From Venice to Verona

Day 1: Venice Mestre
Individual arrival and hotel accommodation.
Meeting with our representative and presentation of the program.
Overnight stay.

Day 2: Venice – Lido di Venezia – Pellestrina – Chioggia
After breakfast, get on your bike and follow the new bicycle path to Venice, crossing the Ponte della Libertà. On reaching the Tronchetto docks, embark for the Lido di Venezia, also known as the Island of Gold by the Venetians and its inhabitants. After the creation of the first beach resort, the island became a holiday place for nobles and reigning people from all over Europe, actors and actresses, great industry and finance magnates, feeding a myth that still today gives it a unique atmosphere. A fascinating past that has left as a legacy to the island a vocation for an elegant and private tourism nature, which is manifested through the beautiful villas and art-nouveau houses. Lido also offers other surprises like the ancient monastery of San Nicolò, the historical and monumental heart of the island, and the borough of Malomocco, a small Venice with narrow streets, courtyards, and houses leaning against each other. The astonishment of the landscapes, including the WWF protected oasis of the Alberoni Dunes, rich in animal and plant species, as well as the Lagoon, with its suggestive scenarios, is ensured. You then continue for Pellestrina by ferry. Pellestrina represents the southernmost of the three narrow coasts separating the Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea; thirteen kilometers in length, with narrow streets and squares, neighborhood rivalries and passion for races. Pellestrina is a miniature version of the most authentic and popular Venice, a small world where people still live in an old-fashioned way, with slow rhythms and the timeless ritual of “ciacole." When you land, the view is extraordinary: two rows of houses forming a hinge between land and water, punctuated by fishing huts. With the colorful facades of the houses, no more than two or three stories high, all facing the lagoon, the Lego effect is guaranteed: Pellestrina appears like a toy island. Everything here refers to the most popular Venice: from the districts to the eternal ritual of spritz, the local aperitif, white wine sprayed with Campari or Aperol. From the labyrinth of narrow streets, "sotoporteghi" and little squares, to the "ciacolar" of the fishermen who gather at the Bar Perla, to the passion for historical regattas and the myth of great champions and master rowers. In addition to being a fishing island, Pellestrina is famous for lacework, documented since the mid-fifteenth century. Women still embroider their lace, and you might want to sit next to one of the last lace-makers to hear the tradition of this centuries-old art, typical of the lagoon mirror, which is still handed down from mother to daughter. Upon reaching the southern end of the island, embark the ferry to Chioggia. Arrival and continuation to the hotel in Chioggia Sottomarina. Free time to relax on the beach or visit the cheerful lagoon town.
Overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 3: Chioggia – Po Delta Park (60 km)
After breakfast, departure by bicycle through the Po Delta Park, along canals, and rivers. After passing the branch of the Po River of Venice, you will start cycling along embankments, floodplains, valleys, enclosed water bodies, where the salinity is wisely regulated by man. These places are populated by numerous species of birds: mallards, herons, wigeons. Then continue on a bike path immersed in the Delta valleys, amid breathtaking scenery. Overnight stay within the Po Delta Park. Arrival in farmhouse/hotel, or B&B.
Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4: Po Delta Park – Comacchio (60 km)
After breakfast, you will start cycling towards Comacchio, the beautiful lagoon town also known as Little Venice. Heading south, an impressive panorama consisting of brackish waters, fishermen's wooden huts set on piles and connected with walkways: the typical Bilancioni, will open before your eyes. Several pontoon bridges will allow you to cross the branches of the Po River, getting to Goro, a fishing port made famous by clam fishing. Skirting the Adriatic Sea, you will then enter the Mesola Woods, where, with a bit of luck, you may spot deer and fallow deer. Then, cycling between beaches and pine forests, you will reach at the Comacchio Resorts. From Porto Garibaldi, you will achieve Comacchio. Free time to walk among bridges and canals, visit the Ancient Fish Market, the Loggia dei Mercanti, the Loggiato dei Cappuccini, and the Marinati Manufacture, where you can immerse yourself in the culture of a still very present past and discover the history of the eel. Overnight stay at a farmhouse or B&B.

Day 5: Comacchio – Ferrara
After breakfast, transfer with a regular bus to Ferrara (ticket included). Upon your arrival, you will find your bikes waiting for you right at your hotel. Day dedicated to the visit of the city of Ferrara, a famous capital of the Duchy of Este until 1598, the year of Devolution to the Church State, which still retains the tranquility and authenticity of small Italian towns and where the bicycle is the means of transport par excellence. The Estense Castle dominates the city with its forms, around the splendid Cathedral there are still the streets of the medieval area, with its alleys and small gothic-style churches, the ancient Jewish Ghetto and the Synagogues. The Renaissance area winds along Corso Ercole I d'Este, the artery of the Addizione Erculea wanted by Ercole I and designed by the ducal architect Biagio Rossetti. The Diamond Palace, with its 8500 white marble spikes is the most famous building, now home to the National Pinacoteca and major exhibitions.
Overnight stay in a hotel or B&B.

Day 6: Ferrara – Bondeno – Carbonara di Po/Ostiglia (53 km)
After breakfast, you can dedicate the morning to complete the city visit. You will then start cycling along the Burana Cycle Path and then continue on the Right Po one, which runs along the Po River. We recommend a stop at the Rocca of Stellata, which with its strategic position on the river, allowed it to control its navigation, together with the Rocca of Ficarolo, located on the opposite bank, to which it was united by a chain that either impeded or allowed the passage of ships. Arrival in the afternoon at Carbonara or Ostiglia (additional 10 km).
Overnight stay in a hotel.

Day 7: Carbonara di Po/Ostiglia – Mantova (60 km)
After breakfast, departure by bike to Mantova. We suggest a stop at Revere to visit the prestigious Ducal Palace. An ancient fortress, it was transformed into an elegant ducal residence by the Marquis of Mantova Ludovico II Gonzaga, who commissioned the project to Luca Fancelli. Since 1983 it has become a Municipal Museum. You will then continue skirting first the Po River, then the Mincio River, which will take you to the entrance of Mantova. Check in at the Hotel or B&B. Free time to visit the city.

Day 8: Mantova – Verona (45 km)
After breakfast, departure by bike on the cycle path connecting Mantova to Peschiera del Garda, running along the Mincio River. We suggest a stop at Marengo, the scene of the battle of 1800 between Napoleon's troops and those of the Second Coalition. Before arriving at Peschiera, you will also cross the beautiful boroughs of Valeggio and Borghetto sul Mincio, with the characteristic Visconteo Bridge over the homonymous river. Arrival in Verona and end of the tour.