Kaiserjäger single trail

We set off very early because it's going to be hot and most of the ascent is in the blazing sun. There is no sensible bypass for the Kaiserjäger Pass road and you should actually take it. After all, it is simply part of this South Tyrolean singletrail tour, if only because of its name. We pedal leisurely to the start of the pass road and after a few minutes on the climb, we are glad that we chose the early hours of the morning.

The road winds its way up the steep slope for 750 metres. Towards the end, the lane becomes narrower and narrower and spectacular tunnels have been blasted into the rock in order to pave the way.

Once we reach the Kaiserjäger Pass, we swap tarmac for gravel, but continue along the old military road. The road climbs and descends steadily through a beautiful mixed deciduous forest and through the villages of Slaghenaufi and Lanzino. Along the way, we repeatedly discover relics of old military use: abandoned military buildings and military cemeteries are reminders of a time when things were far less quiet and peaceful up here.

During the First World War, the imperial infantry regiments fought here for Austria-Hungary. A bloody war, of which only the graves bear witness here - but basically also our tour, as we are travelling along old military roads here, as in many other places in the Alps.

At the end of the gravel track, our view narrows to a narrow path: there it is - the Kaiserjäger single trail. Ahead of us lie

• 750 metres of descent and 7 km down to Lago di Caldonazzo
• with a few roots & steps
• and plenty of flow

The view of the lake and its plateau below us opens up again very briefly. But now concentration is required. We playfully cycle along the slope - enjoying every single metre on the MTB single trail, every view of the breathtaking landscape and every ray of sunshine on our faces.

We take the last hairpin bends back to the Caldonazzo plateau at a leisurely pace. Again and again, a path cuts off between the hairpin bends and brings a grin to our faces. At the idyllic Lago di Caldonazzo - at 5.4 km² the largest lake in Trentino and the second largest lake in the province of Trento after Lake Garda - it's time to soak up the Valsugana and let your legs dangle wide open - from May to the end of September. Lake Caldonazzo is also one of the warmest lakes in Europe. So don't forget your swimming trunks on the Kaiserjäger single trail in Trentino!