Sölden lies at about thirteen hundred metres in the Ötztal, a long Tyrolean valley that runs south from the Inn into the high, glaciated mountains on the Italian border. In winter it is one of Austria's big ski resorts, and in summer it is a base for hikers, cyclists and riders heading for the Timmelsjoch. The village is a bit loud and a bit brash, with large hotels and plenty of apres-ski, but the setting is genuinely impressive, with peaks above three thousand metres on all sides and a river running clear and fast below.
The valley has a famous visitor in the museum record. In 1991 hikers found a mummified man in the ice of the nearby Similaun, a Copper Age hunter who had lain there about five thousand years. Known as Ötzi, he is now displayed in Bolzano, but the Ötztal still takes pride in the find, and the story gives an extra dimension to the quiet peaks above the village. Sölden also appeared in a James Bond film, which locals will mention if you give them a chance.
Riding out from here is the point. Ride south and the road climbs through Zwieselstein and Obergurgl, which is among the highest parish villages in Austria, then goes over the Timmelsjoch at about 2,474 metres into Italy. It is a toll road and closes in winter, normally opening in early summer and staying open until the first heavy snow in autumn. The bends are well engineered and wide, the surface is good, and the road switches from forest to bare rock in a matter of minutes. Tourists and cyclists share it, so be patient on the lower sections.
Sölden has several filling stations and plenty of food, from simple bakeries to heavy Tyrolean fare of Kasspatzln and dumplings. The valley also offers the Aqua Dome thermal spa at Längenfeld, which will do wonders for tired shoulders after a long day in the saddle.
Mornings are calmest, and crowds thin out by evening. Early in the season, you may find snow banks beside the road at the top, while in September the larches turn gold and the light is superb.