Episode 4: Merano — St. Leonhard — Timmelsjoch and Back

Some climbs are famous. Others become favourites. Timmelsjoch is both.

In our FREEDL DOLCE CLUB — More Than Passo Stelvio and Timmelsjoch series, we share the roads we ride at home in South Tyrol. And while the name of the series might suggest otherwise, some roads simply cannot be left out.

This fourth route is a legendary day on the bike: from Merano through the Passeier Valley, past St. Leonhard and Moos, all the way up to Timmelsjoch — and back again. It is long, demanding and unforgettable, with one switchback after another, wide alpine views and thinner air waiting higher up. 

Route Details

Distance: 100 km

Elevation: 2,400 m

Ride time: 5–6 hours

Route: Merano — St. Leonhard — Moos — Timmelsjoch — and back

👉 View the route on Strava

The Ride

A proper day in the saddle deserves a proper beginning. Our favourite start is a pre-ride coffee and a chat with Linda at the Monocle Shop in Merano. From there, the route heads north into the Passeier Valley toward St. Leonhard.

St. Leonhard is the perfect place for a short pause. Refill your bottles at the water fountain in the centre of the village and, if the day calls for it, add a coffee stop at one of the local cafés. Optional, but highly recommended.

Past Moos, the character of the ride changes. The valley narrows, the road rises and the switchbacks begin to stack up. There is a lot of climbing — followed by more climbing — but every metre opens up another view. Forest gives way to rock, the road winds higher into the mountains and the scale of the landscape keeps growing.

At Timmelsjoch, the effort and the scenery finally meet. This is the kind of climb that makes you work for every view, then rewards you with a road and landscape that stay with you long after the descent.

The return follows the valley back toward Merano. Once the ride is done, there is only one correct ending: an after-ride beer and something to refuel at Pfefferlechner in Lana. Good company, good food and a cold FREEDL — altitude community at its best.

     

Why We Love It

This route has everything a big South Tyrolean road-bike day should have: a gentle beginning, a legendary climb, endless switchbacks, dramatic mountain scenery and stops that feel like part of the ride rather than an interruption.

Timmelsjoch may be one of the famous ones, but it is also one of our favourites. Save the route, bring good legs and share it with your favourite riding partners. We will see you on the road.