Something for you to mull over as you hit the switchbacks. However, it’s all change on the Italian side where it becomes one of the most dramatic and savage mountain vistas in the Alps, and there’s no finer view of the wild and precipitous ridges and glaciers than that offered from the SS26.Īnd whilst not conclusively proven, the pass is thought by many historians to be the route followed by the Carthaginian general Hannibal when he led his army into Italy in 218BC. From the Chamonix Valley in France, Mont Blanc is one of the less dramatic peaks in the massif appearing as a benign, rounded white dome. The Little St Bernard Pass is a thrilling road and offers the rider unparalleled views of Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest mountain which tops out at a glaciated 4,810m. Mont Blanc looms over the Little St Bernard Pass Our favourite entry point in this northern region is the Col du Petit Saint Bernard (The Little St Bernard Pass), which starts out as the D1090 from Bourg-Saint-Maurice in France and ends as the SS26 in the Aosta Valley just south of Courmayeur. All three of the northwest regions (Valle d’Aosta, Piedmont and Liguria) have main road links with either Switzerland and France, with the tunnel under Mont Blanc, or Monte Bianco as it is known in Italy, being the nearest border crossing to the UK. There’s great off-road adventure riding to be found on the Alpine military roads and some of the best road touring passes and scenery in Europe.īutting up to France and Switzerland, the Italian North West consist of three regions the coastal strip of Liguria, the Alpine region of Valle d’Aosta on the northern border and the larger region of Piedmont sitting in-between and offering a variety of mountains, lakes, plains and big cities.įor the UK rider, there’s a good chance you’re going to start your tour of Italy in the northwest of the country. Addio, and safe ridingįounder of Adventure Bike Rider and Adventure Travel magazines.įrom Sanremo and Genoa on the Mediterranean Coast to the high peaks of the Aosta Valley, the Italian North West has it all.
We documented a trip around Italy visiting all six of these areas, creating a mini-series of videos along the way, so head on over to our YouTube channel ( to check them out. Then we’ve provided ideas and information and focused on one or two highlights in each region with a view to inspiring you to go and have the motorcycle tour of your life. There’s not enough space in these pages to detail everything I’d have liked to, but what we have done is divided the country into six areas that could be toured independently or combined into a longer trip. These more recent trips, added to my prior knowledge, have helped shape this touring guide to bring you the best of what we at ABR consider Italy has to offer. Since the launch of ABR magazine and an accident that curbed my climbing career, I’ve been back to Italy as much as possible to enjoy the spectacular roads, trails, scenery, history and culture by motorcycle. To say I was in awe of the country would be an understatement and I would have happily moved to and settled in Italy for the rest of my life. I followed this way of life for three consecutive summers which resulted in outdoor guides, regional hiking guides and the first ever documented report of all the via Ferrata climbing routes in the Dolomites.
And then I’d fly back and do it all again. Then, once every six weeks, I’d park the van or bike at an Italian airport, fly back to the UK and add the finishing touches to the magazine before sending it to print. I’d spend my evenings writing up reports and emailing them back to the office.
Is Italy Europe’s finest motorcycle touring destination? You bet! Adventure Bike Rider and its sister title Adventure Travel (AT) magazine have a long history when it comes to touring the roads and trails of Italy.īack in the days when I was editor of AT and mountaineering and hiking were as important to me as riding motorcycles, I’d spend whole summers driving and sometimes riding the more remote and mountainous areas with outdoor gear strapped to the pillion looking for interesting lumps of rock to climb and trails to hike. High mountain passes, spectacular coastal roads, twisty country single tracks, history, culture, superb food and drink, and then there’s the unrivalled magnificence of the Dolomites. Words and Pictures: Alun Davies, Bryn Davies
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