{"id":4312,"date":"2026-03-06T06:41:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T05:41:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finka.news\/radfahrer-willkommen-die-finka-ist-bett-bike\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T12:49:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T11:49:29","slug":"via-claudia-augusta-cycling-hostel-mals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finka.news\/en\/via-claudia-augusta-cycling-hostel-mals\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyclists Welcome \u2013 FinKa is a Bett+Bike Hostel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Travelling along the Via Claudia Augusta: Why Mals has become the perfect stop between Reschen Pass and Merano for many cyclists.
<\/strong>
First you hear the quiet click of the gear shift, then a short sigh of relief \u2013 finally done. The bicycle is leaned against the wall of the house, the helmet taken off, the water bottle long since empty. Anyone arriving at the FinKa like this has usually already had a long day behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can recognize cycle travellers immediately. Their legs are tired, their jerseys marked by a full day on the road. Sooner or later they stand at the reception desk of the FinKa <\/a><\/strong>\u2013 and after checking in, the same first question almost always comes up: \u201cWhere can we safely store our bikes?\u201d<\/strong> Anyone travelling by bicycle quickly realizes that accommodation is not simply a bed for the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bicycle needs a safe place for the night. Wet clothing needs somewhere to dry. And sometimes a small repair still waits in the evening \u2013 a tyre with too little air, a loose screw, or simply the ritual of checking the bike again after a long day on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cycle touring follows its own logic. Those travelling by bicycle move slowly \u2013 and that is precisely the difference. The landscape does not rush past; it gradually opens up. Rivers show the way, ancient trade routes<\/a><\/strong> lead through valleys, and somewhere on the horizon a mountain pass is always waiting. With every kilometre, not only does the distance grow, but also the awareness of everything that lies along the way. By the end of the day, you know quite precisely how many metres of elevation are in your legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps that is exactly the special appeal of travelling by bicycle: the world does not become faster \u2013 you simply become more attentive. Those who travel this way need places along the route where they can arrive for a night. Places that understand what a long stage means. That is exactly why the FinKa is a member of Bett+Bike<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This certification highlights accommodation that is consciously geared towards cycle travellers \u2013 with secure bike storage, tools for small repairs, places to dry clothing, and hosts who understand that after a long day on the road cyclists often need just two things: a good dinner and a bed. For the FinKa, that fits perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cyclist-Friendly Infrastructure at FinKa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For cycle travellers, the evening often comes down to something quite simple: having everything they need. At the FinKa there is therefore a large, lockable bike garage<\/strong> where bicycles can be stored safely overnight. After a long day on the road, this is often the first real relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equipment is also taken care of. In our laundry room with washing machine and dryer<\/strong>, guests can clean and dry their cycling clothes \u2013 a luxury not to be underestimated when you are travelling for several days in a row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For smaller repairs, basic tools are available: a pump, simple tools and space to quickly check the bike. And if something more serious than a flat tyre happens, the solution is practically around the corner. The bike repair shop Sport Tenne<\/a><\/strong> is located only about one hundred metres from the FinKa. We work closely with the workshop, and larger repairs can usually be handled quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a long stage, however, many cyclists first head to the FinKa\u2019s garde<\/strong>n. A cold drink, a moment in the shade, a pizza from the oven or a plate of dumplings \u2013 in Val Venosta (Vinschgau) this is something like alpine superfood for tired cyclists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And because many guests set off again early the next morning, breakfast at the FinKa starts already at 7:00 a.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cycle Tours Around Mals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many guests are not simply passing through. Some stay for two or three days and use Mals as a starting point for cycling in Val Venosta<\/a><\/strong>. The FinKa is ideally located for this \u2013 for many of these tours it serves both as the starting point and the finishing point of a ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Cycling around Mals in Val Venosta (Vinschgau). Many guests use FinKa as a starting point for rides towards Reschen Pass, Stelvio Pass or along the Via Claudia Augusta. \u00a9 IDM S\u00fcdtirol \/ Thomas Gr\u00fcner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A classic, of course, is the Stelvio Pass<\/a><\/strong>. Some cyclists ride from Mals via Glurns and Prad to Trafoi and then climb up to the pass. The 48 hairpin bends<\/strong> are for many riders a small life goal. Afterwards the route descends into the Val M\u00fcstair<\/strong> and returns via Taufers back to Mals \u2013 and thus back to the FinKa. A loop that is hard to surpass in terms of scenery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others choose a more international option. From the FinKa the route first leads into Val M\u00fcstair<\/strong> in Switzerland. From there it continues over the Ofen Pass<\/strong> down to Zernez and further towards Scuol. Shortly after crossing into Austria the climb up to Nauders<\/strong> begins again. From there the route leads back over the Reschen Pass<\/strong> into South Tyrol \u2013 and finally back to Mals and the FinKa. An Alpine loop across three