The
Stone Men

From the mountain station of Merano 2000, on trail no. 3, till trail no.18A until you get to Malga Kirchsteiger. Then take trail no. 4 past Rifugio Meraner to Passo della Croce at 2086 m above sea-level, where you'll be rewarded with jaw-dropping vistas. Cycle past Giogo dei Prati and follow trail no. 23 all the way to Omini di Pietra, the Stone Men, pushing your bike on the final stretch.

This spectacular hilltop plateau is covered in more than a hundred stacks of rocks arranged dramatically around a summit cross. No-one knows for sure what these figures are and how they came about, or who made them and why. The theories range from shepherds who built them to pass the time to hikers wanting to leave their mark and all the way into a dark and mysterious past, when the hills were said to be a place of worship for witches.

When cycling back, make sure you stay on the forestry road..