From farmhouse to fortress

Scaling the Daone Pass

When you've finished this visit, you can begin scaling the Daone Pass. The climb begins once you’ve passed Spiazzo: here, you’ll need to make sure the batteries of your e-bike are fully charged, or that you’re in good shape if you plan on doing the legwork yourself. If you’d rather avoid the climb, you can take the alternative Do-Ga route towards Tione, which rejoins the main path close to Preore.

After conquering the climb with its 600-metre increase in altitude, you’ve got to descend by the same amount to get to Preore, then proceed along a slight slope to Stenico.

Stenico Castle

Stenico is famous for its castle, which dates back to 1163. It did not begin life as a residence, but rather as a series of fortifications to defend the villages of Banale, Lomaso and Bleggio.

Up until the 16th century, the castle withstood numerous external attacks and peasant uprisings, on each occasion undergoing modifications and expansions such as those overseen by Giovanni Hinderbarch. Finally, it was given artistic embellishment in the form of paintings ordered by Bernardo Clesio, to make the castle more typical of Renaissance residences.

More recently, Castel Stenico was the seat of the tax offices for the Austrian empire, and was used as a barracks during the Great War. Today, the manor is in excellent condition and you can visit it during your tour.

After your visit, it’s time to saddle up and descend to Terme di Comano, the ideal place to relax and — why not? — enjoy the pleasures and benefits of the spa waters.