THE CHARM OF THE OLD TOWNS, THE GREENERY OF MONTELLO

(Vicenza - Volpago del Montello, 83 km)

The province of Vicenza comprises of a number of outstanding small towns, many of which are in the foothills of the region. The route we are about to describe almost entirely follows minor surfaced roads, and is part of the I-2 regional itinerary “Veneto Loop”, whose signs we will spot many times along the way. From Vicenza, it first touches Marostica, followed by Bassano del Grappa, both famous arts towns, then continues into the province of Treviso, goes up to magnificent Asolo, prominent member of the “Borghi più belli d’Italia” club, an association of small Italian towns of historical and artistic interest, and ends in Volpago, close to the river Piave, at the foot of the enchanting Montello hill, a true paradise for competitive cyclists who love climbs. The points of interest of this excursion, however, are not limited to the towns mentioned above, each of which would be worth a trip on its own. Indeed, the area offers a wealth of attractions, such as the Palladian villa Barbaro of Maser, a UNESCO World Heritage, or the pleasant market town of Montebelluna.

From Piazza dei Signori, the very heart of Vicenza, head north through Contra’ del Monte, Contra’ Porti and Contra’ Pusteria, then cross the bridge over the Bacchiglione (km 0.3). Continue in Contra’ San Marco, Contra’ San Francesco and via Pagliarino, then (km 1.2) cross via D’Alviano, the ring road, and continue on via La Marmora. After that, turn right (km 1.7) in via Castelfidardo, then left in via Medici and via Curtatone. Across viale Dal Verme (km 2.2) is the start of via dei Laghi, thoroughfare of the Laghetto district. Continue until the junction with via Lago Maggiore (km 3.7), where a fine cycle path starts, leading to the hamlet of Polegge. When you come to strada di Polegge (km 5.5), turn right, go through the hamlet then, at the following junction with provincial road SP248 (km 5.9), turn left, then right immediately after, into strada Ponte dei Carri and via Zanella, and you come to the hamlet of Cavazzale. Turn right at km 6.8 into via Saviabona, then left into via Firenze. At the junction with via Europa (km 7.1), you will see a cycle path ahead, slightly to the left, which takes to the railway tracks; here you turn left and carry on northbound. At km 8.1 go under the railway on the appropriate cycle and foot underpass, then continue into via Sturzo, and turn left into via Da Vinci. At the junction with via Marco Polo (km 8.6), carry on straight along via Selmo, then turn left into via Parmesana and right into via Capitello (km 9.1). Continue until km 10.9, where you turn right into via Villa Rossi, then left at the next junction and on the flyover of the A-31 motorway (km 12.0). After that, continue north on via Lupiola and over the bridge across the Astico. Turn left (km 14.2) in via Tezze, and turn right at the junction with via Europa (km 16.0), then left into via delle Longasole, until you come to the main piazza of Sandrigo with its parish church (km 17.3). Here, take a right into via Roma, then left after piazza Garibaldi into via Trissino, then left (km 17.7) into via Balcinelle, then right (km 18.1) into via Pittarini, right again (km 18.4) into via Ognissanti, and past the cemetery. At the next crossroads (km 19.3), take a right into via Roma, then right again (km 20.6) into via Piantalonga, then left (km 21.2), and go through the hamlet of Maragnole along the street of the same name. At km 22.7 turn right into via Albero and via Breganzina, then turn right (km 25.3) into via Riello, right-left (km 25.9) into via Verdi, and go under the Pedemontana Veneta dual carriageway (km 26.6). Continue on via Oppio and via Tezze until the junction with Provincial Road SP VIII (km 28.9), where you turn right onto the cycle path that starts there. Carry on for approximately 1.5 km, then at the crossroads (km 30.5) turn left onto via Panica and enter the centre of Marostica. When you come to the town gate (km 31.4), because of the no entry sign, to continue you must walk your bike for about 500 metres, past the famous piazza degli Scacchi (km 31.7), where the live chess game in medieval costume is enacted every two years. Continue until you go out through the opposite town gate, then left into via Prospero Alpino and via Campo Marzio, and take a left (km 32.2) into viale delle Due Rogge. After that, take a right (km 35.5) and continue at the foot of the hills on via Ponte Quarello and via Canale. At the end of via Canale (km 33.9), turn right into a double track, continue until you come out on via Vivian, then turn left (km 35.1) into via Scomazzoni, which starts climbing gently again to follow the contour of the hills, and continues on the right into via Gobetti and strada Rivana. This last road