Cycling on the Via Claudia Augusta
As early as 15 BC, the Roman general Drusus, adopted son of Augustus, started to build the first real road to cross the Alps. About 60 years later the construction was finished by Claudius, Drusus' son. Augustus and Claudius served as namesakes for the Via Claudia Augusta. The Roman road served as the main trade route until it was replaced by the Via Raetia when the road over the Brenner Pass was extended.
Two milestones
Along the Via Claudia Augusta, one near Merano, the other in Cesiomaggiore, indicate the same destination but different starting points. Historians and archaeologists have not yet been able to clarify what lies behind this, but they are mostly in agreement about the course of the Via Claudia Augusta: from Trento via Bolzano, Merano and the Reschen Pass further through the Inn Valley and over the Fern Pass to Donauwörth shortly after Augsburg in Germany it is said to have led. Today, the Via Claudia Augusta is one of the most popular long-distance cycling routes.
Cycle route from Venice to Donauwörth
Along the Via Claudia Augusta cycle route, the ancient cultural and trade route of the Roman Empire comes alive again. The cyclist can expect an unforgettable mixture of landscapes, lively towns, tranquil villages and hundreds of testimonies of eventful history. Afterwards, delicacies from the kitchen and cellar will tempt you. While in Roman times it was traveling merchants and soldiers who stopped here, today vacationers, long-distance cyclists and long-distance hikers recharge their batteries here on their journey along the Via Claudia Augusta.
Shuttle service
An optional shuttle service over the Fernpass and the Reschenpass as well as a luggage service guarantee enjoyable hiking along the Via Claudia Augusta from accommodation to accommodation.
Information about the shuttle over the Fernpass
Information about the shuttles over the 6 passes
Information about the shuttle Italy-Germany
Package tour offers for your bike tour along the Via Claudia Augusta can be found here:
4 maps through the millennia
A series of maps of the regions along the Via Claudia Augusta is currently being created that will show each region at 3 points in history and today. The 3 "historical" maps will give a quick look at the history of the region. The current map is a guide to how and where to experience the region and the Via Claudia Augusta today. The first "4 maps through the millennia" are dedicated to the Reutte Nature Park region in Tyrol. You can download them here. But they are also available in printed form for the price of a cyclist, among others at the tourist info of the region and at Via Claudia Augusta.
Documentary Via Claudia Augusta
Within the framework of the cross-border Interreg project Hereditas, Virtual Via Claudia Augusta a great documentary film about the popular Roman road has been produced. You can get a small taste in the trailer below, the complete film can be found on the Via Claudia Augusta website.