750 km & 12,000 m of climbing on the trail of the first crossing of the Alps
Start: 29 August 2026 · 10:00 · Milan (Porta Romana) — Finisher party: 3 September at 3 Mills
The key facts
Data, figures, facts
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A gravel long-distance ride over the Alps — raw, demanding, real.
Milan–Munich — the legendary long-distance ride experienced anew
The Milan–Munich long-distance ride brings one of the great classics of cycling back to life — the first transalpine bicycle race in history (1894). This extraordinary crossing of the Alps follows the tracks of those pioneers who conquered the mountains with steel frames, woollen jerseys and unbending will — and connects the raw spirit of past endeavours with the dynamism of today’s gravel scene.
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- Milan Cathedral, Duomo di Milano, one of the largest churches in the world
On the trail of the pioneers
Anyone who sets off today between Milan and Munich rides in the tracks of cycling’s first transalpine crossing — an undertaking that in 1894 demanded more courage than equipment. Steel frame, woollen jersey, lantern — and a will of granite.
“You slip — most safely in the tyre tracks full of rainwater.” — Hirsch
“I would have preferred to cross the Brenner a second time than the last ten kilometres before Munich.” — Gerger
The reports of those days read like an epic in chain oil and dust. No pathos, no pose — only the raw seriousness of conquering the route.
Original reports & sources:
The full eyewitness accounts by Hirsch, Grüttner, Gerger and Dr Speer can be found here.
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Original reports & sources:
The full eyewitness accounts by Hirsch, Grüttner, Gerger and Dr Speer can be found here.
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A journey between two worlds
From the cultural diversity and Mediterranean elegance of Milan to the urban energy and Bavarian way of life in Munich, this route runs through one of Europe’s most impressive landscapes. Over alpine passes, through deep valleys and along historic trade routes, the ride connects not only two cities but two eras of cycling: the heroic years of the long-distance rides — and today’s spirit of discovery in gravel cycling.Tradition meets innovation
What began in 1894 as a daring experiment — Josef Fischer won the first running and wrote cycling history — is today reinterpreted as a homage to that pioneering feat. The modern route follows the spirit of the historic course, not its exact line: over gravel roads instead of asphalt, over old alpine crossings instead of motorways, with a focus on experience rather than pure speed.More than a race
This long-distance ride is no ordinary event. It is an invitation to experience history — not to read it. In the legs. In the landscape. In the encounters along the way.The key information
Surface profile
Gravel means variety — and that is exactly what the Milan–Munich long-distance ride offers. Expect fast gravel sections, quiet back roads, narrow paths and the occasional steep ramp on concrete or grass. Variety is guaranteed, but you won’t find technical root trails or extreme terrain here — at most a single root at the edge of the path. Busy main roads are consistently avoided; you cross them only briefly before heading straight back into the next fine section.
Your bike: equipment requirements
A robust gravel setup pays off on the Milan–Munich ride. We recommend a tyre width of at least 40 mm — wider tyres add comfort and give you more security on descents over coarser material. In the wet, some sections can get muddy; with classic semi-slicks you will be noticeably limited here. 40 mm leichte Untersetzung .
Getting there
Start in Milan
Vom Booking directly with ÖBB From Milan’s main station it is only a few kilometres to the start at Porta Romana Nightjet connections long-distance trains, coaches and night services from Germany, Austria and Switzerland run daily. Train and bike are a perfect match in theory — in practice often a small challenge. Booking directly with ÖBB oder Trenitalia- Nightjet connections Milan offers a broad range of places to stay — from modern design hotels to simple hostels or campsites near the city. As an international metropolis with a growing cycling culture, the city is well prepared for travellers with bikes: secure storage, flexible check-in times and good connections to train, bus and metro are standard in many places.
- In regional trains between Switzerland, Austria and Italy, a bike ticket is usually enough — no reservation needed.
