushing the last meters of elevation. Continue on the comfortable forest road until it reconnects with Path No. 9 at the 6th hairpin turn of Mendel road. Follow the turn and the marking 9, first towards Matschatsch, then towards Kalterer Höhenweg, reaching a beautiful gravel parking lot (attention: just before reaching Matschatsch, the path you ride on is very narrow and exposed – BE VERY CAREFUL!). It is worth taking a short break here to look at the castle. From the parking lot, the tour continues on the forest road, after the descent turn right onto Path No. 9 and continue towards Kaltern on a wonderful, flowing trail that crosses the Mendel road several times and leads just above Kalterer Höhe. Ride down the road a bit to the entrance on the right side in the middle of the guardrail onto Path 16. Here another beautiful trail leads towards Eislöcher to Oberplanitzing and over Gand and Pigeno you return to the starting point of the tour.