countries<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travelling on the Via Claudia Augusta<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many of our guests follow a route that has crossed this landscape for almost two thousand years: the Via Claudia Augusta<\/a><\/strong>. This historic road once connected the Danube with northern Italy. Today the cycling route usually begins in Donauw\u00f6rth<\/strong> and runs for about 820 kilometres<\/strong> to Verona<\/strong>. Many cycle travellers leave the route earlier, however, turning from the Adige Valley towards Lake Garda<\/strong>, which for many has become the true destination of the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many cyclists, Mals<\/strong> lies exactly at the point where a long stage across the Alps suddenly turns into a relaxed ride through Val Venosta (Vinschgau)<\/strong>. Right here, between Reschen Pass<\/strong> and the first orchards of the valley, lies the FinKa \u2013 for many cycle travellers a natural place to pause or spend the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many of them, the FinKa therefore lies almost exactly on one of the most beautiful stages of this route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most guests who arrive here crossed the Fern Pass<\/strong> the day before and spent the night somewhere around Landeck<\/strong>. The following day they continue southwards \u2013 over Reschen Pass<\/strong> and into the upper Val Venosta. By the time they finally reach Mals<\/strong>, a long day is already behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reward usually comes the next morning. The section from Reschen Pass<\/strong> through Mals<\/strong> down towards Merano<\/strong> or Bolzano<\/strong> is considered one of the most beautiful stretches of the entire route. The cycle path follows the Adige River<\/strong> through orchards and villages, the Alps slowly open up, and the route runs mostly gently downhill. Many travellers later say: it was one of the most beautiful days of their entire journey.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Cyclists at Lake Resia on the Via Claudia Augusta. For many, this is where the stage through Val Venosta towards Mals and Merano begins. \u00a9 IDM S\u00fcdtirol \/ F. Blickle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some Travel Much Further<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For some cycle travellers, the Via Claudia Augusta<\/strong> is only one section of a much longer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guests from the Netherlands<\/strong> in particular \u2013 a country with a strong cycling culture \u2013 often start directly from home and ride for several weeks across Europe, sometimes with a destination much further south: Rome<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others follow the Adige Cycle Path<\/strong>. This route also begins at Reschen Pass<\/strong> and follows the Adige River<\/strong> for long stretches all the way to the Adriatic Sea<\/strong>. Many cyclists leave the route near Verona<\/strong>, while others stay close to the river and continue all the way to its mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Adige River<\/strong> finally reaches the Adriatic Sea near Porto Fossone<\/strong> in the province of Rovigo<\/strong>, where it forms the northern boundary of the Po Delta<\/strong>. Anyone who rides that far has completed one of the longest continuous cycling routes in Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stories from the Bike Garage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, however, guests arrive at the FinKa whose journeys have an entirely different dimension. One cyclist who stayed with us had already been travelling for several months. His journey had not started somewhere in Europe, but in South Africa<\/strong>. From there he rode his bicycle across Africa and Europe \u2013 all the way back home to Switzerland<\/strong>. For him, too, the FinKa was simply one stop along this long road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there was a young man from the Netherlands<\/strong>. He had set himself the goal of cycling from Holland all the way to the Great Wall of China<\/strong>. I followed his journey for months on Polarsteps<\/strong>. By the time he finally arrived in Val Venosta (Vinschgau)<\/strong>, he already had almost a thousand kilometres in his legs \u2013 and yet the largest part of his journey still lay ahead of him. He stayed with us at the FinKa for two days to rest a little after many long stages. Then he climbed back onto his bicycle and continued riding eastward \u2013 towards his destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Cycle traveller Guido Haex from the Netherlands in the courtyard of FinKa in Mals. During his bicycle journey from Holland to the Great Wall of China, he stopped here for a short break.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the Evening and in the Morning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When the evening becomes quiet, sometimes twenty or thirty bicycles<\/strong> stand in our courtyard. Some lean against the wall of the house, others are already stored in the garage. Helmets hang over the handlebars, panniers rest on the benches in the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some guests still sit together \u2013 in the garden, in the dining room or in the Salone<\/strong>. They drink an aperitivo, wait for a pizza from the oven or a plate of dumplings, and talk about headwinds, mountain passes or a particularly beautiful moment from the day\u2019s ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning the journey continues. The next stage is waiting. Some ride only as far as Merano<\/strong>, others continue to Bolzano<\/strong> or even further. And yet every morning there is a certain sense of departure around the FinKa. Those of us who stay behind and work here sometimes watch them a little wistfully as they disappear around the next bend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For one night, however, the FinKa was a small stop along their journey. Sometimes that is all it takes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Cyclist Services at FinKa<\/h3>\n\n

Location<\/strong>\nMals in Upper Val Venosta (Vinschgau) \u2013 directly on the Via Claudia Augusta cycle route and close to Reschen Pass.\n<\/p>\n\n

For cyclists we offer<\/strong><\/p>\n