THE CYCLE ROUTE FROM NORTHERN EUROPE TO THE ADRIATIC SEA

STAGE 3

(Legnago - Rovigo, 49 km)

The third part of the Veneto section of the Adige cycle path runs on the right bank of the river, spanning two provinces. It starts in Legnago, the main town of the southern Veronese area, and arrives in Rovigo, the chief town of the Polesine, the “Land between two rivers”. The cycle path's quality is consistently very high and it is utterly safe, as it runs on the embankment in its entirety except for the short final stretch on an urban cycle path. You pedal along leisurely, on tarmac in the Veronese section, on generally compact gravel in the Rovigo section, where further significant improvement works of the path are in the pipeline. Plus, the ride is spiced up by the interesting villages and small towns you go past, such as Badia Polesine, a small town that grew around the “Badia”, the Benedictine Abbey of the Vangadizza.

You start from the Umberto I bridge of Legnago and follow the convenient cycle path on the right bank of the Adige, past Villa Bartolomea (km 5.1) and Carpi (km 8.8). A few hundred metres after the cycle path junction for Castagnaro (km 10.8), you cross the provincial boundary and the surface changes from paved to unpaved. The gravel is rather rough to begin with but then improves progressively. However, as mentioned before, works are scheduled to begin soon. After the junction to Villa d’Adige (km 13.4) you reach Badia Polesine (km 18.5), a small town that is worth a break. Continue along the embankment and you will go under the imposing A-31 motorway flyover (km 22.6), and come to the hamlet of Barbuglio (km 29.1), the junction to the “Adige-Po” cycle path mentioned above, described here as RV12. Your arrival in Lusia (km 34.9), a small town that is well-known in the area for its large farms and its important fruit and vegetable market, is heralded by the white Morosini tower that stands out right next to the embankment. Continue past Concadirame (km 40.8), now already in the municipality of Rovigo. Go under the A-13 motorway (km 42.9), and at the hamlet of Granzette turn right immediately after the railway underpass (km 44.9) to take the “Chiara Lubich” cycle path, which follows the tracks all the way to the railway station (km 47.5). From the station square, take the cycle path along via Petrarca, which continues under the west ring road and leads to piazzale Di Vittorio (km 48.3). From there, follow corso del Popolo into the old town, to palazzo Roverella and piazza Vittorio Emanuele II (km 48.8).

Possible detours

• In Legnago, you can take a segregated path linking the rivers Adige and Po. First, you ride along the river Bussè until you come to the hamlet of Torretta on the Canal Bianco, after 14 km, then after another 7 km you come to Bergantino, a small town on the left bank of the Po, few km east of Ostiglia.

• In the hamlet of Barbuglio you can take the “Adige-Po” cycle path (www.ciclabileadigepo.it), which goes through Lendinara and Fratta and reaches the Po after about 32 km in Polesella.

• From Rovigo you can get to the Po at Guarda Veneta in about 15 km along regional itinerary I-3 “Via del Mare”, leaving town on the delightful Adigetto cycle path.