THE EUROPEAN NORTH-SOUTH CYCLEWAY, FROM TRENTINO TO VENETO AND EMILIA

STAGE 2

(Borghetto d'Avio - Verona, 49 km)

After reaching Borghetto d’Avio, where the Trentino Adige cycle path ends at the Verona–Veneto border, you can decide whether to keep riding toward Verona along the left bank on the “Terradeiforti” bike path in the Dolcè municipality, or on the Adige-Sole cycleway on the right bank, in the municipalities of Brentino Belluno and Rivoli Veronese.

For the Veneto Adige itinerary (RV3) we chose the first option, whereas in this case we choose the second one, which is actually the official Sun Route. Should you need to take a train, however, you must use the bridges to cross the river and reach the train stations of Peri, Dolcè or Domegliara on the other side.

Built by the Province of Verona and opened in 2012 as an extension of the Trentino route, the right-bank path follows the service embankment of the Biffis Canal for long stretches. We encountered the canal’s intake structure in the previous stage at Pilcante, between Ala and Avio. This canal is indeed the leitmotif of the stage. Constructed in the 1930s after lengthy planning, it is still studied today for its durability and the engineering techniques, highly innovative for the time. Stretching over 47 km and crossing a landscape marked by natural obstacles such as valleys and hills, the canal includes more than 8 km of tunnels, a striking single-pour concrete aqueduct spanning the Tasso Valley, and two hydroelectric power plants – the first after 40 km at Bussolengo, the second at the canal’s terminus in Verona’s Chievo district – while maintaining an extremely limited change in elevation outside the power plants. From the terminus of the Biffis Canal you very quickly reach the old town of Verona. This large city is an important business hub as well as a tourist attraction and cultural destination in the heart of northern Italy, celebrated by none other than Shakespeare in his tragic play Romeo and Juliet, and the seat of a world-class opera festival that takes place each year in the striking Roman Arena.

At the end of the Trentino section in Borghetto d’Avio (km 0.0), take a right over the A22 motorway: after crossing the SP11 provincial road carefully, follow the signs up a short climb and (km 0.8) take the bike path on the embankment of the Biffis canal in the municipality of Brentino Belluno. Ride south, and at km 3.3 go through the hamlet of Belluno Veronese. At km 6.3 you ride past the municipality of Rivalta: here you can cross the Adige river via a bridge to reach the railway station of Peri di Dolcè. Just after Rivalta (km 7.5) the Biffis canal goes through a tunnel, so you go down for 1 km next to the SP11 provincial road, cross it carefully, then ride up a very steep climb to rejoin the canal (km 8.6). After about 500 m the route reaches a crossroads offering the option of a detour to the hamlet of Brentino. Here, you can also take in the view of the Madonna della Corona sanctuary above, perched at an elevation of 800 metres on the eastern slope of Mount Baldo, which can be reached from Brentino through a long staircase thronged by travellers and Marian pilgrims. At km 11.1 the canal goes through a tunnel again and you cross the hamlet of Preabocco, then ride alongside the SP11 provincial road and pass under the A22 motorway (km 13.2). After that, the route alternates, with some ups and downs, between sections alongside the SP11 provincial road and small roads crossing vineyards until, at the end of a very pleasantly shaded section amid the riverside vegetation (km 18.1, altitude 100 m), a rather challenging 1.3 km climb begins (average gradient of 7% with peaks of 9-10%), with amazing viewpoints on the valley below, past the Austrian Wohlgemuth fort and into the town of Rivoli Veronese (km 20.0, altitude 190 m). From Rivoli, it is possible to take a signposted detour to Lake Garda. However, we continue following the I-1 signs on Strada della Rocca (km 20.7), which after a few ups and downs reaches an elevation of 240 m, then descends with a steep slope and some hairpin bends, after which we rejoin the Biffis canal again when it finally exits the tunnel (km 23.5, elevation 135 m). From there, you continue for about 11 km on what is essentially a flat section – except a couple of wooden flyovers to pass two busy provincial roads – with sweeping views of the Adige flowing some 70 metres lower than the canal: then you ride on the canal bridge above Val del Tasso, which we mentioned before (km 27.0, you should stop to take it in after crossing it!), ride under the hamlet of Piovezzano (km 19.7), just a short climb away, until at km 34.3 the path stops before entering Bussolengo because the canal disappears into the first of its two turbine power plants, where it drops by roughly 40 metres, from an elevation of about 130 m to 90 m. We then turn right, then left into via Roma and to the centre of town (km 35.2). Continue along corso Mazzini until you come near the town's cemetery, where (km 35.9) the cycle path starts again on the left, descending steeply towards the Biffis canal again (km 38.3). You continue straight on alongside the canal until, by now within the municipal boundaries of Verona, you will notice (km 42.0) the second turbine power plant, through which the canal drops by about 25 m and flows back into the Adige below. From there, the route continues along the cycle path, which runs over a shared-use pedestrian and cycling bridge, then along a final stretch on the canal embankment, before exiting onto a protected two-way cycle path alongside the regular road. After passing under the railway tracks (km 43.0) you descend rapidly into the hamlet of Chievo. At the end of the descent (km 43.6), pay attention because you need to take a left to enter the park next to the dam on the Adige, and from there the urban pedestrian and bike path along the Camuzzoni canal, which has just branched off the Adige (km 43.9). After crossing corso Milano (km 46.5) and viale Galliano (km 47.0) turn right, then at the Porta Palio gate (km 47.7) take the protected two-way cycle path along the Oriani ring road until the Porta Nuova gate, and here the bike path on corso Porta Nuova which leads to the city's very heart, piazza Bra (km 49.4).