Cycling With Children in the Dolomites
Exploring the mountains on a bicycle, with the breeze blowing in your hair and fresh air filling your lungs, is one of the most priceless experiences you can enjoy in the area around Andalo, a paradise for cyclists of all abilities and for family bike rides.With spectacular landscapes, beautiful countryside, ancient traditions, delicious cuisine and with entertainment for adults and children, there is so much for cyclists of all ages to enjoy here.
The Bear Cave Trails Centre
Designed for families with children, is a new MTB beginners’ area where young children can get a taste of mountain biking and practice their skills before heading out on the trails of Paganella. The name Bear Cave gives a club to the aims behind this new attraction for families visiting Andalo, reflecting how bears teach their cubs close to their den; in the same way the Bear Cave offers novice mountain bikers and children the chance to have a go at this fantastic form of cycling under the expert supervision of the instructors.
Dolomiti Paganella Bike
This project includes a network of routes dedicated to cyclists and also features special offers and services especially for them, such as partner hotels, transport to the trailheads or ski lifts, helping riders to reach more remote or high altitude areas more easily, plus the chance to hire equipment and all kinds of bikes.
Paganella Bike Park
3 parks and more than 400 km of trails are regularly maintained to ensure that cyclists always get the best experience, so they can savour the great views, beautiful surroundings and first-class services: the Fai Zone, the oldest and most challenging area, the easy Molveno Zone and the Andalo Zone, suitable for different types of bikes and cyclists of all ages.The Paganella Bike Park Season officially opens in spring: precise dates, opening times, prices for bicycle transport tickets and for use of the ski lifts may vary from year to year, so it is best to check the most up-to-date details before setting off.When the Paganella Bike Park opens, so do the bicycle and equipment hire shops, guide offices, repair services, bike washes, changing rooms with toilets, lockers and kit washing facilities.The trails have different difficulty levels, with something to suit everyone, from adrenaline-filled options for experienced riders (such as the downhill, expert, freeride and enduro trails) to more straightforward routes for beginners for those who prefer the option of an e-bike.For families looking for a cycling holiday with children, whether on their own bike, a tagalong or a child seat, the family trails are generally suitable for everyone. The easier ones are designed to take between 30 minutes and 2 hours but if you are looking to step it up a level there are longer options with bigger climbs and higher difficulty levels.
Four reasons to love Paganella Bike Park
There are more than just four reasons why families who choose to spend their summer mountain holidays in Andalo fall in love with the Paganella Bike Park but we have tried to some up the main ones:
- Trails suitable for children
The Bike Park features a number of trails designed specifically for families with children, divided into different levels according to age and ability. In the park, cyclists of all ages will find short, simple and virtually entirely flat trails designed to take between 30 minutes and 2 hours; there are also longer options and ones with uphill sections that are a bit more challenging but still very safe. - E-bike: environmentally friendly and safe
For families who love cycling but do not feel up to taking on a trail with children on board, at the Paganella Bike Park you can hire both traditional mountain bikes and e-bikes, to help you make light work of any trail! - Organised rides
To help you get the most out of your cycling holiday with your children and to find the best views, you can hire an experienced guide for a private or group ride. - Refreshments and play areas
All along the trails in the Paganella Bike Park there are plenty of places where you can stop off for refreshments, alongside facilities for children, including outdoor playgrounds where everyone can relax and recharge the batteries (including mum and dad!) after a summer bike ride.
Family Bike: exploring the bike paths!
For fans of mountain biking, there is more than just the Paganella Bike Park, there are also many kilometres of cycle paths and facilities for cyclists.In Andalo and across the Trentino region there is a network of cycle paths, graded by difficulty level, which families and cyclists can use to explore the surrounding valleys and the other beautiful parts of the region.
The “BiciBus” service offers the chance to take your bike by public transport (the bikes are loaded onto a trailer towed behind the bus) to explore places that are a bit further afield, giving families the chance for a grand day out.
Not just cycling: fun and relaxation for all at Andalo Life Park
Whilst cycling is great, especially in Andalo, cycling is not the only summer sport that tourists can try their hand at during their holidays with their children. At the Andalo Life activity park, people of all ages can spend some precious time together playing sport or relaxing, using the dedicated facilities, such as the Baby Roccia Kids’ Club, trampolines, inflatables, climbing walls, horse rides, tennis courts and there is even a spa for mum and dad!