We leave Verona cycling first on the bike path along the Biffis Canal and then through vineyards and olive groves inland from Lake Garda on low-traffic roads to Peschiera del Garda.

Look for a beach or visit the Peschiera Fortress, the impressive 19th-century defensive work of the Habsburg Quadrilateral.

Overnight in Peschiera del Garda.

We take the quiet Mincio Cycle Path that follows the placid, emerald-green flow of the Mincio.

The first stop may be Borghetto sul Mincio, a few houses and many mills on the river, an ancient place with a special charm, above which stands the beautiful medieval castle of Valeggio sul Mincio, with its swallow-tailed Ghibelline battlements.

The stage destination is Mantua, a charming medieval city surrounded by three lakes. The arrival between Lago Superiore and Lago di Mezzo is striking and even more so in summer with the blossoming of the Lotus flowers.

Overnight in Mantua.

From Mantua, we shortly plunge into the countryside, among canals and cultivated fields, pedaling along the Mincio River to Governolo, which was a fortified village with a castle, later destroyed. Now the partially buried waterworks, a tower with a clock and a few houses remain.
On the next stretch we skirt the Po, the longest river in Italy, with a wide basin, now partly sandy because of widespread drought. Our stop is Ostiglia, a simple, hard-working town that grew up along the river. To relax, a dip in the hotel pool awaits us.

Overnight in Ostiglia.

Crossing the bridge over the Po, we find the town of Revere, admire the Ducal Palace with its tower and then resume the road westward along the P embankment, high above the surrounding countryside.

We soon leave the Po and descend to skirt the winding course of the Secchia River. Along the river we find Concordia sulla Secchia, the first municipality in the Emilian area. Passing through the streets of the center we can still see the wounds inflicted by the 2012 earthquake.

We now head into the countryside surrounding Mirandola, the birthplace of Giovanni Pico dei Conti della Mirandola, a 15th-century Italian philosopher. The town still retains its original octagonal plan and welcomes us with a large square, the Pico family’s beautiful medieval castle, and a small but lively historic center.

Overnight stay in Mirandola.

Shortly after the center of Mirandola, we come to the section of the Ciclovia del Sole recently built on decommissioned railroad tracks. The route runs alongside the active railroad of the Brenner-Bologna line.

We meet San Felice sul Panaro with the beautiful Rocca Estense (a brick castle with Ghibelline battlements), cross Crevalcore passing through the long porticoes, characteristic of Emilian cities, and arrive in San Giovanni in Persiceto, which surprises us with unexpected attractions: from the Museum of Physics, to the small squares with splendid murals, to the very ancient history of Carnival, traces of which we can find scattered throughout the town.

Overnight in San Giovanni in Persiceto.

Just a few kilometers separate us from Osteria Nuova where we leave the bike path on the former railroad track and a somewhat convoluted route awaits us to safely enter the great city of Bologna, jokingly defined in three words: the learned, the red, and the fat. It is the rich city of a thousand porticoes, soaring towers, ancient university, renowned and tasty cuisine, and so much more to see.

In Piazza Nettuno, which with Piazza Maggiore represents the center of the city, we are expected to arrive at the Bologna Welcome Info Point. We can safely leave our bicycles here for a walking tour of the historic center and to take advantage of a free visit to the Clock Tower, which allows us to admire the city from above.

We pick up our bicycles to arrive at our accommodation in Bologna, a modern hostel with a youthful atmosphere.

Breakfast, check out and end of the services. Arrivederci!