The Adige valley has always been northern Europe's gateway to Italy. It descends from Reschen Pass and from Brenner Pass (down the Eisack Valley in this case), goes through Bozen and Trento, enters the Po Valley, reaches Verona, then continues south, just shy of Rovigo, down to its mouth in the Adriatic at Rosolina Mare.

This character of “gateway to southern Europe” also applies to cycling mobility. The beautiful Adige cycle path indeed safely brings the German-speaking world into the heart of northern Italy and down to the beaches of the Adriatic, a stone's throw from Chioggia, Venice and the Po Delta, and jointly with the Brenta and Piave cycle paths it forms the main axes of the Veneto cycle tourism network along the great river routes.

The higher part of the Adige cycle path runs between the steep rocky walls of the valley dug over millions of years by the river, with stretches of great beauty. About 20 km north of Verona the sheer rocky walls suddenly give way to the plain and the river flows more and more placidly until it reaches its mouth on the Adriatic coast.

The Veneto part of the Adige cycle path is about 210 km long, and this description breaks it up into four stages:

1. from Borghetto d’Avio on the border with Trentino to Verona (48 km);

2. from Verona to Legnago (55 km);

3. from Legnago to Rovigo (49 km);

4. from Rovigo to Rosolina Mare (57 km).