- Stazione Centrale Long-distance coaches are an excellent option too: they run regularly between Munich and Milan, carrying a bike is often possible, and prices stay fair even at short notice. Travelling overnight saves time and gets you to the start at dawn.
Accommodation
Milan offers a broad range of places to stay — from modern design hotels to simple hostels or campsites near the city. As an international metropolis with a growing cycling culture, the city is well prepared for travellers with bikes: secure storage, flexible check-in times and good connections to train, bus and metro are standard in many places. Porta Romana, Navigli oder Stazione Centrale — all with easy access to the start and nearby cycle paths. Camping Village Città di Milano a fitting option: about eight kilometres west of the centre, with large tent areas, well-kept facilities and a direct bus link into the city. An uncomplicated solution for bikepackers with a tent or light luggage, too. Alternatively, the surrounding area has several Radfahrerfreundliche Hotels – etwa in Sesto San Giovanni oder Cesano Maderno — offering secure bike storage and workshop areas. They are well connected to the centre by regional train and offer a quieter setting before the start. Central, quiet or under the open sky — in Milan there is accommodation for every preference, making the start of the ride comfortable and stress-free.
Sleeping during the ride
This event is a self-supported ride: ultimately you are responsible for your own food, sleep and breaks. Whether you lean towards a spontaneous hammock or a hotel is your free choice. The code of self-supported rides, however, requires that accommodation is not booked in advance from your sofa at home, but at the earliest while underway. So commit to the ride and see how it unfolds. in Austria, wild camping is absolutely taboo.
Departure
Tipp: Plan some buffer time and reserve bike spaces as early as possible. If you prefer to travel spontaneously, the coach is usually the most flexible.
www.muenchen.de marks the first great panorama — a brief moment of southern ease before the route enters the narrow
Munich & the return journey
and usually limited — so book early. www.bahn.de- Fernbusse (z. B. FlixBus) www.sbb.ch Regional connections– via
www.flixbus.de
- Long-distance trains www.trenitalia.com www.oebb.at (SBB / DB) oder Innsbruck Reservierung erforderlich reservierungspflichtig www.nightjet.com
www.bahn.de |
www.oebb.at |
www.sbb.ch
- Regional connections Munich Central Station Mailand – Verona – Brenner – InnsbruckLong-distance coach to Milan
www.trenitalia.com |
www.oebb.at
- by regional trains. This is usually more relaxed than securing a bike space on a long-distance train at short notice. One more day in Munich Reservierung erforderlichBeer gardens, museums, the Isar meadows
www.nightjet.com
Tipp: Plan some buffer time and reserve bike spaces as early as possible. If you prefer to travel spontaneously, the coach is usually the most flexible.
Return from Munich
After arriving, everything is easy: it is only a few kilometres from the finish to Munich main station. Munich is southern Germany’s most important transport hub — with direct links to international train, coach and night services. Milan–Munich it is only a few kilometres from the finish to Munich main station. Munich is southern Germany’s most important transport hub. Start at back to Milan, or roll via Innsbruck → Verona → Mailand by regional trains. This is usually more relaxed than securing a bike space on a long-distance train at short notice.One more day in Munich
If time allows: stay an extra day. Munich has everything a good finish city needs — beer gardens, museums, the Isar meadows and a relaxed atmosphere. After the long kilometres, it is the perfect place to let the ride wind down. Section 2: From the Po plain to Lake Garda and a relaxed atmosphere. After the long kilometres, it is the perfect place to let the ride wind down.
www.muenchen.de marks the first great panorama — a brief moment of southern ease before the route enters the narrow
The individual route sections
valley. Vineyards, orchards and old village roads accompany you as the air noticeably changes: from the warm south to the cooler breath of the Alps. Section 3: South Tyrol — Bolzano and the gateway to the passes covers around 750 kilometres from the Lombard metropolis over the Alps to the Bavarian capital. A route that connects opposites — Mediterranean flair meets alpine stillness, urban pulse meets solitude at altitude.
