There is a before and an after with e-bikes on a plateau like this one. Before, the mountain dairies were a full day and a fair amount of suffering. After, they are an afternoon. The Alpe Cimbra is built for riding: wide forest tracks, honest gradients, and a lake to jump into when you get back.
From Lake Lavarone the loops open out in every direction. Here are the three we suggest most often, in order of effort.
1. The lake and meadows ring
The one for getting your bearings. You follow the shore, climb gently through the meadows and come back along the forest side. Little height gain, good surface almost throughout, and you can stop anywhere because there is nothing hard to make up.
- Difficulty: easy
- Time: about an hour and a half with stops
- For: families, first outings, working out where you are
2. The mountain dairy loop
This is why an e-bike makes sense here. You climb to the high pastures, ride past the malghe that still make cheese in summer, and come down with the valley opening in front of you. With assistance the climb stops being the problem and becomes the method. What to look for up there is in where to eat on the Alpe Cimbra.
- Difficulty: moderate
- Time: half a day, lunch included
- Tip: set off early, the dairies stop serving early
3. The forts loop
The ride that joins the two things that make this place odd: the forest and the First World War. You pedal between Austro-Hungarian fortresses, down and up again, stopping now and then in front of a concrete wall that has nothing to do with the spruces around it. The full story is in what to see in Lavarone.
- Difficulty: moderate
- Time: half a day
Lavarone Bike Park
If you use a bike to go down rather than up, the Lavarone Bike Park is minutes away: dedicated trails, several grades, and the chance to spend an afternoon doing the same enjoyable thing twenty times over. You do not need to be twenty. You do need a helmet.
The beach, two ways. For the day: sunbed 8 euro, parasol 4 euro, booked by WhatsApp before 8pm the evening before. Or sleep here, and parasol and sunbeds come with the room, with the beach right below. Open until mid-September.
One practical note
Batteries last, but they are not infinite: on a long loop start fully charged and keep something in reserve for the way home. And afterwards the lake is right there, which is the real reason anyone pedals at all.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you cycle from Lake Lavarone by e-bike?
Three main loops start at Lake Lavarone: the lake and meadows ring (easy, about ninety minutes), the mountain dairy loop up to the high pastures (moderate, half a day) and the Great War forts loop (moderate). The Lavarone Bike Park is also nearby.
Do you need to be fit to e-bike on the Alpe Cimbra?
No. With pedal assistance the gradients of the Alpe Cimbra are within reach even if you do not ride regularly: the climb to the mountain dairies, a full day on foot, becomes an afternoon.
Is there a bike park near Lake Lavarone?
Yes. The Lavarone Bike Park is a few minutes from the lake and has downhill trails of different grades.
How long does an e-bike battery last on these routes?
On the loops around Lake Lavarone a full charge comfortably covers half a day. On longer rides, start fully charged and keep a margin for the return.
