Plamorttrail

Pure variety awaits us on the main Alpine ridge: from the Reschensee and Haidersee lakes, over the imposing three-thousand metre peaks and the high plateau in Nauders - this is where MTB adventure is at home! And with a quick border crossing, we head straight to the next level in the 3-country bike arena between Austria, Switzerland and Italy: off to the Plamortböden.

On the cross-border history trail on the Bergkastel, Nauders - Reschensee combines the finest trails and built routes in the varied landscape. From Austria to Italy, into Switzerland and back to Austria - there are no borders here. The descent to Lake Reschen in Italy is often referred to among mountain bikers as the Plamorttrail, but is actually more than that - namely a combination of 4 trail sections:

• the Almtrail (86)
• the Plamort Trail (71)
• the Bunker Trail (101)
• and the Etsch Trail (102)

Just for the bike protocol. The Bergkastel cable car takes us comfortably to lofty heights. Flying high, we cross the green meadows, where we get an idea of the extent of the 3-country enduro region for the first time. Truly magnificent! But now we set off on the Signature Trails Challenge in the direction of the iconic Plamorttrail in Nauders - Reschensee and first follow the Almtrail to the Stieralm. It is more than just a functional connection and challenges us on the way through the forest to the Plamortböden. You can feel like you're on a pump track - only at an altitude of 2,000 metres in the wild.

Once we arrive at the Plamortböden, we first have to dismount and swap our handlebars for a mobile phone - a selfie with this mountain view is a must! Meanwhile, we soak up the history of the ground we're standing on - the armoured barriers are really impressive. And so the 3-country enduro region is also an invitation to think away the national borders and simply enjoy. The reminders of times gone by are always in view and yet we are looking to the future.

This is basically where we start the actual single trail: challenging, unspoilt, with plenty of views - this is probably the best way to describe the Plamorttrail in the Nauders - Reschensee region. For us, it's a flowing up and down, over wooden elements, through the forest, over the Italian border and onto the picturesque plateau of the Plamort high moor. The challenging terrain demands our full attention and clean riding technique. Nevertheless, the grin hardly leaves our faces on such a trail firework display. The Plamort trail ends at the historic bunker complex and we soak up some more history before continuing down into the valley on increasingly earthy ground.

No less iconic is the Bunker Trail as we hurtle on towards Reschen. After a quick alpine meadow ride, the terrain becomes steeper and more challenging. In between, you can also find the perfect selfie spot with a view of Lake Reschen, the Vinschgau Valley and the Ortler massif. We dive into the forest with its rooty, loose ground and end up on the winding Etschtrail. We wind our way endlessly through the forest down into the valley over tight bends until we reach the valley and Lake Reschen after 680 metres of downhill trail fun. With a beer by the lake and our legs dangling in the water, the grin still remains on our faces. Crossing borders is truly the motto of mountain biking in the Nauders & Reschensee regions!