Venice Lands - By Sofia Hansson

Relaxing Cycling & Rustic Venetian Charm…Magnifico!

For our 2008 program we thought we should check out a new addition to our already popular Italian tours. Italy is such a great country to enjoy a holiday/vacation….good food, good wine etc. However Italy tends to offer a few hills which can put off the less frequent cyclist. We are frequently asked about whether there is something “a little less hilly” and finally I think we have found it!

Nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea the tour encompasses a broad mixture of scenery, meandering along rivers and rural flatlands, mountain backdrops and ‘islandhopping’ across two miniature islands. Combining charming towns and bustling villages the fascinating architecture this tour boasts displays a unique fusion of the “old” and “new” Italian way of life. With a very flat itinerary it makes a great tour to start off with for those with little cycling experience. At the end of the day you will still have plenty of energy left to soak up the Italian scenery and atmosphere.

This tour starts and finishes in Vicenza (alternatively from Mestre on some self-guided departures), which is a nice and cosy city characterized by buildings designed by Andrea Palladio, one of Italy’s renowned architects.
To reach Vicenza you can fly to Venice Marco Polo Airport or Verona Airport.
They are both well served by the train stations in Mestre (Venice) and Verona with frequent train departures for Vicenza.
British Airways, Ryanair and Aerlingus all operate direct flights from the UK or Dublin to either Venice or Verona.

My journey began in Treviso (day 3 / 4 of the itinerary). This means that our first day’s cycling would be the 4th day if you were to take this tour.

Day 1 (Day 4 of tour itinerary)
An impressive continental breakfast spread in the four star hotel in Treviso ensured I was more than ready to take on the first day’s cycling!
My 21-speed bike was well equipped with front pannier bag as well as one back pannier, so I could bring numerous clothes changes if I wished (although with 28°C in the shade the only thing necessary to pack was the sun cream).
The cycle from Treviso starts off on leisurely cycle paths along the river Sile, and continues with a mixture of rural countryside, mountain backdrops and villages.
The distance today is deliberately short (38km) to allow time for the afternoon/evening visit to the classic tourist spot Venice. The accommodation is in Mestre, which is on the mainland just outside Venice, and after installing myself in the hotel I headed for the canals and narrow streets of “the city on water”. Venice is very easily accessible by the local bus, (only 3 minutes walk from the hotel and journey time is about 10 minutes), so staying in Mestre was certainly ideal. For those who are determined to stay in central Venice a surcharge when booking will facilitate this.
When arriving in Venice cross over any one of the countless footbridges and suddenly you’re transported into another world of gondolas and boats, a labyrinth of side streets and a plethora of romantic walkways – it is challenge not to get lost!
A must see when visiting Venice is world famous San Marco Square, located at the far end of the city. It can be a bit tricky to find it, but if you peservere in following the signs on each corner you will finally there, and it has to be said, it is really worth the walk! With the stunning Basilica overlooking the square bathed in classical music in the evening time, there is a lovely atmosphere to embrace.

Day 2 (Day 5 of tour itinerary)
A very exciting day, with cycling on the two tiny Islands Lido and Pellestrina just south of Venice.
Departing from the Hotel in Mestre you will reach the 4km bridge “della Liberta”, that connects Venice with the mainland. Here I pedalled over the bridge and reached the ferry port for the first boat connection of the day.
I was thankful for the high temperatures (this is after all October) as the boat trip offered a superb view of Venice from the upper deck.
This boat connection (which is more of a sightseeing trip) takes about 35 minutes.
Cycling on the narrow Lido Island was a very peaceful experience complemented by a lovely sea breeze. The path along the “Murazzo” (breakwater) is 6km long and offered me a great opportunity to stop for a swim.

The second ferry connection (which takes about 5 minutes) brought me to Pellestrina Island, which was the highlight of the day. A picturesque fishing village, with the quiet lagoon on one side and colourful rustic houses on the other, this place was truly unique. Here I was able to engage in animated friendly encounters with non-English speaking locals (carrying their bread in their cycling baskets). One elderly gentleman even cycled to the ferry with me to ensure I did not get lost.
The last ferry connection (travel time about 20 minutes) is for Chioggia, also referred to as “Little Venice”. The hotel is located right where the boat sets anchor, on the seafront in the old quarter of the city. With this being a fishing village there was little need to look beyond seafood and sampling of the local cuisine. The scampi looked great and indeed it did not fail to impress (as neither did the local wine)! Today’s distance is, an ever so manageable, 33km, but there are the three ferry connections to take.



