VAL BELLUNA LOOP

The loop joining Belluno and Feltre, renowned for their art and culture, on the banks of the river Piave is set within the gentle, tranquil rural landscape of the valley floor, not without a few surprises such as a 16th-century mill, 17th- and 18th-century Venetian villas, nature reserves, and villages that have retained their historic character. The view extends from the rugged peaks of the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park to the Piave River and the verdant foothills of the Prealps.

When you come out of Belluno's railway station, take the bike path to Salce (Km 4.7). Villa Giamosa (17th century) overlooks the small square, featuring a fine fountain and lavoir. The route descends towards the state road, continues on a cycle path alongside it, then gently climbs to Villiago (km 9.8), from which an incomparable vista opens up. After that, you go down to Longano (12.1 km) and continue in the open countryside until the Cordevole stream (km 14) which is crossed by a bike path. You pass under the state road and, continuing to ride through open countryside, arrive at the 16th century Mulino di Santa Libera (km 17). After going over the Vesès stream on a bicycle bridge, you will get to the Santa Giustina railway station (km 18.5). Take a bike path near the station, ride along the football field and, after winding around the hamlet of Formegàn, you will reach the small, picturesque hamlet of Salmènega (km 22.6), overlooked by villa Azzoni-Avogadro (17th century), with villa Zugni (end 18th century) a little off to the side. After crossing the Salmènega stream on the bicycle bridge (km 23) you will climb for 1 km, then cycle in the pristine landscape at the foot of the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park. You climb down to Busche (km 28.1) and, after 1 km on the state road – carefully! – you turn right before the roundabout, ride through Feltre's lowland, go through the hamlet of Vellai (32.5 km) and soon arrive in the theatrically beautiful Piazza Maggiore of Feltre (km 36).

After leaving Feltre, you will pedal at the foot of the stunning 11th-century Sanctuary of Saints Victor and Corona (km 40), with remarkable frescoes from the Giotto school, a short distance from the Vincheto di Celarda willow grove, a wetland of international interest, both worth visiting. At Busche (46.3 km) you cross the river Piave on the old bridge, now only used by bicycles. In Cesana you ride next to the Saint Bernard Church, which holds 13th century frescoes and is open to visitors by prior request, then ride on an unsurfaced bike path across the countryside near Lentiai, where, with a short detour, you can visit the Church of Santa Maria Assunta with its 16th-century coffered wooden ceiling and the fine polyptych from Titian's workshop. Also worth a visit is the Shrine of Bardiès (km 50) – which is open to visitors on Sunday –  entirely frescoed with the stories of Saint Anthony the Abbot (1500). A short detour takes you to the Nature Reserve of the Rimonta Ponds, also worth a visit. You then ride over the Terche stream, after climbing gently for about 1 km, and enter the picturesque piazza of Mel (km 55.6), one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Following narrow country lanes, you make your way through the rolling countryside on the Piave’s left bank until Cesa di Limana (68.3 km) with the beautiful villa Piloni (18th century). After passing through Limana (km 70.6) and Visome (km 73), the route continues across the final stretch of open countryside, with the city of Belluno already in view, overlooking the Piave River. At the city’s threshold, you can't miss a significant landmark, the small church of Villa Buzzati (km 75.5), the birthplace of writer Dino Buzzati. After crossing the Piave on the historical Victory Bridge (1926) there is a short climb at the foot of the ancient gate, Porta Rugo, and finally (km 78) you ride into Piazza del Duomo with Saint Martin's Cathedral, the fifteenth century Palazzo dei Rettori, the Civic Tower and the fourteenth-century fountain of San Gioatà.

For more detailed information please visit the website www.anellodellavalbelluna.it.

Possible detours

• • From Belluno, you can follow I4 Dolomiti-Mare to Soverzene (km 12.7), connecting to the Munich-Venice cycleway. From Soverzene, a pleasant bike path leads to Lake Santa Croce (km 25) with its grassy shore, where you can go sailing, windsurfing and kite-surfing.

  • From Feltre you can get to Primolano and the Valsugana on low-volume roads, connecting to RV09-Brenta-Veneto-t1-Primolano-Cittadella. From Feltre (km 0) you can discover the hamlets of Pedavena (km 4) on a bike path, Artèn on the “Canalèt” road (km 9.4), and Fonzaso (km 12). You can ride over the stream Cismòn (km 13.3), continue through the Agana plain, then ride up to Arsiè (km 19) and Fastro (km 23.7). From there, you can descend to Primolano (km 26.7) along the hairpin bends of the historic “scale di Primolano”, the "staircase" road, with its impressive 1910 fortifications.

  • From Lentiai you can connect to RV09-Brenta-Veneto-t1-Primolano-Cittadella following the Claudia Augusta Altinate cycleway all the way to Susegana. From Bardiès (km 0) you can climb up to Villa di Villa (km 3.7). After the village of Tiago, the church of San Donato (km 6.3) marks the junction where you turn left for the Zumelle castle – 500 m – , the only castle in the province of Belluno that is fully preserved and open to visitors. However, if you go up the steep climb to the Praderadego pass (km 12) you can then descend into the hamlet of Valmareno (20.6 km) and continue, always following the Claudia Augusta Altinate signposts, to Follina (km 22.6), Premaor (km 24.4), Pieve di Soligo (km 31.4), Collalto (km 35.7), and Susegana (km 42.2).

  • From Bribano, you can take an interesting detour to Valle del Mis, within the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park. Before the bridge on the river Cordevole – 13.64 km from Belluno – you can take the unpaved bike path “Via delle Antiche Rogge”, the way of the ancient irrigation ditches, which follows the Cordevole up to the hamlet of “Sass Muss” (km 7.7), an amazing industrial archaeology site. After that, you continue towards Gron (km 10), ride up along the stream Mis, which you cross in Regolanova (km 12) until Lake Mis, where you can visit the amazing Cadini del Brentòn rock pools, the Cascata della Soffia waterfall and the abandoned villages of Gena Media and Alta.

  • From Formegàn, near Santa Giustina – 19.9 km from Belluno – you can take a nice detour to Val Canzòi, within the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park. Follow via Tre Pietre, via San Gregorio then Provincial Road 13 until the Dolomites Ethnographic Museum (4 km) with its beautiful heritage rose garden and the Historical Bicycle Museum of Cesiomaggiore (km 5). After that, follow Provincial Road 12 to Toschian (km 7.7) where you take the road to Val Canzòi and Lake Stùa (km 15.5).