Section 1: Start — Milan
offering simple but authentic places to stay. A place to breathe — before the alpine core calls. Porta Romana — one of the old city gates that once sent pilgrims, traders and wayfarers on their way north. Today the pulse of the metropolis is here: cafés open their doors, mopeds rattle through narrow lanes, the scent of espresso and freshly baked focaccia hangs in the air. Milan — city of . The crossing from Italy to Austria goes over a pass steeped in tradition, the Klamljoch, in the region that already challenged the long-distance riders in 1894. The climb winds in long curves, the rock turns barren, the air thinner. Every metre demands strength and focus — and rewards you with wide views over the peaks. At the top: silence, wind, perhaps snow. Below: the fast descent into Tyrol., a melting pot of elegance and industry — is the ideal starting point for this ride. Your journey begins between Renaissance façades, a modern skyline and lively street life. As soon as you leave the city limits, the traffic falls quiet and the light opens up. On fast gravel and back roads you roll through the Lombardische EbeneBeyond Innsbruck the land opens up. You follow the river towards Kufstein, then over gentle hills and forests to Rosenheim. Small roads and quiet field tracks alternate, villages appear and vanish again — a piece of Bavaria that doesn’t show off its beauty loudly, but reveals it in passing.
Section 2: From the Po plain to Lake Garda
The road gradually steepens, the terrain becomes livelier. You pass old trade routes and small bridges, and with every kilometre you feel the mountains drawing closer. Lake Garda marks the first great panorama — a brief moment of southern ease before the route enters the narrow Adige valley. Vineyards, orchards and old village roads accompany you as the air noticeably changes: from the warm south to the cooler breath of the Alps. Lago di Garda . Small roads and quiet field tracks alternate, villages appear and vanish again — a piece of Bavaria that doesn’t show off its beauty loudly, but reveals it in passing. Etschtal Ziel in
Section 3: South Tyrol — Bolzano and the gateway to the passes
From Bolzano the mountains start to get serious. The route follows old roads through quiet valleys, past castles, farms and rock faces. The valley opens, the landscape grows wide and clear. Here lie the first refuges and inns offering simple but authentic places to stay. A place to breathe — before the alpine core calls. 3Mills. Here the distance ends — but not the movement. Munich is hub and exit at once: perfectly connected for the return, full of life for anyone who wants to stay.
Section 4: Over the Alps — the historic pass
This is the queen stage. The crossing from Italy to Austria goes over a pass steeped in tradition, the Klamljoch, in the region that already challenged the long-distance riders in 1894. The climb winds in long curves, the rock turns barren, the air thinner. Every metre demands strength and focus — and rewards you with wide views over the peaks. At the top: silence, wind, perhaps snow. Below: the fast descent into Tyrol.
Section 5: Tyrol — refuelling in the Inn valley
The descent takes you into the Brenner area, then on along the Inn. The landscape alternates between mountain and town, between history and modernity. Innsbruck makes a good logistical waypoint — with food, lodging and the chance to catch your breath before the north calls.
Section 6: The Bavarian alpine foothills
Beyond Innsbruck the land opens up. You follow the river towards Kufstein, then over gentle hills and forests to Rosenheim. Small roads and quiet field tracks alternate, villages appear and vanish again — a piece of Bavaria that doesn’t show off its beauty loudly, but reveals it in passing. Kufstein, then over gentle hills and forests to Rosenheim. Small roads and quiet field tracks alternate, villages appear and vanish again — a piece of Bavaria that doesn’t show off its beauty loudly, but reveals it in passing.
Section 7: Finish — Munich
Ziel in and usually limited — so book early. — city of beer gardens, art and clear lakes, where tradition and modernity are not opposites but meet on the same street. After days on gravel, asphalt and alpine passes, you reach the Bavarian capital — tired perhaps, but fulfilled. You roll in over the Isar meadows, past the towers of the Frauenkirche, through avenues where history and present overlap. Munich welcomes you with open hospitality: a cold Helles in the shade of the chestnut trees, perhaps a jump into the Eisbach or a walk through the English Garden. The end point is the bike café
3Mills. Here the distance ends — but not the movement. Munich is hub and exit at once: perfectly connected for the return, full of life for anyone who wants to stay.