Day 4 (Day 6 of tour itinerary)
Todays cycle is dominated by cycling along the two rivers - Bacchiglione and Brenta. These rivers were the primary method of bringing trade in and out of the region. The cycle then continues along quite roads with charming countryside.
The lunch stop is the city of Stra where it is possible to visit the Villa Pisani.

This was an impressive looking building, but to be honest, with such lovely weather and the prospect of heading back to cooler Ireland looming, I opted to stay outside and enjoy the sunshine.
Today’s destination, Padova is has one of Europe’s oldest and most glorious universities. This city is renowned for its rich history and culture. Here a traditional Italian dinner can be enjoyed and of course Padova’s trademark drink the “spritz” has to be tried (it surely would have been rude not to!).
This stage of the tour is quiet long (60km), but as it runs along flat roads the distance is hardly noticeable.


Day 5 (Day 7 of tour itinerary)
Leaving Padova behind, the Bacchiglione River points the way out of the city towards Costozza, a small town situated at the foot of the Berici hills.
The village is famous for the bar “botte del covolo” that, in the past, was used to conserve ice (which I was glad to find out as the day’s unusually humid temperature was beginning to take its toll). I enjoyed a light lunch on the rooftop of this “ice bar” restaurant with a mountain view, followed by an espresso a la classic style (taken at the counter to prevent it from going cold!)



Further along the way I passed Villa Rotunda, the most famous of the Palladian villas constructed by Andrea Palladio. Just before entering Vicenza I also got to see the Villa Valmarana ai Nani with its marvellous frescoes by Tiepolo.
Arriving in Vicenza I was taken aback by the beautiful architecture and cosy atmosphere that is indicative of this city. Being the birthplace of the aforementioned Palladio he certainly has put his mark on the city. Total distance today was 48km


Day 6 (Day 2 of tour itinerary)
Pedalling along cycle paths and quiet roads towards the foothills of the Alps until I reached the castle village of Marostica. Established in 1372 this unique town is characterized by the surrounding castle walls (through which unauthorized cars are forbidden to enter) and the Chess Square where human chess games take place every second year!
The destination is Bassano del Grappa, a charming town situated on the Brenta River, and famous for its beautiful wooden bridge and the “Grappa”. Total distance today was 40km.

Day 7 (Day 3 of tour itinerary)
One of the tour’s scenic highlights, today presents the only uphill section of the tour; the 1km climb to Asolo village, which affords an impressive view.
This stage is the longest and is the most demanding stage on the tour, the total distance being 62km. However, the landscape is truly beautiful, and reminded me of the Tuscany region of Italy. Leaving Asolo behind there is a nice downhill section and the tour continues through the Prosecco vineyards and on to Maser village where a visit to Villa Barbaro, one of the masterpieces of Palladio should not be missed (great lunch stop).
The day ends in Treviso, the ‘water city’ famous for its wine and “radicchio rosso” (red chicory), and a city that surprisingly suffered extensive destruction during World War II
The country-town atmosphere can be soaked up on one of the many “piazzas” that the city boasts.

Wine And Wellness Impressions

In the name of hard work it was necessary to take myself off to one of my favourite countries (Slovenia) and try out some homegrown wines and thermal spas, so as to be sure it would be something that would be worth offering for our 2008 programme.

This tour begins in the second city of Slovenia, Maribor. The good news is that Maribor has direct flights from (London) Stansted, the bad news is that Ryanair is the provider. So for those not experienced with booking a Ryanair flight...beware. There are several default options (such as travel insurance, priority boarding) that you need to uncheck if you don't want them. Otherwise your base flight price of 5.99 or whatever will soon turn into 100+ once you have added your baggage etc. There baggage limit is also 15kg (about 32lbs) which is pretty low for many people, especially when biking and requiring a few changes.

There is further good news, though. Slovenia is now a fully fledged Euro member, so no need to change your money and mess around with Tolars anymore. It is also still pretty cheap....€1.50 for a beer. Also for those who have not visited this county before, the people are embarrassingly good at English and seem to make friendliness a national pastime.