continues for quite a while into the hamlet of Angarano, where at the junction with viale Palladio (km 37.8), you turn left then right immediately after onto strada Rivana again. Take a right at the junction with via Santissima Trinità and go past the parish church of the same name (km 38.5), where you turn right into via Diaz then left into via Angarano, which leads straight to the famous Alpini bridge on the river Brenta, the iconic landmark of Bassano del Grappa. Walk your bike over the bridge, then take a right into via Ferracina and left into via Schiavonetti and shortly after you come to the heart of Bassano, piazza Libertà (km 39.6). From the square, continue east through piazza Garibaldi, then onto via Da Ponte until you come to the ring road (km 40.0). Cross it and continue on via dell’Ospedale. If you want to get to the railway station, turn right at the junction with via De Blasi (km 40.2). Otherwise, turn left into via Vaccari and via Gramsci, then right into via Passalacqua, left into via IV Armata and right into via Borromeo and via Reatto. At the junction with via Cogo (km 41.5), turn right then left into via Col Fagheron, then left again into via Monte Baldo and via Ca’ Cornaro (km 42.1), then turn right into via Madonnetta immediately after that. At the intersection with via Generale Giardino (km 43.3), in front of the church of San Giacomo, turn right, then immediately left into via Veneto, and go straight ahead. At the crossroads (km 46.1), near the village of Mussolente, turn left into via Tenente Eger, then right (km 46.6) into via dei Colli and left (km 46.8) into via Piana d’Oriente. At the next crossroads (km 47.3), always hang a right on via Piana d’Oriente, then carry on for quite a while amidst the lush scenery at the foot of the hills. At km 49.8, turn right into via Mezzo Ciel, then left into via Fontanazzi until you turn left (km 52.1) into via San Martino, then right (km 52.4) into via Belli. At the next intersection with provincial road SP20 (km 52.6), continue on via Pagnano and via Cogorer, always through pleasant green scenery. Turn right at km 55.1 and go straight down into Pagnano, already in the borough of Asolo, where you turn left (km 55.3) into via Foresto di Pagnano, an approximately 1.5 km, steep but not overly hard climb that takes you straight into the historical heart of Asolo (km 57.0), near the Cathedral. Continue on via Browning, turn left in via Foresto Vecchio, then left (km 57.3) in via San Martino with gentle ups and downs, until (km 58.9), in via Gorghesana, you descend rapidly and come to the thoroughfare (km 60.0). Here you turn left and ride on provincial road SP84, always eastbound, going through the centre of the hamlet of Maser and past the magnificent villa Barbaro, a Palladian masterpiece. Continue until you come to the centre of the small town of Cornuda, where you turn right at the traffic lights (km 66.8) into via Zanini, then left (km 67.4) into via Caodevilla, then right (km 67.6), under the SR348 regional road. After that, take a left into via Sant’Andrea until you come to the hamlet of Nogarè. At the intersection with via Erizzo (km 69.8), carry on into via Boschieri until the hamlet of Ciano, where you turn right at km 69.8 into via Unione. We are now right at the north-east edge of the oblong Montello hill, which we start going around anti-clockwise. The road starts gently going up on the side of the green, long hill, then equally gently goes down again towards the hamlet of Biadene di Montebelluna. Turn left at km 74.5 into via Stradone del Bosco, and ride along the canal at the foot of the hill. Continue in this way, in a very pleasant, shaded and lush setting, punctuated regularly by the lanes that go up the hill to the left (the so-called “prese”), until you come to the final point of the itinerary (km 81.8), above the village of Volpago del Montello, at the intersection with regional cycle touring itinerary I-4 Dolomites-Sea (RV15).

Possible detours

• Vicenza lies between stages 2 and 3 of the AIDA cycle route (RV2).

• Bassano del Grappa lies on the Brenta cycle path (RV9, stage 1).

• In Pagnano is the start of the Ezzelini path, which leads to the walled town of Castelfranco Veneto and other towns in the plain, and is an integral part of itineraries RV11 (from Rovigo and Padua) and RV14 (from Venice), Asolo being the final destination of both.

• Volpago del Montello lies at the intersection with regional cycle touring itinerary I-4 “Dolomites-Sea” (RV15), also part of the Munich-Venice international cycle route.

• Montebelluna and the hamlet of Bidasio di Nervesa della Battaglia are linked by the Tradotta cycle path (the 'Troop Train'), on excellent gravel, developed on the tracks of the former Montebelluna-Susegana railway, which was inaugurated in 1916 and abandoned in 1966.