AIDA is music, a dream, a movement that accompanies you for 900 km from Moncenisio to Trieste; from France to Istria.
Aida is a project FIAB Onlus, part of the Bicitalia network, to connect the cities of northern Italy using 50% of the routes already completed: Turin, Milan, Verona, Venice, Trieste, a 900 km route useful not only for cyclists but also for cycling workers.
We decided to adopt not only a 1 km but all Aida!
We believe in this project and in the enhancement of the territory, that’s why we have become GOLD SUPPORTER of this initiative (AIDA).
What we present in this proposal is the version that starts from Milan and arrives practically to Venice. You can also do it in the opposite direction, the ideal then is maybe to stay one more day to discover these two fantastic cities.
The tour is also available from Turin to Milan or viceversa
Day 1: Arrival in Milan
Arrival at the hotel and initial briefing with delivery of the bikes in case of rental.
Day 2: Milan – Romano 60 km
We leave the city, following the cycle path of the Naviglio della Martesana, which was partly designed by Leondardo Da Vinci. We follow the canal dotted with villas, pleasant little towns (Cernusco, Gorgonzola, Cassano), as far as the river Adda.
We cross the river on a pedestrian bridge and head towards Treviglio: we cannot miss the wonderful Polyptych of the church of San Martino. We continue to Caravaggio, whose name was attributed to the famous painter Michelangelo Merisi, then we reach Fornovo and Bariano. We arrive at the Serio river, where we will continue straight on to Romano, where we can visit Santa Maria Assunta in the central square: inside the church we can enjoy the Last Supper, a masterpiece by Giovan Battista Moroni.
Day 3: Romano – Brescia 51 km
We continue to the river Oglio. We pass through the vineyards of Coccaglio, Rovato and Paderno which are located in the heart of Franciacorta, home of the famous classic method wine. After the castle of Passirano we will finally see the profile of the vibrant Brescia, the city of 1,000 fountains.
We cross the river Mella and enter from Borgo Trento to the most central area of the city: Piazza della Loggia and Piazza della Vittoria, with the oldest skyscraper in Italy, designed by Marcello Piacentini. Being in Brescia, we cannot miss the great Roman Forum of Santa Giulia and the Longobard Monastic Complex of San Salvatore, which are UNESCO sites easily reachable by bike.
Day 4: Brescia – Peschiera del Garda 62 km
We leave Brescia, the Lioness of Italy, and pass by the MilleMiglia museum, heading to Rezzato. We pass through the quarries of the precious Botticino marble and cross the Chiese river on a nice donkey-back bridge in Bedizzole.
We are approaching Garda, the largest lake in Italy, which inspired many poets and artists, such as Valerio Catullo, who lived in Sirmione in the 1st century B.C. We descend the gentle hills of Desenzano, under the imposing railway bridge, and head to San Martino della Battaglia, the site of the cruel battle between the French, Italians and Austrians during the Second War of Independence. An ossuary tower commemorates the victory and sacrifice of so many young lives.
Let’s proceed and pass by the miraculous and silent basilica of the Madonna del Frassino. We are saying goodbye to Lombardy and entering Veneto, exactly on the river Mincio: the Mincio presents its own cycle route, and here we reach Peschiera del Garda.
Day 5: Peschiera del Garda – Verona 34 Km / 74 Km
We leave from Peschiera, if today’s tour seems too short and if you don’t want to spend time relaxing on the beach in Peschiera or better visit Verona, there is the possibility to take a circular tour from Peschiera in Southern Garda to Bardolino.
We resume the Aida itinerary: we cross Salionze and taste the morainic hills of Verona, approaching Custoza and cutting through Sommacampagna.
After a short while we will approach the Camuzzoni canal and Verona will be closer and closer. We can’t miss the sublime basilica of San Zeno, near the door of the same name: we will find the famous Pala d’Altare, one of Andrea Mantegna’s masterpieces. We follow the Adige river until we meet the famous Roman Arena in Piazza Bra, where we can watch an opera: Aida by Giuseppe Verdi is our favourite!
Day 6: Verona – Vicenza 71 km
We leave Verona and its Shakespearean walls. We cross a canal and follow the fields bathed by the Adige river to the sunny Villa Buri: we cross the motorway near San Martino Buon Albergo and continue zigzagging through the vineyards and greenhouses to Soave: we taste a glass of the homonymous wine to refresh ourselves.
We are passing in the middle of a pleasant valley, where two turreted and facing castles inspired the legend of Montecchi and Capuleti: you can visit them passing by Montecchio Maggiore. We are close to Vicenza, a noble city that deserves to be visited: let’s enjoy the numerous architectures of its illustrious citizen, Andrea Palladio, and let’s reserve some time to visit the Olympic Theatre: a UNESCO site, the oldest covered theatre in the world, the first to be built with modern criteria.
Day 7: Vicenza – Dolo 60 km
Let’s go on, and follow the winding Bacchiglione river to the town of Campedello.
Let’s leave the Bacchiglione river again up to Bugano and Longare: after a few kilometres we’ll meet the Treviso-Ostiglia cycleway at Ghizzole.
A few kilometers further south there are the hills with beneficial thermal influences, as in Abano Terme. Finally, the river will lead us to the foot of lively Padua: let’s enjoy the arcades of the medieval city, the famous Prato della Valle and, if we booked in advance, Giotto’s masterpiece, the Scrovegni Chapel.
After visiting the city, let’s go back to the confluence of the Bacchiglione river and the Piovego canal and head east. We follow the San Gregorio canal on the left as far as the Brenta river: we pass Stra, a beautiful city with a magnificent villa, Villa Pisani or La Nazionale: with its gardens at the Versailles, overlooking the Naviglio and we reach Dolo.
Day 8: Dolo
After breakfast end of the holiday or possibility of extra nights
