The Veneto by bicycle
Even in the Veneto it is very difficult to find bike routes that are truly free from the motorized hordes, as they are in the middle-European countries. All the same, I present in this section some routes that I personally have tried and that are relatively peaceful and cyclable.
Flat routes: the [not very] cyclable route along the Brenta and the [a bit more] cyclable route that goes from Padua to Monselice following the Canale di Battaglia; dedicated bike paths are rare and poorly connected to each other; I refer here to the incomplete bike paths along the towpath of the Sile River from Treviso to the Venetian Lagoon; along the stream Muson dei Sassi from Padua to Castelfranco; and one that goes from Vicenza to Longare. Two true bike routes are in fact on the border, one with Lombardy, the bike path along the Mincio from Mantua to Peschiera, and the other along the Po, but on the Emilia-Romagna side of the river, with the Destra Po bike route. Other flat routes (but cyclable only in winter!) and somewhat obvious are those that follow the shoreline, for example, along the Livenza up to Caorle.
Routes with moderate climbs: relatively peaceful for the biker are the Montello, the Euganei hills and the Berici hills: these are undulating paths, with a bit of climb to them, but offering something for everyone, and providing quite an healthy environment. Routes of medium difficulty include the Valdobbiadene and the Valcellina. From Feltre you can follow the Via Claudia Augusta to Valsugana in Trentino. Inaugurated in 2003 is the bike path of the Dolomites between Calalzo, Cortina d´Ampezzo and Cimabanche.
Paths with steep climbs: the Monte Grappa, the Nevegal, and the climb up to Tambre concluding at the Bosco del Cansiglio.
The bicycle is also an ideal way to visit the many Venetian villas, which are located primarily in the provinces of Venice, Padua and Treviso; for example, a Palladio route between Padua and Vicenza.
Thanks to the Train + Bike service you can go further, for instance, in Carinthia (Austria) around Villach or in Slovenia along the valley of the Isonzo River.
Complementary to these routes is the use of the Train + Bike service operated by Trenitalia.
