From Valdaora to Chiusa
6 August 2021
After Braies, which in our minds had represented the main challenge, we knew that the rest of the journey would be more “downhill.” And indeed this stage, shorter and noticeably less tiring, didn’t give us very strong emotions.
The start
Beauty here truly is everywhere, and it should never be underestimated: for example, right after setting off we find the cycle path from Valdaora to Brunico, a splendid route through the woods, and this stretch where the cable car passes overhead is particularly evocative.
After reaching Brunico by pedaling, we stop for a coffee. We’re a bit slowed down, but that’s fair enough after yesterday’s long stage. We set off again from Brunico in the direction of Bressanone, still following the cycle path that runs alongside the impetuous Rienz river. Water is a constant in these days, and the heavy rains have dangerously raised the levels of rivers and torrents, to the point of being a hazard at several crossings. In fact, right between Brunico and Bressanone we find ourselves at a flooded underpass, with water clearly about sixty centimeters deep.
We decide it isn’t worth getting soaked, and that it might be a good idea to climb over the railway 😱 — and that’s what we do, even taking the time to snap a couple of photos.
Small, moving discoveries
After a brief stop in Rio Pusteria to eat something, we enter Bressanone along the delightful “urban” riverbank of the Rienz, and pedaling along we reach the Cathedral and its splendid cloister. Maybe it’s the beauty of the frescoes, the music playing softly in the cloister, the silence — maybe even the fact that my defenses are a little lowered — but I experience a brief moment of very deep emotion that I’ll carry inside me for the rest of the day.
Everything around us is incredibly orderly and civilized. Inured to the chaos and filth of Rome, finding places looked after with such care really has an effect. It makes you wonder whether the virtuous circle of beauty is a mechanism that can still be set off even where everything seems to be more or less lost by now.
We set off from Bressanone in the direction of Chiusa, pedaling in great tranquility. The weather is fine, we’re losing elevation, and 60 km in the end go by almost without our noticing. We arrive in Chiusa in the afternoon, ready to enjoy an evening of relaxation and good food (beer-braised ribs, truly remarkable!)
