Via Romea Germanica from Brenner to Padua

After the individual arrival at Brenner we ride on a slightly downhill bike path surrounded by green mountains covered with woods. We stop in Vipiteno and admire its beautiful old town and South-Tyrolean architecture, then continue towards Bressanone passing by the famous Novella Abbey. We cross the historic center of Bressanon, leave the valley floor and ride up on road that climb the rapid cultivated slopes of the Isarco Valley: the view over mountains and Dolomiti from up there is great. We return to the valley floor near Chiusa, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, and continue on the cycle path to Ponte Gardena.

Dinner and overnight in Ponte Gardena.

We resume pedaling on the bike path, always slightly downhill, until Bolzano. After a short detour to admire Piazza Walther and the Gothic cathedral, we pass under the imposing Firmiano Castle and follow the route of the old train that led to Caldaro sulla Strada del Vino. We flank the shining lakes of Monticolo and Caldaro, then we cycle on panoramic roads surrounded by vineyards and return to the valley floor. Finally, we follow the Adige bike path and reach Trento, the destination of the day.

Dinner and overnight in Trento.

The day starts with a easy 6 km-long climb that leads to Valsugana. Once there, we follow the beautiful bike path that runs alongside Lake Caldonazzo and winds through the apple orchards that cover the valley floor. The bike path is mainly flat, with some easy up and downs. After the charming village of Borgo Valsugana, crossed by the river Brenta, the itinerary is slightly downhill and flanks the river until Primolano, where the valley gets narrow and takes the name of Canale del Brenta. A few more kilometers and we arrive in Bassano del Grappa crossing the iconic Ponte Vecchio.

Dinner and overnight in Bassano del Grappa.

First completely flat stage. A few kilometers after Bassano del Grappa we pass by Marostica, the famous city of chess, then we head South and follow the course fo the river Brenta. The itinerary crosses the fertile Venetian countryside in an environment made of large crops and the lush vegetation typical of the banks of large rivers. There we cycle along path immersed in silence and gets to Piazzola del Brenta, overlooked by the majestic facade of Villa Contarini, and to Padua, which historic centre deserves a break. We finally follow the Battaglia Canal, flank the base of the Euganean Hills, pass by the medieval village of Monselice and get to the farmhouse that hosts us.

Dinner and overnight in San Martino di Venezze.

This short stage crosses the two major Italian rivers, the Adige and the Po. The itinerary initially follows the banks of the river Adige until it reaches the city of Rovigo. After a short break in its historic centre, we cycle along minor waterways that flow between the large crops of the Venetian countryside up to the banks of the river Po. We follow its course immersed in silence and tranquillity and finally arrive in the beautiful Ferrara, a bike-friendly city.

Dinner and overnight in Ferrara.

The last day of the first part of our Via Romea Germanica is still under the sign of the water. We lave Ferrara along country roads flanked by canals, streams and secondary branches of the Po, until we reach the large reclaimed areas of the Ferrara plain. We skirt the large lagoon of Comacchio and reach the Adriatic Sea at Casalborsetti. We cycle surrounded by the large pine forests of Marina di Ravenna and we finally arrive in Ravenna, the magnificent city of mosaics and Byzantine art.

Last dinner and overnight in Ravenna.

Individual departure from Ravenna.