Then
Milan–Munich: a long-distance ride that made history
The conditions were hard: unpaved roads, bad weather and no modern equipment. The participants — 49 cyclists from several nations in all — wore simple clothing and rode without gears, with nothing but pure muscle power and unbending will. Yet it was precisely this simplicity that made the achievement all the more remarkable. The 1,200 metres of climbing up to the Brenner were an immense test of endurance — and that on bicycles which, though they seem archaic, at the same time bear surprising similarities to modern gravel bikes.
Over the Alps
The route of the Milan–Munich long-distance ride
Gravel route Milan–Munich — the hidden line
The modern version of the long-distance ride leaves the old transit route and seeks its own way: not over the noisy traffic pass, but over a quiet, high-alpine connection known only to insiders.
From Milan to the alpine foreland
From the Lombard plain you roll out on back roads and gravel tracks. Lake Garda is the first great gateway to the mountains — glittering water, olive groves, a foretaste of what is to come.
Through the valleys to the heart of the Alps
Via Trento and Bolzano you head into the upper valley. Here the way narrows, the roads lose their certainty, and the landscape begins to test you. Soon the route turns to gravel, forest tracks, sometimes only paths.
The secret crossing
Instead of taking the obvious crossing, the line leads further into the high mountains. The climb grows steeper, lonelier, wilder. At over 2,000 metres a nondescript notch awaits — not an official pass but a hidden crossing you don’t find by chance. Here it becomes an adventure — a piece of real expedition.
Descent into the next valley
On the other side a new valley opens. The way down is rough and steep, a mix of old military paths, meadow tracks and gravel. But soon comes relief: a lively valley with small villages where asphalt reappears and the legs are allowed to roll.
The line to Munich
From here the track leads towards the Inn, then into Bavaria. Over small paths and quiet roads you head for the finish: Munich, where urban energy and Bavarian hospitality round off the alpine journey.
The profile of the new route
- Distance: approx. 750 km
- Highest point: over 2,200 m
- Character: wild, remote, high-alpine
- Difficulty: very high — fitness and a spirit of adventure essential
- Reward: the silence and grandeur of a route that hardly anyone knows
Myths and legends of Milan–Munich
Cheers — and at once the shadow
Am 11.–12. Juni 1894 gewinnt Josef Fischer (Munich) wins the Milan–Munich long-distance ride in 29:32:30. Max Reheis (Wasserburg) folgt rund 1½ Stunden later. The press celebrates the “alpine ride” — but while the laurel wreaths still hang, the gravest accusation that could be made at the time circulates: „ziehen lassen“. Along the route between Oberaudorf – Rosenheim – Ostermünchen spectators claim to have seen a rope between riders; and shoulder pushes are alleged.
The protest — and a strange “yes, but”
Reheis lodges an official protest. The Schiedsgericht of the race (chaired by Wilh. Schwaiger) bewertet am 7. Juli 1894 the submitted statements (among them the innkeeper/server in Oberflintsbach, border and road wardens, villagers). The upshot:- Statements suggesting “towing” — accepted.
- Gegenaussagen from the official posts and Fischer’s Schrittmacher – ebenso anerkannt.
- Formaler Knock-out: Reheis’ Protest late (he had accepted the 2nd prize), so it was rejected – Fischer bleibt Sieger.
The duel moves to court
The dispute escalates on both sides:- Fischer telegrafiert am 2. Juli the Munich sports committee, Reheis had himself towed over the Brenner — ohne Beweis. Before the Munich district court (28 Nov 1894) Fischer withdraws the claim „in gutem Glauben, aber unbeweisbar“ ; settlement, Kosten geteilt. Applaus im vollen Sportsaal.