So, Day 1

Maribor airport is extremely small - the arrival of the Ryanair flight would appear to be a major event, so passport control and baggage (which is physically handed to you) is negotiated in a few minutes. I was met at the airport by our man on the ground, Saso, but a public bus can be taken cheaply to the centre of town. The town of Maribor (approx 100,000) is a very pleasant place to hang out with some very nice shops, cafes and bars, especially down by the river (an area known as Lent). The hotel is very centrally located, just of the main square (hotel Orel). It has also been recently renovated. I borrowed a bike and toured around the town a little before it got dark (this is November, so short days) and was amazed how quickly I was in the countryside with vineyards. I was also impressed by the number of bike lanes. Dinner included a rather interesting beer that was bright Green, which seemed odd having come from Ireland. I was informed that this should be one of the few beers to take, as this is wine country!

Day 2

Took charge of the bike, which was an interesting orange colour (this had nothing to do with the green beer, honest!). These are trekking style bikes, with 21 gears (all shimano equipment with rapid fire) , rack on the back, rear pannier, computer and map holder. So all seemed in order there. There was a nice road book and a laminated map to follow. Additionally there were stickers on most of the lamposts at major turns.....this was surely idiot proof.......

Maribor is left by following a cycle path along the river, so no urban fringe traffic to contend with and also a nice flat start to get going with. The route then took to some quiet backroads and moved a little away from the river with some slight inclines, that afforded some nice views. The whole day was only 32 km and with fairly modest inclines to deal with. There were a couple of dirt track sections, but in the main the route is paved. The destination was Ptuj (which is somehow pronounced Petooey). This is a beautiful town, the oldest in the country, with a castle on a hill, a market in the centre and a lovely family run hotel right in the heart of the place.

Day 3

Another nice start to the day (not just the sunshine and 14C which for November is pretty good), but the cycle. It begins crossing a pedestrian/cycle bridge before joining a path along the embankment of the river. Along todays route is a pancake house , which kind of made me regret my breakfast choices. There were some really pleasant villages to cycle through, although there was a short 1km section on a busier road - nothing to heavy, but more than experienced thus far. The town of Ormoz was interesting as it is a border town (with Croatia) and is one of the few places to have any noticeable impact from the 1991 War. The centre had several new buildings due to the bombings. Around 3km after Ormoz the road started to climb, which is easily the hardest section of the tour. Basically you leave one valley to join another, there were some downs and ups, but overall it was about 100 meters elevation gain, with a couple of short steeper sections. Once at the top the scenery took on a new look, very similar to Tuscany.

The accomodation was not far away (total for day was another modest 37km). The owner could not meet me straight away as apparently he was busy with 2 deers that were shot that day. One guesses the Venison is a good call.....and indeed it was! The place is known as Jeruzalem (apparently a crusades stop off point). Well the first stop off point was the cellar, where some tasting of some very pleasant whites was to be had.

Day 4

For the first time the day does not start either on a path or on the flat, but instead on the quiet roads, but up a bit of a hill. It is not a particularly big hill, but somehow the previous wine tasting (lets be honest, less tasting more drinking) gives it more bite than it should have. Luckily the next hills are down and we are back to the familiar of small towns and villages and quiet roads. There is an optional detour to a spa and another to see one of the last working water mills.

Todays destination is Moravske Toplice. This is a spa town that for the tour proper offers 2 nights of r+r, but for me, just a single night. The hotel is modern and basically built around 7 (I didn't count them all to be sure) pools, Sauna, treatments etc. They all utilise the thermal waters, an ideal hangover cure perhaps? By 5pm it was freezing outside so perfect for testing the indoor/outdoor large pool that was a lovely 34C. The use of the facilities is included in the package, so its a great spot to hang out. Total for today was 45km.

Day 6 (or 5 for me!)

The day starts out on some really nice flat country roads. There is then an interesting river crossing, its not really a ferry, a kind of boat with pulleys. The river is quite fast moving, but I guess being one of the oldest crossings of its type, then it must be safe enough, right?

After the crossing, then the ride gets a little hillier again - but nothing dramatic. Todays stop is in Drbetinci, which is really a collection of houses. The accommodation is an agri tourism, which means another wine cellar and some more tastings.... Total for today, the longest of the tour a still modest 51km.

Day 7 (or 6 for me!)

A nice start to the day with some downhill! Again some lovely villages and pleasant scenery to enjoy. After Trnokskaivas the terrain gets a little hillier again but afford some great views. The route then heads for 2km on an unpaved track through the forest before descending onto quiet roads again. For the final section the route rejoins the path back along the river and into Maribor. Last day was 42km.