The name of Livigno has been bouncing around among cycling enthusiasts for years. Increasingly, in recent seasons, professional cyclists, amateurs, and even simple vacationers have visited this Upper Valtellina locality, returning with enthusiastic praise and appreciation for its ability to welcome them and other demanding cyclists from all over Europe (and beyond).

This has happened because Livigno, nestled at altitude between the Stelvio and the Engadin, has successfully created an ecosystem, its Bike Zone 1816, capable with its flagship offerings of satisfying the needs of cyclists of every level and experience, putting them all in a position to have fun in the saddle and be pampered once they dismount from their bike.

Everything starts with the mix of mythical passes (from the Forcola to Passo Eira to the Foscagno), officially certified Strava segments (3), seductive valleys, forest trails and challenging slopes that, composing a varied network of over 3,500 kilometers around the town center, allow road cyclists, mountain bikers, Enduro and Downhill practitioners as well as families and cycle tourists to embark on rides, training sessions and pedaling outings with practically unlimited possibilities.

Around this appealing range of alternatives, Livigno has managed to set up an equally rich offering of dedicated services (from rentals to bike shops), themed events (above all the Riva Bike Festival and the Granfondo Alè which this year reached its third edition) and quality accommodation facilities (numerous are the hotels with spas, wellness centers and acclaimed restaurants) that allows all those who decide to travel to this altitude to explore the area's routes to enjoy a seamless, stimulating and rewarding stay.

In this way, Livigno has actively placed the bicycle and everything connected to it at the center of its community, succeeding through this precise operation in highlighting even more broadly the hospitality, typicality and excellence that distinguish it. Two wheels, in practice, have become a driving force for the area's tourism economy and have ended up further highlighting the peculiarities that have transformed this locality into an increasingly sought-after and frequented destination for athletes of every kind.

Knowing that, after training, getting oxygenated or simply moving through a scenery of stunning beauty, it is possible to rely on specialized workshops to service your bike, replenish your body by delighting your palate with local delicacies such as slinzega and alpine cheeses, or relax in a gem like Acquagranda (a cutting-edge facility that with its areas and infrastructure became in 2022 a CONI Olympic Preparation Center and a highly appreciated reference point for athletes of various disciplines) undoubtedly represents an incentive to reach this corner of Italy on the border with Switzerland and to base your cycling excursions in this context.

Whether you do it for pleasure or profession, in Livigno (whose value has been emphasized by the many famous faces of sport who in recent times have made it their base for training, including Sonny Colbrelli and Elia Viviani) you really feel like pedaling and not just for a few hours but, thanks to more pleasant summer temperatures than elsewhere and the inviting alternation of peaks and descents, for several days, enjoying at leisure everything the place offers and letting the wonderful setting in which the town's profile is carved take permanent root deep in your soul.

Photo credit: Tuttobiciweb