In Search of the Perfect Italian Week

Feb 9, 2015
by Luigi Mattei  
Amazing panorama and warm weather an October ride can t get much better than this
Amazing panorama and warm weather, an October ride can't get much better than this!

Being an avid biker and living abroad has its perks: being able to ride in many new places as well as enjoy time with great people from different backgrounds. Nevertheless as an Italian, there is nothing like being back home enjoying nice weather, an easy going lifestyle and having good fun with some old friends on a trail! Over the past few years, my experience with the Superenduro race championship has allowed me to discover fantastic locations all over Italy. I realized that there are some many great locations I would have never seen without attending all the races.

Racing was a great way for me to discover new places to ride
Racing was a great way for me to discover new places to ride

Last year, I joined a trip to one of the famous locations for biking in Italy that a foreign friend had organized. Everybody was totally focused on riding all day long and nobody bothered to organize an authentic, locally run hotel or a dinner at a proper Italian restaurant. Like almost everyone else, I like to show people the best of my country; being passionate about cycling and food pushes it one step forward.

Morning glory no better way to start the day than riding your bike with your friends
Morning glory: no better way to start the day than riding your bike with your friends

After some inspired discussions with a friend of mine, we decided to come up with a tour that provides an opportunity to fully experience the best parts that Northern Italy has to offer. The main goals were to ride some of Italy’s best kept trail secrets while at the same time dining at great traditional restaurants. From my time racing, I was still in contact with many riders from different parts of Italy. After some emails, several phone calls and about a thousand short messages later, we had a rough plan.

In search of the perfect Italian week

We kept on searching not a bad office to start the day
We kept on searching, not a bad office to start the day.

What’s next? Go to Italy, find great trails and try the best restaurants and hotels. Easy, right? Our idea was pretty clear but it was not that simple to put together a good mix of all the things we wanted to have.

In search of the perfect Italian week

In search of the perfect Italian week
Every tiramisu went through a rigorous quality control process by trained employees.

Testing everything was a lot of hard work. We spent almost one month planning everything, riding trails, and testing restaurants and hotels! Eventually, after having gotten lost in many different parts of Italy, having slept in some strange hotels and sampled some odd flavors, we were rewarded with an amazing package! The result: one week of pure joy, new trails, great food spanning three regions in Italy.

In search of the perfect Italian week

In search of the perfect Italian week

In search of the perfect Italian week
Smooth, fast trails and an amazing view in search of the perfect week.

Mostly unknown single trails along with some of the best cuisine that Italy has to offer we must call it EATALIA. This is exactly what I would do if an old friend from abroad came to visit and asked me to ride.

In search of the perfect Italian week
Awarding experience: discovering great new trails in hidden locations.

In search of the perfect Italian week
Almost 360° sea view and one of the most beautiful trails we have ever ridden.

The guiding company Alpine Trails offers this trip now as part of their off season program. We will be supporting the trip in order to ensure the best possible quality of dining, learning proper Italian slang and experiencing some relaxed Mediterranean vibes. Through the collaboration with local riders and where available, local guiding companies, Alpine Trails wanted to make sure that you will get to ride the best trails in every location. See you in EATALIA.


Check out EATALIA on the Alpine Trails website - www.alpine-trails.ch/eatalia/
Follow Alpine Trails - Facebook - Instagram

Words: Luigi Mattei - Instagram
Photos: Luigi Mattei & Martin Bütler

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