A route suspended among the high-altitude woods of Alpe Cimbra, nature's open wounds, and imposing stone remnants of the Great War. A gravel itinerary that blends the pure joy of riding with the discovery of secluded landscapes and ancient silences. The loop winds between Lavarone, Passo Vezzena, and the Asiago Plateau, offering an unmissable bike touring experience that changes its face with every season.
In this article
From the quiet of Magré to the jaws of the Dragon
The Cimbran plateau, set between Lavarone, Folgaria, and Luserna, has all the ideal characteristics of a gravel paradise: gentle slopes, numerous forest roads, and military tracks connected by quiet paved roads and landscapes that shift with every change in gradient.
For this loop itinerary, the ideal starting point is the access parking area (it is a pay parking lot, but 3€ a day is more than reasonable) for the sculpture by Martalar, which inspired the title of this article. We are in the suspended calm of the hamlet of Magré, one of the hamlets of Lavarone. It is a peaceful village where Alpine architecture has conversed for centuries with the surrounding meadows and the first fringes of the forest.
There is no time for a gentle start: just the very first few meters of road bring you face to face with a steep concrete ramp. Your legs warm up instantly, heart rates rise, but the initial effort is immediately rewarded. In fact, the climb leads us right into the presence of one of the most striking, powerful, and evocative art installations in the entire Alpine arc: the majestic Vaia Dragon.
Vaia Dragon Regeneration
Born from the genius and sensitivity of artist Marco Martalar, this wooden giant dominates the landscape with an almost mythological presence. What makes it extraordinary is not only its visual majesty, but its deep soul and history.The sculpture was built entirely by assembling over three thousand fragments of roots, branches, and trunks felled by the devastating fury of Storm Vaia, which swept away entire forests across the Eastern Alps in October 2018. Standing at the foot of the Dragon with your bike at your side means touching the fragility of the mountains firsthand, but also witnessing the extraordinary ability of both nature and humanity to rise again from destruction, turning grief into a pure, weather-resistant work of art.
The climb toward the Vezzena pastures
After putting down the bike and taking a well-deserved break to contemplate the view and snap a few photos, it is time to get back on track. The route abruptly leaves the artwork behind to dive without hesitation into the heart of the forest. During the shoulder seasons, and especially during the autumn foliage weeks, riding along this forest road turns into an unforgettable visual and sensory experience. The beech forest wraps the cyclist in a palette of warm colors: the treetops take on shades ranging from ochre yellow to rust red and deep brown.
