Italy has more good cycling than you can ride in a career, which means almost every region has a claim on being the best. Trentino's claim is specific: variety. An hour from any base in the province puts you on Alpine summit roads, lakeside circuits, orchard-lined valley floors, and high-plateau routes that feel nothing like the rest of Italy until you notice the signs are printed in three languages.
Andalo sits at 1,042 metres on the Paganella plateau, above the Sarca valley and below the Cima Paganella — a 2,124-metre limestone massif dividing Trentino's Val di Non from the Sarca basin. The Brenta Dolomites frame the eastern horizon: a wall of white rock visible on any clear day from the plateau's edge. Lake Molveno is 177 metres below the town in the valley, deep, cold, and blue in a way that photographs never quite capture.
Stage 17 of the 2026 Giro d'Italia finishes here. Stage 18 departs tomorrow from Fai della Paganella, two kilometres along the same plateau.
The Key Climbs
The Paganella ascent from Mezzolombardo is the classic approach from the valley floor. The road begins at around 250 metres in the Adige valley, climbs steadily through the villages of Sporminore and Spormaggiore, and arrives at Andalo at just over 1,000 metres. The full climb covers roughly 25 kilometres at a sustained 3–4 percent with a harder section on the Andalo-Lever approach — 8.3 kilometres that average 3.6 percent overall but build steeper through the final 6 kilometres. This is a training climb: long enough to be meaningful, consistent enough to manage effort precisely, and less brutal than a full Dolomite pass.
The south approach from Trento via Lavis is shorter and more direct: 28 kilometres from the provincial capital at 200 metres to the plateau, with a steeper and more technical switchback section above Andalo-Lever. This is the route Stage 17 used for its finishing sequence. Tour of Trentino editions have incorporated it in previous years.
The Paganella traverse loop: Ride from Mezzolombardo up to Andalo, cross the plateau to Fai della Paganella, then descend west into Val di Non via the road toward Sporminore or continue to the Passo della Mendola. Val di Non is apple-orchard country — long, flat valley floor, wooden fruit warehouses, co-operative infrastructure that has been feeding the valley for a century. The traverse adds variety to what would otherwise be an out-and-back.
Lake Molveno circuit: The lake at 865 metres has a perimeter road (roughly 15 kilometres, minimal climbing) that works well as an early-morning recovery ride before the tourist traffic builds. A short punchy climb from the lakeside back up to Andalo adds 200 metres of vertical to close a loop.
When to Go
May through October is the practical season. May and June are excellent — snowmelt has cleaned the roads, temperatures stay in the 14–22°C range for comfortable climbing, and the summer visitor pressure hasn't arrived. July and August are warmer and busier; the valley roads below Andalo accumulate heat in the afternoon. September is arguably the month: harvest season in Val di Non, cool mornings, empty roads.
The Paganella traverse and the Passo della Mendola may be gated or snow-affected from November through April. The lower valley roads stay open year-round.
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Andalo itself is the simplest option. Hotels and self-catering apartments gear toward ski visitors in winter and hikers in summer. Direct road access to the Paganella climbs from the centre of town. Cheaper than the lake alternatives and quieter than Trento.
Trento is the practical choice for riders wanting a city base — train connections to Verona (50 minutes), Innsbruck (90 minutes), and Milan (2 hours), plus bike shops, restaurants, and the MUSE natural science museum (Renzo Piano, worth a rest-day afternoon). The ride from Trento out to the Paganella is part of the daily training, which most athletes consider a benefit rather than a commute.
Molveno is for those who want the lake view from the hotel window with the Paganella climb starting at the car park. A smaller village than Andalo, with a resort summer feel and a public beach for recovery swimming.
Getting There
By air: Verona Catullo is the closest airport (1 hour by car); Milan Malpensa is 90 minutes; Innsbruck is 90 minutes south via the Brenner motorway. Bike bags as checked luggage work on all three routes.
By train: Trento is on the main Verona–Innsbruck Brenner railway — fast trains run hourly from both directions. Verona to Trento is 50 minutes; Milan to Trento is 2 hours. From Trento, a 45-minute bus via Mezzolombardo reaches Andalo.
What Else to Do
Lake Garda. One hour south by road, reachable on a long cycling day via the descent from Trento into Riva del Garda. The Garda Trentino lakefront — with the lake's north end backed by limestone cliffs — is one of Europe's most scenic cycling road sections.
Lago di Tovel. A glacial lake in a hanging valley west of Andalo, reachable by road or hiking trail. The lake occasionally turns reddish-green under specific algae conditions in late summer — less common than it once was, but still remarkable when it happens.
Castel Thun, an intact medieval fortress above Val di Non, is worth a rest-day visit for the architecture and the valley views from the ramparts.
Val di Non apple route. The valley directly west of the Paganella is Europe's largest apple-producing area. The agricultural road running the valley floor between Cles and Dermulo is low-traffic, flat, and surrounded by orchards — the kind of ride that doesn't appear in cycling guidebooks but provides a rhythm that most training camps lack.
Frequently Asked
Is the Paganella suitable for beginners? The valley roads around Mezzolombardo and Molveno are accessible and relatively flat. The full Paganella climb (25km at 3–4%) is long but not technically demanding. A rider who can sustain effort through 500 metres of climbing has everything they need for this climb.
How does Trentino compare to the Dolomites for cycling? Trentino is Dolomites-adjacent. The most dramatic Dolomite passes — Pordoi, Giau, Stelvio — are further east and north. The Paganella and Val di Non routes are gentler and better suited to a training camp than a summit tick-list. They reward day-after-day consistency rather than one-off suffering.
Can I connect to Lake Garda for a multi-day ride? Yes. The classic route: Andalo → Trento (descent) → Arco → Riva del Garda. Two days' riding in either direction. The Sarca valley cycling trail connects Riva del Garda north to Arco for the final stretch without road traffic.
Where can I find other athletes training in the region? Connect with cyclists already training in Trentino via Find Athletes near Andalo and Trento on ZealZag.
For Stage 17's race coverage from Cassano d'Adda to Andalo, read our Stage 17 field report. For the Lake Maggiore cycling roads that Stage 13 traced earlier in this Giro, see our Lake Maggiore destination guide.