- Reheis sues the Neue Münchener Tageblatt for defamation (it had supported Fischer’s view based on the pacemaker’s testimony and the jury’s ruling). Verdict: Verurteilung des verantwortlichen Redakteurs zu 150 Mark (ersatzweise 15 Tage Haft); Reheis freigesprochen and entitled to publish the verdict in the paper and in the Deutschen Radfahrer-Bund (Berufung is announced).
Held, Märtyrer – oder einfach „Mensch auf dem Rad“?
The legend thrives on contradiction: a technically and physically outstanding ride over the Brenner, a protest with dutzenden Zuschaueraussagen, a jury that lets both stand — and in the end two rivals who carry the fight from the road into meeting rooms . It is precisely this rift between heroism and blemish that makes Milan–Munich to this day so narratively powerfulThe history of Milan–Munich
A pioneering feat over the Alps
The Milan–Munich long-distance ride, first held in 1894, is regarded as the first great transalpine long-distance ride and as a high point of early cycling history in the German-speaking world. While Vienna–Berlin opened up the breadth of the plains and Vienna–Trieste symbolised the link between metropolis and sea, Milan–Munich dared the leap into the high mountains — over the Brenner Pass, right through the Alps.
A feat of extremes
46 riders lined up at the start in Milan. Their goal: the Bavarian capital, 590 kilometres away. The route ran through the Lombard plain, past Lake Garda, through the Adige valley and finally over the Brenner Pass, before heading through the Inn valley and over Rosenheim to Munich. Rain, hail, mud holes and frosty nights turned the ride into an ordeal. Many gave up; only a handful reached the finish.The winner: Josef Fischer
After 29 hours and 32 minutes, the Munich rider Josef Fischer rolled across the line first. With this — after his win at Vienna–Berlin the previous year — he crowned himself definitively the outstanding long-distance rider of his time. Celebrated by thousands who cheered him and showered him with prizes, Fischer wrote another chapter of cycling history.The rival: Max Reheis
Barely an hour and a half later came his perennial rival Max Reheis from Wasserburg. Regarded as a tireless fighter, he reached the finish despite technical problems and the most adverse circumstances — and was welcomed home as a hero. But soon accusations and protests would overshadow the sporting achievement.Continuations and later editions
Milan–Munich was no one-off undertaking. In the years after 1894 the long-distance ride was revived several times — partly as an official race, partly as a popular long-distance ride for amateurs. Around the turn of the century in particular it was regarded as the supreme test of the long distanceon a par with Vienna–Berlin and Paris–Brest–Paris. With every edition its symbolic power grew: the crossing of the Alps was more than a sporting challenge, it stood for the connection of nations and cultures, for technical innovation and for the determination of a whole generation to push the limits of the bicycle ever further. Over time, however, Milan–Munich disappeared from the calendar again. Growing road traffic and the professionalisation of cycling shifted the great races to other formats. But the memory remained — as a Meilensteinfrom which the history of cycling can still be read today.From one-day race to stage format
While the first edition in 1894 was an epic one-day race, in the following decades Milan–Munich developed into an irregularly held classic. The distance remained at just under 590 kilometres, but the format varied: sometimes a one-day long-distance ride, sometimes a multi-day stage test.Between the wars — a contest of nations on two wheels
In the 1930s the route took on a new political dimension. In 1937 it was held as an official contest of nations between Germany, Italy and Austria , this time over three stages. In 1938 and 1940 the route even ran in the opposite direction — from Munich to Milan — and was open only to riders from the three “Axis countries”. The race thus reflected not only the sporting but also the troubling political spirit of those years.Palmarès — the winners of Milan–Munich
- 1894 Josef Fischer (Deutschland)
- 1910 Peter Strasser (Austria)
- 1912 Georg Schmid (Deutschland)
- 1937 Richard Menapace (Austria)
- 1938 Mario De Benedetti (Italien)
- 1939 Aldo Ronconi (Italien)
- 1940 Doro Morigi (Italien)
