The Padova-Teolo-Vicenza route

A route from Padova [Padua] to Vicenza in large part on a dedicated bike path or on roads with little traffic, that crosses through the southern section of the Colli Euganei [Euganean Hills]. Only the section just before Treponti is on a busy road with no bike lane.

Point of departure is the train station at Padova. To the right of the station take Via Paolo Sarpi and then follow the ring road south until you come to Via Sorio to the right, which marks the beginning of the Colli Euganei route. Another option is to leave from the center of Padova taking Via Vescovado/Via Euganea.

Via dei Colli is a very long straight road which consistently has a bike path sometimes on the right side, sometimes on the left; it crosses through Selvazzano Dentro, a large suburb of Padova, where once you are through the village, you will find on the right Via Montecchia from which you can see, set on a hill, Villa Capodilista, one of the more unusual of the Venetian villas.

The bike path ends in the locality of San Biagio just before Treponti; now comes the worst section of this trip, traffic can be very intense and there no longer is even a bike lane. Once through Treponti traffic decreases and shortly after begins the climb towards Teolo; although there are four hairpin turns, the grades are not too severe and you arrive at the center of the village without too much difficulty.

After Teolo take the descending road towards Vò Vecchio, where there is the imposing Villa Venier, and then continue towards Agugliaro. From here it would be possible, extending your trip a few km/miles, to reach Finale and Villa Saraceno.

After Agugliaro there is another long straight road that takes one to the provincial road through the Colli Berici [Berici Hills] and shortly after we will come to the Vicenza-Noventa Vicentina bike path. From here to Vicenza it is 27 km/17 miles of paved bike path in excellent condition, on paper the easiest section of the entire route. On paper only, because if the wind blows from the northeast one can get slowed down through the long stretches that run through open fields.

You will brush by the villages of Barbarano Vicentino, Ponte di Nanto, and Castegnero and then come to Longare where you skirt by a US military base shortly before crossing the highway and finding yourself on the other side as far as Longara and then Vicenza.

At the point where the bike path rejoins the provincial road you will be in front of the hill of Villa la Rotonda, the most famous Palladio masterpiece. The bike path switches again to the left side and continues until it ends below the Arco delle Scalette [Arch of the Stairs]; from here Viale del Risorgimento takes you to the FS train station at Vicenza.

Photos Villa Capodilista Teolo Vò Vecchio Vicenza-Noventa Vicentina bike path Barchessa at Longare Villa la Rotonda Altimetry

Captions Selvazzano: from Via Montecchia one can see, in the distance and partially hidden by trees, Villa Capodilista, one of the more unusual examples of Venetian villas. Teolo: at 164 m/540 feet this is the high point of this route, but for those who wish to climb even higher, take the intersection to the left which will take you to Castelnuovo, elevation 250 m/820 feet. At the end of the descent from Teolo you come to Vò Vecchio; in this small village the sheer size of Villa Contarini Venier jumps out, which now houses a Museum of the Holocaust; during World War II the villa was used as a concentration camp for Jews waiting to be transported to Auschwitz. After crossing through Agugliaro you reach the Vicenza-Noventa Vicentina bike path; from here onwards, it is an easy route of approximately 30 km/19 miles to Vicenza, easy as long as there is no wind from the northeast … Longare: this partially ruined structure along the bike path seems to be the barchessa of a villa that either was destroyed or was never even built. At the end of the bike path from Longare we see Villa la Rotonda by Palladio; we are now in Vicenza, the end of this route. Altimetry.