High mountains and heightened senses

Porsche Travel Experience Central Alps

20 April 2021

1,104km of exhilarating corners and views over four days and through four countries, the Porsche Travel Experience Central Alps is a sensory overload

Starting Grid: 0km

Your journey begins at Schlosshotel Monrepos in Ludwigsburg, close to the home of Porsche. ‘Monrepos’ means ‘My rest’ and the hotel truly deserves this name. Directly beside the castle lake is an oasis of calm, and the perfect place to get to know your fellow travellers over a glass of artisanal wine. The very next day, you will swap ‘My rest’ for ‘My experience’.

Starting point: Castle Monrepos in Ludwigsburg

Sprints to the lake: 0-431km

The engines start up on time at 9.11 am and the day gets off to a dynamic start on the German autobahn, where you won’t be able to control the excitement on your face, and not just because of the centrifugal forces at play. Before lunch, you will pass your first border from Germany into Switzerland, full of adrenaline. Here, you can recompose yourself at Hotel Hirschen am See with magnificent views of Lake Zurich, before the ascent begins via the Julier Pass at an altitude of 2,284 metres.

Ready, set, go – exciting times lie ahead

Against a spectacular alpine backdrop, it’s constant bends, steering locks and adrenaline rushes here. Despite all the wonderful views and breathtaking panoramas, you should, of course, always have your eyes on the road in front of you, so you can enjoy maximum driving pleasure.

Spectacular alpine backdrops like the Julier Pass

You will reach St. Moritz in the evening, where your next hotel awaits: Hotel Suvretta House. The historic 5-star hotel was built in 1912 and is one of the most prestigious addresses in the famous Swiss skiing and spa resort. The first highlight of the hotel is found in the reception area – the famous 'half clock' that hangs high above the lift like a crown. What’s so special about it? Unlike regular clocks, 13 digits are arranged from left to right on a semicircle around the clock – from 6 am to 6 pm. Once the single hand has counted the 12 hours of the first half of the day, it jumps back to the starting point to count the second half of the day.

The journey on to dinner also involves a leap back in time: a historic, faithfully restored bus from 1933 will take you from the hotel to Chasellas mountain restaurant. Here, you can enjoy an exquisite dinner, inspired by local delicacies, as well as breathtaking views of the valley as far as the eye can see. And then bring the evening to a close with a final digestif, with the satisfaction that you have got the most out of your Porsche – from sprints on the motorway to handling on the switchbacks. Bring on the next day.

Bends, turns, cows and then some more bends: 431-731km

The mountain is calling: today, you’re going up, following the zigzag road. In the morning, you go over the Fuorn Pass to warm up your tyres. You will then reach the next international border, between Switzerland and Italy, as you head on towards Merano. Your next port of call: lunch at Castel Fragsburg. You will reach the smallest 5-star hotel in South Tyrol just in time for lunch. Once you’ve topped up your energy reserves, it’s time to hit the road again.

Left, right, left, right: the Jaufen Pass winds its way upwards. Accelerate, brake with pinpoint accuracy and turn sharply. The light conditions change practically every second as you go through the dense forests, but once you pass the 2,000-metre point, extraordinary views of the valley open up.

Right, left, right, left. Again and again. Yet you just can’t get enough of it

The views from the Jaufen Pass are only surpassed by those from the peak of the Timmelsjoch. This is because the Timmelsjoch is a few hundred metres higher. And it’s next up on the agenda. Switchback after switchback, rugged rock formations, gaping gorges, rapid changes of direction – the higher you climb with a nimble sports car, the higher your adrenaline level. And the more fun you have. The Timmelsjoch is the mountain pass that marks the border between Italy and Austria. It is 49 kilometres in length and packs a real punch. Even with 460 hp under the bonnet, it can still take an hour to cover six kilometres. Following narrow roads and tight hairpin bends, you wind your way up the mountain and when you reach the summit, you are rewarded with extraordinary panoramic views of the majestic mountains, towering spectacularly into the clouds.

Faced with their magnitude, you will suddenly feel very small. Next, you will cross the border and travel downhill again on the Austrian side of the pass, passing through the idyllic Ötztal valley to your destination for the day – the Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol in Telfs. Here, you will enjoy an exquisite dinner and watch the sun sink slowly beneath the mountains and cast the valley in a warm, golden light from the comfort of the spacious terrace of the 5-star luxury hotel. Another highlight of the facility is the underground car park. Luxuriously furnished and seamlessly integrated into the hotel theme, you can practically drive right into the room. Tip: you can experience the full potential of Porsche high-performance brakes in the mountains and enjoy every last yard of the switchbacks.

high-20mountains-20and-20heightened-20senses-202The reward: extraordinary panoramic views — The reward: extraordinary panoramic views

Finish: 731–1,104km

After a hearty breakfast, you can savour the final switchbacks in the morning, before taking a relaxing spin through the idyllic foothills of the Alps and the Allgäu. At the Romantik Hotel Landgasthof Adler near Ulm, you will enjoy a final lunch and have the opportunity to talk over the most memorable bends of the last few days with your travel companions. To crown the experience, the last stage is a real highlight. Depending on traffic conditions, you will either complete the final stretch via the motorway or take a detour through the local area of Baden-Württemberg, the home of Porsche, back to Monrepos. And although the tour has now come to an end, the memories will remain.

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