La Ciclovia del Sole 60km | Un percorso da Verona e il Lago di Garda a Bologna

Self guided bike holiday: The Sun Route from Verona and Lake garda to Bologna (60km)

Verona, Lake Garda, Mantua, Bologna: an easy route between food and amazing countryside

The route from Verona to Bologna is part of EUROVELO 7, that goes from North Cape to Malta. In this tour you’ll have the opportunity to visit extraordinary UNESCO heritage cities (Verona, Mantua, Bologna) and to discover the Po Valley countryside, reshaped by the hands of man, with its great food&wine heritage.

From Verona, you’ll head to Peschiera on Lake Garda and continue along the green Mincio river bike path to Mantua. You are now in the flat land. You’ll cycle by Po and Secchia river, and then meet the bike path recently built on a dismissed railway. The small towns of Mirandola and San Giovanni in Persiceto will surpise you with their authenticity and their food traditions, and so will Bologna, the Italian food capital, final destination of this tour.

Program

Day 1 – Sunday: Arrival in Verona

Arrival in Verona. From the still intact vestiges of Roman times to the medieval ones, Verona is bound to fascinate you with its timeless charm.

Overnight in Verona.

Day 2 – Monday: From Verona to Valpolicella, loop ride – 45 km

Bike fitting and meet & greet at Itinera. Ride through the classic Valpolicella wine region. Cycle along quiet country roads through vineyards, ancient rural houses and elegant Venetian villas, some of which are now prestigious wineries. Return to Verona flanking beautiful hills, the classic Valpolicella terraces and the Adige River.

Overnight in Verona.

Day 3 – Tuesday: From Verona to Mantua – 65 km

Departure from Verona heading southwest towards Sommacampagna. Suggested stop at the medieval castle of Valeggio sul Mincio with its swallow-tailed Ghibelline battlements. Possible visit to Borghetto sul Mincio, the picturesque “town of tortellini”. Ride along the green Mincio River. Arrival in Mantua, a charming medieval city surrounded by three lakes.

Overnight in Mantua.

Day 4 – Wednesday: From Mantua to Ostiglia – 42 km

Departure from Mantua into the countryside among canals and cultivated fields. Ride along the Mincio River to Governolo, once a fortified village with a castle. Today only the partially buried waterworks, a clock tower and a few houses remain. Continue skirting the Po River, the longest river in Italy. Arrival in Ostiglia, a simple and hardworking town that grew along the river.

Overnight in Ostiglia.

Day 5 – Thursday: From Ostiglia to San Felice sul Panaro – 60 km

Cross the bridge over the Po River. Meet the Secchia River and follow its winding course. Ride through Concordia sulla Secchia, where the scars of the 2012 earthquake can still be seen. Continue to Mirandola, birthplace of the Italian philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. Arrival in San Felice sul Panaro with its beautiful Rocca Estense. Overnight in San Felice sul Panaro.

Day 6 – Friday: From San Felice sul Panaro to Bologna – 62 km

Route along the plains beside the Brenner–Bologna railway line. Stop in San Giovanni in Persiceto, a town with unexpected attractions:The Museum of Physics, charming squares with colorful murals, traces of its very ancient Carnival tradition. Continue to Bologna, the final destination of the stage.

Overnight in Bologna.

Day 7 – Saturday: The countryside of Bologna, loop ride – 49 km

Loop ride to discover the countryside around Bologna. Leave the city following the Navile Canal. Cycle through open fields and rural houses. Suggested visits: Museum of Rural Civilization, Museum of Industrial Heritage, the village of Bentivoglio. Bike pick-up.

Second overnight in Bologna.

Day 8 – Sunday: Departure from Bologna

Breakfast. Check-out and end of services.

Arrivederci!