White Covelano marble, known as Göflaner Marmor, comes from one of the highest active quarries in Europe
Image gallery: MTB tour from Covelano to the marble quarry
At 2,200 metres above sea level, high above the Val Venosta village of Covelano, this "white gold" is still mined today. On this August day, we want to explore the site by mountain bike. Our starting point is Covelano itself: We ride along Via Schmidinger road towards the church and then immediately face a steep climb. After a few minutes, we reach the road to Monte Tramontana.
At the first junction, we keep right towards Monte Tramontana di Dentro, then turn left to the Wiebenhof farm and right again towards the Tafratz organic farm. After this zig-zag section, we join the forest road and follow the signpost for "Malga Covelano / Göflaner Alm". Twelve hairpin bends later, we reach the pasture at 1,826 metres, which also has a mountain hut serving snacks - a pleasant place for our first break. After this, we tackle the final section along the hiking trail.
It takes us towards the marble quarry. The ascent of almost 200 metres of elevation gain over a distance of 800 metres can be done by alternating between riding and pushing. Alternatively, we recommend taking the forest road for this section! Large, freshly cut blocks of the glowing white stone - one of the purest and hardest marbles in the world - lie at the quarry. Old buildings like the Wantlhütte cabin and the machine house bear witness to the long history of marble mining.
The extraction sites are located at the foot of the Hörnele and Croda Jenne in the Lasa Mountains - both of which reach a height of almost 3,000 metres. For the descent back down into the valley, we choose a different route and ride down the switchbacks to just below the Covelano Hut, where we join trail no. 10. This path, which widens further down, leads us to Monte Tramontana di Dentro.
As this section is difficult for e-bike riders due to some parts where you have to push, you can turn right onto path no. 3 (towards Covelano) instead. However, there is a short section right by an alpine hut where you will need to carry your bike. This brings you onto a forest road that also leads to Monte Tramontana di Dentro. From there, the final stretch back to Covelano is on asphalt.
Author: AT
Experienced: August 2019
Last updated: 2026
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- Starting point:
- Covelano village centre (724 m a.s.l.)
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- Overall time:
- 04:15 h
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- Total route length:
- 26,4 km
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- Altitude:
- from 724 m to 2.134 m
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- Altitude difference (uphill | downhill):
- +1455 m | -1445 m
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- Route:
- Covelano - Tafratz organic farm - Covelano Hut - marble quarry - Monte Tramontana di Dentro - Covelano
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- Signposts:
- "Tafratz", "Malga di Covelano", "Marmorweg", no. 10, "Covelano" (alternatively no. 3)
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- Destination:
- Covelano marble quarry (2,134 m a.s.l.)
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- Resting points:
- Covelano Hut (June to September/October)
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- Track surface:
- 19 km gravel roads and natural trails, 7 km asphalt road, 2 km path (single trail)
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- Recommended time of year:
- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
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- Download GPX track:
- MTB tour from Covelano to the marble quarry
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- More information:
- The overall time shown above refers to the cycling time only, not including breaks or stops.
We highly recommend checking the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before starting this tour.
