Stage 17
Selva di Val Gardena/Wolkenstein in Gröden > Passo del Brocon
Entering Trentino
It is still the walls of the Dolomites watching from above as the riders hit the starting line. Selva di Val Gardena, one of the great tourist capitals of South Tyrol, has everything one needs and everything one likes: grandiose panoramas, extensive coniferous forests, a well-branched network of paths and routes for hikers and bikers. The Giro d'Italia is at home in these parts, and the Sella Pass is the first climb to be tackled today, shortly before entering Trentino and gliding into the Val di Fassa. At least three things are to be seen in Bassano del Grappa. The Ponte degli Alpini, designed by Palladio and renovated in recent years, Palazzo Sturm which houses the Ceramics Museum and Printing Museum, and the Castello degli Ezzelini. Let's then get acquainted with the renowned local grappa at the Poli Museum and the Grapperia Nardini.
Sport and culture
Our gaze is once again attracted by the peaks towering above the road, and it is worth retracing the history of these lands by visiting the Museo Ladin de Fascia in the village of Pozza di Fassa, which traces the entire historical parabola of the valley: from prehistory to production activities, from legends to popular traditions, from the Great War to the advent of mountaineering and tourism, with 17 interactive stations showing over 70 clips. Satisfy your taste buds by stopping at the Caseificio Sociale located in Pera di Fassa, in whose building visitors will also find the small L Malghier museum, dedicated to traditional cheese production. Before entering Predazzo, let's take a look at the ski-jumping trampolines where the medals for the 2026 Olympics will be awarded. Let's also visit the Alpine School's Historical Museum in Predazzo, where many exciting memories of the athletes who, wearing the uniform of the Fiamme Gialle, won countless Olympic and world medals, especially in winter sports, are on display.
Shortly after Bellamonte, we enter the territory of the Paneveggio Pale di San Martino Natural Park, characterised by the famous forest of violins, with thousands of spruce trees that, thanks to their quality, have been used for centuries to make fine musical instruments. An obligatory stop at Passo Rolle, at the foot of the superb Pale di San Martino, a short break in the primiero and, having crossed Passo Gobbera, we enter the hot phase of the day. The riders will climb the Passo del Brocon twice and will not get the chance to enjoy these locations as much as visitors will
Under the griffon's eyes
And that is too bad for them, because the section of the Valsugana that stretches around the racecourse is full of interesting sights. The most recent attraction is the Grifone del Tesino, the new Land Art work created by artist Marco Martalar with roots and wood from the storm Vaia, placed above the village of Celado, also known for its astronomical observatory.
Two museums in Pieve Tesino are well worth a visit: the one dedicated to Alcide De Gasperi, one of the main protagonists of Italian politics immediately after the Second World War, and the Museo Per Via, which recounts the epic story of the print peddlers who, between the 18th and 19th centuries, rewrote the history of the Tesino valley, spreading its name in Europe and the world.
