01 - Overview
Antiquity's gentlest crossing of the Alps, now a cycle route: the Tyrolean leg of the Roman Via Claudia Augusta runs from the Bavarian border near Reutte over the Fernpass into the Inn valley, then up through the Altfinstermünz gorge to Nauders and the Reschen Pass - 150 km in the tracks of the legions, past the Ehrenberg castles with their 'highline179' footbridge and two great alpine passes.
The Via Claudia Augusta was the first continuous Roman trunk road across the Alps: completed in 47 AD under Emperor Claudius (begun around 15 BC by Drusus), it linked the Po plain with the Danube at Augsburg. Today's cycle route follows it from Bavaria to Venice; this Tyrolean leg picks it up at the state border near Pinswang and runs through the Ausserfern to Reutte, where the Ehrenberg castle ensemble rises above the historic Ehrenberg gorge, its two strongholds linked by the daring 'highline179' footbridge across the Fernpass road. Over the Fernpass (1,216 m) - the key crossing of the Alps already in Roman times - it passes the Fernsteinsee and drops to Nassereith and Imst in the Inn valley. Along the well-built Inn Cycle Path the route rolls through Landeck, Prutz and Ried to Pfunds, plunges into the wild gorge of Altfinstermünz, where the old road crosses the roaring Inn on historic bridges, and winds up in hairpins to Nauders. At the Reschen Pass, its highest point, the Via Claudia crosses into South Tyrol - down to the famous submerged church tower in the Reschensee reservoir.
- Regions
- Tyrol
- Start
- DE/AT border (Pinswang)
- Finish
- Nauders (AT/IT border)
- Surface
- Paved · Compacted · Gravel
- Network
- Regional
- Best season
- May - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Road-bike friendly
- Partly · Mixed surfacewell documented
90 % comfortably ridable, but a 3.9 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.
02 - Stages
5 stages · 150 km
01DE/AT border (Pinswang) - LermoosPinswang · Reutte · Heiterwang · Lermoos33 km
From Bavarian Füssen across the border at Pinswang into the Tyrolean Ausserfern. At Reutte the 'highline179' footbridge spans the Ehrenberg gorge between the parts of the castle ensemble; then gently through the Zwischentoren basin to the foot of the Fernpass at Lermoos.
- Ascent
- 535 m
- Descent
- 379 m
- Duration
- approx. 2.5-3 h
- Surface
- asphalt & gravel, some farm roads
Surface (measured): paved 86 % · fine gravel 14 %
02Lermoos - ImstLermoos · Biberwier · Fernpass · Nassereith · Imst36 km
The queen stage: up to the Fernpass (1,216 m), the Romans' key crossing of the Alps, past the deep-green Fernsteinsee. A long descent through Nassereith down into the Inn valley to Imst.
- Ascent
- 540 m
- Descent
- 890 m
- Duration
- approx. 3-4 h
- Surface
- asphalt & gravel (Fernpass)
Surface (measured): paved 43 % · gravel 30 % · fine gravel 27 %
03Imst - LandeckImst · Roppen · Imsterberg · Landeck23 km
An easy ride along the Inn on the well-built Inn Cycle Path through the lower Oberinntal to the district town of Landeck with its landmark castle above the streets.
- Ascent
- 158 m
- Descent
- 114 m
- Duration
- approx. 1.5-2 h
- Surface
- asphalt (Inn Cycle Path)
Surface (measured): paved
04Landeck - PfundsLandeck · Prutz · Ried · Pfunds26 km
Steadily but gently uphill through the upper Inn valley, past Prutz and Ried, into Pfunds near the Engadine with its old masonry farmhouses.
- Ascent
- 276 m
- Descent
- 92 m
- Duration
- approx. 2-2.5 h
- Surface
- asphalt (Inn Cycle Path)
Surface (measured): paved
05Pfunds - Nauders (AT/IT border)Pfunds · Altfinstermünz · Nauders · Reschenpass33 km
The big final climb: through the wild gorge of Altfinstermünz, where the old Roman road crosses the Inn on historic bridges, up in hairpins to Nauders and on to the pass summit at Reschen - the highest point and the crossing into South Tyrol.
- Ascent
- 866 m
- Descent
- 241 m
- Duration
- approx. 3-4 h
- Surface
- asphalt & gravel (final climb)
Surface (measured): paved 80 % · gravel 12 % · fine gravel 8 %
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 150 km. Ascent 2375 m, descent 1716 m. Lowest point 715 m, highest point 1465 m.
Elevation from OSM geometry + Digital Terrain Model (DGM) Austria (10 m).
Hover the profile to see the point on the map - and vice versa.
04 - POIs & Services
- Ehrenberg castle ensemble
- highline179 suspension bridge
- Fernpass
- Fernsteinsee & Sigmundsburg
- Schloss Landeck
- Altfinstermünz
- Schloss Naudersberg
- Via Claudia Augusta (Roman road)
- Reschen Pass
Services along the route
- Bett+Bike hostscyclist-friendly lodgings along the Via Claudia
- Bike & e-bike rentalReutte, Imst, Landeck, Nauders
- Fernpass shuttle & luggage transferorganised transfers over the passes
- Service pointsrepair stations + e-bike charging in the valley towns
Service points along the route
- Drinking water157
- Repair station5
- Bike shop14
- Bike rental2
- Charging station70
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
The Ehrenberg castle ruin on its rocky hill above the Reutte valley, a landmark on the Via Claudia Augusta.Photo: Burgruine Ehrenberg above Reutte on the Via Claudia Augusta · C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0 View of the Via Claudia Augusta in the Ausserfern region near Reutte, seen from the Schlosskopf fortress.Photo: Via Claudia Augusta landscape in the Ausserfern region · Unterillertaler · CC BY-SA 3.0 Roman cart ruts worn into the rock on the Fliesser Platte along the Via Claudia Augusta near Fliess.Photo: Roman cart ruts on the Fliesser Platte along the Via Claudia Augusta · Emolenz · CC BY 3.0
06 - Public transit
- AusserfernbahnReutte - connections to Garmisch-Partenkirchen / Kempten
- ÖBB ArlbergbahnImst-Pitztal and Landeck-Zams stations in the Inn valley
- Postbus Fernpassover the Fernpass between Reutte and Imst, seasonal bike trailer
- Postbus Oberinntal / ReschenLandeck · Pfunds · Nauders · Reschen Pass
Bikes carried on regional services; the Ausserfernbahn serves Reutte, the Arlbergbahn serves Imst and Landeck. A Postbus runs over the Fernpass and on to Nauders/Reschen - handy for skipping the two passes.
07 - GPX & TCX download
Download for GPS devices & apps
Clean track with elevation - imports as a single tour, compatible with Komoot, Garmin, Wahoo, Strava, RideWithGPS, OsmAnd.
Download stages individually (5)
Route derived from OpenStreetMap geometry - may differ slightly from on-the-ground signage. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0) · Elevation © DGM Austria (CC BY 3.0 AT). Redistribute with attribution.