Castel Driving Days 2024 - When the rain creates the most beautiful backdrops

I deliberately kept the first day short. Anyone travelling on Wednesday should be able to join us straight away - that's why we didn't start until the afternoon. Small, nice and with two beautiful passes to greet us.

From Castel, the route led up to the Gampen Pass and on to the Mendel Pass via Fondo. A short coffee break at the top, but the view into the clouds was still worthwhile - the Mendel Pass is impressive even in dim light.

Down towards Terlan, then up to Mölten. The highlight of the afternoon awaited us there: a visit to Arunda, the highest sparkling wine producer in South Tyrol. Josef Reiterer, the sparkling wine producer himself, showed us around the winery and explained everything there is to know about the classic method (bottle fermentation like champagne). We were all amazed at the number of bottles on the vibrating desks, which have to be turned by hand every day.

Afterwards, we had a little tasting - in moderation, of course, as we still had almost 30 kilometres to go. I had brought my old Audi RS4 ("What kind of estate car is that?") with me so that I could safely transport the purchases for everyone - which made the tasting easier. Back at the Castel in the late afternoon, I invited everyone to the bar for a welcome aperitif. A quiet, nice start.

After a short briefing in the morning, it was off to the cars. For me, the choice was clear: my Porsche GT3 Touring. 333 kilometres lay ahead of us - the longest single tour I had ever planned for the driving days. Our destination: Lake Garda. Photographer Patrick was there, of course.

The previous day's weather had calmed down a little. Low clouds, sunny sections - not perfect, but good to ride. Via Bolzano into the Val d'Ega, then up through the clouds to the Lavazéjoch. At the top, we were greeted by blue skies and sunshine - one of those unexpected rewards that you don't get too often.

Strengthened with an espresso, we continued into the Fiemme Valley and down into the Valle di Cembra, which we rode out of the valley: a road that winds along the slope and is a joy to ride every kilometre. North past Trento, then up to Monte Bondone - famous for its annual hill climb in early summer. We didn't ride it as a race track, but we weren't sleepy either. We gathered briefly at the top in Vason. Everyone was smiling.

Down through the Valle dei Laghi towards the south until the largest lake at the end of the valley became visible: Lago di Garda. Lunch in Riva del Garda at La Caneva Bistrot Mediterraneo - Mediterranean, relaxed, perfect after the long morning. Those who wanted to stayed at the lake. The majority rode back with me - over roads with hardly any traffic through the moraine plateau of Lomaso, past Fiavè and Ponte Arche, later past the beautiful Lake Molveno to Fondo, from there down to Lana and back to Castel. It was a long tour. But the impressions between the Alpine and the Mediterranean made every kilometre worthwhile.

This day was special. And not despite the weather - but because of it.

The Stelvio Pass. At 2,758 metres, the highest pass road in Italy, the second highest asphalted Alpine pass of all. 48 numbered hairpin bends on the South Tyrolean side, built between 1820 and 1825 - the "Queen of Alpine roads", as they call it here. A legend in the Giro d'Italia. And on this Friday, shrouded in deep clouds and heavy rain.

Some participants had cancelled at short notice - which I could well understand. Eight remained. True to the motto: anyone can do the Stelvio in the sun. Because of the weather, I took my Audi TT RS - the best car in the rain. We started at 8 o'clock.

Through the Vinschgau Valley, from Glurns into the Münstertal Valley, over into Switzerland and up to the Ofen Pass. Halfway to Zernez we turned off - a short wait, pay, and then through the single-lane tunnel to Livigno. Exciting. Duty free. Everyone filled up.

Onwards over the rocky Passo di Foscagno to Bormio - and from there up to the Stelvio Pass, from the Bormio side. A decision I had made consciously: this ascent is the more scenic. Hairpin bends, tunnels, long straights, beautiful curves - a variety that the South Tyrolean side with its almost exclusively hairpin bends does not offer. And then there's this: Not a single oncoming vehicle. Just the eight of us, the rain, the clouds and the pass. On days like this, the Stelvio Pass belongs to the intrepid.

We spared ourselves a long stop at the top - too wet. The descent to Prad made up for it: you can see the beautiful mountains much better from this direction than on the way up. Glurns - the smallest town in South Tyrol - awaited us in the valley, where the talented Thomas Ortler offered us adventurers a delicious reward in the Steinbock inn. The last stage back through the Vinschgau Valley in full rain. It was a tour I will never forget. Thanks to the brave ones!

The final tour is a tradition at the driving days: eight passes, the great Dolomite circuit to Cortina d'Ampezzo and back. For me, the BMW M3 CSL was the order of the day - more emotion and engine sound is not possible. And the weather? Gracious. Still damp in the morning, then the heavens opened bit by bit. Of course, the seven Hartliners from the previous day were there again - along with everyone else.

The route is familiar to all those who have travelled it before - and yet it is new every year. Past the Rosengarten, over the Niger Pass, the Karer Pass into the Fassa Valley, up to the Passo Fedaia with the Marmolada on the right. Onwards through the Ampezzo Dolomites, Passo di Giau, Falzarego, Pordoi, Passo Sella. Autumn colours that cannot be described, only experienced. The clearing weather gave the landscape a special depth on this day - the light after the rain has its very own quality.

This time we stopped for lunch before Cortina - at the Baita Resch, with good Alpine food. Back at the Castel, everyone was happy. Including me.

At the drivers' table after dinner at the bar, there was more to talk about than usual. And the sentence that summed up the evening came from one of the participants: "I'll be back next year - the weather can only get better. The atmosphere hardly."