Giro Parc Naziunal Svizzer

From Zernez (1473 m above sea level), the route begins at Ova Spin (1834 m above sea level) with the first challenging climb of this road cycling route. The scenery also starts with superlatives: you are in the region of the Swiss National Park – surrounded by dense forests and impressive mountain peaks. After a short descent to Punt la Drossa (1711 m above sea level), the route leads you right through the tunnel to Livigno and thus to Italy. Caution: The tunnel is closed to cyclists. However, the shuttle bus runs regularly in summer and is a welcome break to catch your breath (www.silvestribus.it/en/). Along the reservoir, you reach Livigno (1805 m above sea level) through galleries. You will often encounter professional road cyclists training in the summer altitude. From Livigno, you go directly into the second climb of the day. At Forcola di Livigno (2314 m above sea level), headwinds are usually to be expected, and you can see the highest point from afar. The descent from Forcola towards Bernina Pass is short but fast. At the customs (2054 m above sea level), you return to Swiss territory and turn right onto the Bernina Pass road. The panorama at Bernina lets your tired legs perform at their best again. At the pass summit at 2327 m above sea level, most of the elevation gain of the route is done. From here, it is (almost) all downhill. But watch out: The descent from Bernina Pass is gentle and invites you to keep pedaling. However, do not use up all your energy just yet. Because from Pontresina back to Zernez, there are still some kilometers through beautiful Engadin waiting. Along the Inn downstream, the tank must still give some energy.