ALONG THE SACRED RIVER
(68 km)
This itinerary invites us to cycle along the Piave, known as the 'River sacred to the Fatherland', a name earned from the decisive battles fought along its banks in the closing stages of World War I. Owing to its wide, mountain-fed catchment area, the Piave is the in the Veneto region that is most susceptible to major -- and sometimes damaging -- fluctuations in water flow, which makes the maintenance of embankment routes inherently challenging. Although in recent years local authorities and the bodies responsible for managing the river course have been making increasing efforts to allow the riverside paths to be used by walkers and cyclists, the results so far are still fragmented, and periodically subject to restoration works to remedy the damage from occasional, severe flooding. That said, we propose below an itinerary that lets you follow, as closely as possible, the middle-lower course of the river, enjoying stretches of natural scenery that are at times wild, yet always engaging and fascinating.
The itinerary is mixed: until Ponte di Piave it follows low- or moderate traffic roads, after that it mainly uses the embankment paths, mostly in compact gravel and some tarmac sections.
Inter-modality with regional trains, which carry bikes, is possible in Susegana- Ponte della Priula, where there is a station on the Venice-Treviso-Conegliano-Udine line, Ponte di Piave (Treviso-Oderzo-Portogruaro line) and San Donà di Piave (Venice-Trieste line).
We set off from the centre of Susegana, piazza Martiri della Libertà (km 0.0), cross the signalised crossing on State Road SS13 Pontebbana, go straight on via Garibaldi, and after 600 m take a left at the roundabout. After going under the railway (km 1.8), we enter the village of Santa Lucia di Piave, and take a right at the roundabout into via Mazzini. In the centre of the village (km 3.1), turn right into via Crispi, after 600 m turn left into via delle Mura, a long, straight road, and after 1 km you will notice on the left a small stone memorial commemorating the Battle of the Piave. At the roundabout on provincial road SP34 (km 5.9) continue straight on via Lovadina, turn left after 700 m (km 6.6) into via Grave, go over the A27 motorway (km 8.2), turn left into via Prese (km 10.6), and you will have reached the village of San Michele di Piave. At the next roundabout (km 11.0), take a right into via Cal San Michele; go under the SP92 provincial road (km 12.8) and continue to the centre of Cimadolmo, piazza Martiri (km 13.3), where you turn right into via Francesco Baracca (SP33). Remain on the segregated bike path on SP33 for just over 3 km until exiting the hamlet of Stabiuzzo, turning right into via Argine (km 16.6): from here onward, the landscape turns noticeably greener, with the route running through the extensive riverside vineyards. After the hamlet of Madorbo, you rejoin SP33 (km 18.6) just for 150 m, then turn right into via Saletto, and right again after 300 m into via Grave. At km 22.2, turn right into via Argine in the village of Negrisia, and continue for about 4 km, always amidst vineyards until, at km 26.2, you turn left into via Fontane and arrive in the small town of Ponte di Piave. At the crossroads of km 26.5 turn left into via Roma, take a right at the next roundabout, go under the railway tracks, at the following two roundabouts always exit on the right until the long bridge on the river Piave of SR53 Postumia, a very high-volume regional road that requires your full attention. Once on the opposite, right-hand bank of the river, turn left (km 28.8), always paying attention to the traffic, following the signs to Zenson di Piave, and ride up the surfaced embankment road on the left. Continue on this enjoyable route overlooking the floodplain farmland along the river until Zenson di Piave (km 35.0), however before heading to the main square you must continue on the embankment path on the left, going under the A4 motorway (km 37.8), and soon turning to tarmac again. You will now cross the pontoon bridge in Fossalta di Piave (km 40.7), and land back on the river's left bank. After 200 m, turn right on the bicycle and foot path signposted on the right: this is the start of a fun and lush path, which continues on the top of the embankment until the rowing club, then descends into the lowland, going under the railway line (at km 45.6 note the large stone bearing the inscription 'Piave – Sacred River of the Fatherland' on the railway earthworks) and you will arrive right under the Victory Bridge in San Donà di Piave (km 47.5). You must use the bridge to cross over to the other bank, therefore you need to climb up to road level using the signposted paths. Once on the other side of the bridge, which has a segregated bicycle and foot path, follow the wide bends of the cycling ramps, which gently lead down to the dirt path on the right-hand bank of the river. The route continues in a peaceful and lush riverine setting, with a short detour at km 49.5 along the 'Piave Vecchia', the ancient course of the river before it was diverted in the Seventeenth century by the Serenissima Republic of Venice (the appealing embankment paths of Piave Vecchia are covered in our description of the Adriatica cycleway). After passing under the Eraclea bridge (km 59.0), continue on the embankment path until km 65.2, when you rejoin the tarmac in Fossalta di Piave at the pontoon bridge, which you should cross if you want to reach the beaches of Eraclea Mare, Caorle and Bibione (also see the description of the Adriatica cycleway). However, we continue straight on through the village of Cortellazzo (km 66.5) and soon reach the end of our route at the mouth of the Piave river on the Adriatic sea (km 67.7).
Saletto
San Donà di Piave
Fossalta
Corte Collazzo