Bicycle tour 2021 in Italy: Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto

 7. - 14. 7. 2021                            Trentino - Alto Adige and Veneto

 

I started on July,7th early in the morning with the train from Vienna to Innsbruck. Then with the regional train to Brennero and the had to change a 3rd time to Merano.

(A reservation for the bike transport was obligatory!!!) 

 

I started my bike tour along the "Etsch/Adige-Radweg/Via Claudia Augusta" in noble MERANO:

 

 

I passed through beautiful landscapes with apple plantations and mountain ranges and reached the castles of BOLZANO after about 40km.

After a shower in my pre-booked appartment I visited the old center of BOLZANO

On the next day I left Bolzano along the promenades of river Talfer and Isaco backt to the bike track along the Etsch river. The landscape changes from apple plantations to more wine yards soon.

After about 15km I decided to make a detour to beautiful "Kalterer See". Therefore I had to cross over  a mountain range (14% uphill) but the view and a refreshing break with swimming was worth it!

Unfortunately it started raining soon (with 30°C) and I decided to go on riding along the "Etsch river/Via Claudia Augusta" bike track, where I met some nice people along the way. Around lunch time I made a break in the tiny village SALURN

 About 70km after I had left Bolzano I reached the beautiful town TRENTO

I stayed in a very nice and friendly pre-booked accomodation - but the way there was a challenge itself! On a steep green hill some minutes outside the city center! Uff!

 After a shower and a thunder storm I walked down the hill to visit the castle and the very nice town center

And enjoyed an "Aperol Spritz" during the next thunderstorm and rain shower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On July 9th, I left Trento along the Etsch river bike track to head further south. The valley soon became more narrow and the bike track went zick-zack through wine yards passing by the villages of Rovereto, Mori, Ala,...I passed the Monte Baldo mountain range and had to climb a hill at Rivoli Veronese to cross over to Lago di Garda

After a cool downhill track and again about 70km in total I reached the beautiful holiday village GARDA.

My hotel was in the old center of the village and after a shower I spent a nice afternoon on the beach and a nice evening along the promenades.

 

The next morning I left early again because of the summer heat and first stayed along the lake till Bardolino and Lazise and the crossed the hills again back to the canal of the Etsch river. 

About 40km later (good for my knee) I reached VERONA around lunch time. I made a lunch break in a the park near Castel Vecchio and the old arsenal and then checked in at my appartment in a green suburb with nice villas.

After a shower and rest I started again to explore the surrounding (for a supermarket and ATM) and then to visit the old city center

I took the funicolare di Castel S. Pietro for a nice view over the city

and spent a nice evening in theold center

I left Verona again early in the morning and crossed now over to the region of VENETO and another bike track....a long and a bit boring etappe trough wine yards, fields, villages...I stopped for a 2nd breakfast in San Bonifacio...

 

...and then headed on further east towards the hills of Vicenza. As my knee started hurtimg again, I decided to stay along the road (SR11) and not cross the hills of Monte Berici.

South of Vicenza I made an uphill detour to the Basilica of Monte Berico with an amazing view over VICENZA

Then I "raced downhill" to look for my nice pre-booked appartment in the town center 

After a shower, washing my cloths and a rest I walked through the town center, that was preparing for the EM finals (Italy : England)

I strolled through the old center with its canals...

 

...and then watched the Italians going crazy for football...which ended with a victory and a very loud night ;-P

On July 12th I left Vicenza in the South along a very good bike track towards Longare. 

There I made a detour again up a hill to visit the pittoresque village of Costozza with its castle and villas

 

Afterwards I passed by the villages of Ghizzole, Montegalda, Ceravese, Creola and Trencarola along bike tracks through fields and on dams.

The tracks led me directly to the center of PADOVA

I first made a lunch break in the park of the giant oval piazza Prato della Valle.

 

and then drove to Piazza del Santo at the Basilica di Sant Antonio for the check-in at my hotel.

 

After a shower and a rest I walked to the city center for shopping and sight seeing

 

On July, 13th I was ready for my last route: From Padova to Venecia!

I left Padova along a dam of a very straight river canal towards the famouse river Brenta villas.

I passed by the villages of Stra, Dolo, Mira...
 

 

And after about 50km I headed towards Venice. First I had to cross the busy industrial towns of Maghera and Mestre along roads and then I finally was on the bike track over the loooong bridge over the lagoon

 

 

and soon I entered VENICE via the Piazzle Roma

The check-in at the pre-booked hotel was a bit of a hazzle but after a shower and a rest I went for a short walk to explore the railway station and did some shopping for breakfast and my journey home.

A thunderstorm with rain made me rest again and then I was ready for the city!

My final "Aperol Spritz"

On July 14th I just had to cross one big bridge with my bike (with helping hands) to walk to the ferrovia Santa Lucia - the railway station where I took the train home to Vienna. 7h and 30min (and again with a bike transport reservation!) later I was back home in Vienna and proud about my new bike adventure :-)