The Mincio Cycleway (or Peschiera-Mantua Cycleway) is a segregated cycle track along the towpath of the River Mincio, connecting the lakeside towns of

Peschiera del Garda Peschiera del Garda (; vec, Pischera; la, Ardelica, ''Arilica'') is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Verona, in Veneto, Italy. When Lombardy-Venetia was under Austrian rule, Peschiera was the northwest anchor of the four fortified tow ...

and

Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...

Description

The facility is a two-way cycle track with a minor gradient. Completed in 2006 and entirely

paved Pavement may refer to: * Pavement (architecture), an outdoor floor or superficial surface covering * Road surface, the durable surfacing of roads and walkways ** Asphalt concrete, a common form of road surface * Sidewalk or pavement, a walkway alo ...

, it spans one of the four lengths of the fortified quadrangle created under Austrian rule during the first half of the 19th century. The cycleway is intended for

bicycle touring Bicycle touring is the taking of self-contained cycling trips for pleasure, Adventure travel, adventure or autonomy rather than sport, commuting or exercise. Bicycle touring can range from single-day trips to extended travels spanning weeks or mon ...

. Heading southwards, it starts near the Peschiera del Garda railway viaduct, on the right bank of the Mincio, passing over to the left bank just before the village of Monzambano, near the Salionze dam. Shortly after this the castle of Valeggio sul Mincio, once a stronghold of the Veronese Scaligers, comes into view. This is followed by Borghetto sul Mincio, a settlement distinguished by its many watermills and the Ponte visconteo, a bridge erected by the Milanese House of Visconti. From here it continues, still along the Mincio, as far as Pozzolo, where an alternative route leads to Volta Mantovana. The track then veers away from the river, along the canals of the Mantuan plains. After approximately 40 km it reaches the historic city of

. Although the railway station is within easy reach, visitors are advised to continue along the cycling and pedestrian track which runs along the Lago di mezzo (Middle Lake, one of the three basins formed by the Mincio, which wraps around the city), as far as the

Ducal Palace Several palaces are named Ducal Palace (Italian: ''Palazzo Ducale'' ) because it was the seat or residence of a duke. Notable palaces with the name include: France *Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, Dijon *Palace of the Dukes of Lorraine, Nancy *Pa ...

, the very heart of town. The cycleway is clearly signposted all the way and offers several rest stops with facilities. It is particularly popular in springtime (see the stats below).

Route

The cycleway stars near the Peschiera del Garda railway viaduct, and follows the course of the Mincio to Pozzolo. From there, it follows the canals of the Mantuan plains until it reaches the Lago di Mezzo in Mantua. The cycleway is clearly marked with signposts along its route, and offers several rest stops with facilities.

Description

Route

References

See also