The C word, which we never really want to talk about anymore and which we have had so much trouble with in 2020 and 2021, also brings us beautiful things! A group of road cyclists in the area of Treviso decided to do things completely differently during this period. The world was already upside down. So instead of grabbing their 28mm tires, they took out their gravel bikes from the shed, looking for trails they hadn’t ridden before themselves.
Read also: Dream destination VIA FRANCIGENA
They mapped out the roads and the hidden gems they discovered and created the most beautiful routes. In this province, where the attention of tourists mainly focuses on the city of Venice, there are more than 5,000 kilometers of gravel paths. 5,000 kilometers! No wonder the first two editions of the Gravel World Championships were held in this region. That doesn’t mean you can only go here if you can ride hard. The routes are very diverse; to the north, the hills, or to the south in the valley. Yes, the hills are the style, but only for a short time. Cyclists of all levels can have fun here.
The Prosecco Hills
On the first day, our cycling group heads north and soon arrives in the hills. Here you literally ride through the vineyards, up and down. It’s extra fun that it’s exactly harvest season now (October), so we are greeted again and again by the wine growers and grape pickers. The tractor drivers with trailers full of grapes drive back and forth. I ask our tour guide if we are allowed to cycle here at all, because it feels like I’m riding on private land. Ricky explains that there are hardly any private roads in Italy and that they are clearly marked otherwise. Good to know, because I wouldn’t have taken some of the roads myself. And then, unfortunately, you mostly stay on the main roads. Especially nice between the rows of vines, so it’s great!
Perfect for gravel enthusiasts and life-lovers: no coffee stop but a prosecco stop instead. Prepare yourself for a delicious bottle of bubbles for less than five euros per bottle and a tray of cheeses and cold cuts. I will still buy apple pie at Proloog in the Netherlands. Here I accept that after lunch I won’t be as active as before.
The hills are short and straight; in the first 25 kilometers we have already covered over 400 meters of elevation gain, but the terrain and trails are not technically demanding. We drive on relatively wide roads and the gravel is worthy of the Strade Bianche. Here and there an exception: one of the MTB riders in the group finds the descent on such a crazy mountain bike unstable.
The city with 100 horizons
Today we’re going on a city trip. From Montebelluna, we drive through the battlefields of the First World War, where we also briefly visit the trenches, and via the Asolo Hills to the town of Asolo. It turns out to be a town with a rich history, where princesses and poets lived and where you might encounter George Clooney on your way. Asolo has the nickname “City with 100 horizons” because the view from every vantage point is completely different. You can cycle through it, stopping is better. The central square has Porchetta a Manetta, the regular lunch spot for cyclists from the area. Their specialty is a sandwich with the famous porchetta (thin slices of pork) and a cold beer. After lunch, I learn the card game Scopa! with special Venetian cards and already know: I’m going to go there again with real café legs.
Next level gravel
We continue on to one of the many villas in the area: Villa Barbero, designed by the famous architect Palladio. In my opinion, it is worth a visit, but I can imagine that you don’t want to stop for too long during a bike ride. No problem, because after you’ve been whisked up among the cypresses and come out onto the main road, the villa is so well-built, perfectly symmetrical, that you can even see from the road how big it really is. If you drive a little further, you’ll pass the chapel that belongs to the villa or one of the other large, imposing houses.
Where we began the day exploring the fields of the First World War, we end the ride at “La Tradotta”; an arranged gravel bike path that follows the original railway line between Montebelluna and Susegana that was used during the war for military freight transport. It is a tourist trail, so not technically or challenging, but it is a delightful ride. Oh, and beware of your head when you have to go through the small tunnel!
To the source of the Sile River
We leave the hills behind us, the landscape is much flatter further south. Flat as in; in a 50-kilometer round trip there are only 100 vertical meters. We start the day in Treviso and use the bike path to drive to the river. Yes, it’s gravel, but because of the many road crossings, with winding bridges, it doesn’t really feel like riding along. Our local tells us that this is the fastest and safest route, so we’ll just listen to him! When we get to the river we have everything we need: fields, forests, bridges, until we reach the swamp where the source of the river De Sile is. In my head, I’ve obviously romanticized the river’s origin too much, because I would have walked past the puddle with the bubbly dirty water if I didn’t know that this was the source. So use it primarily as a reason for a nice bike route, and not as the goal of the trip.
Trees that reach to the sky
Shortly after that we pass a group of trees. Truly enormous trees. These turn out to be monumental trees that must be protected at all costs. Due to time constraints, we unfortunately can’t drive past any more of the trees, but a special bike route has been created that covers all these monuments. Cool. Not only at the trees, but everywhere we drive past Ricky has prepared a story and tells about which routes you can also ride in the area. As I already wrote, there are so many kilometers of gravel roads in the region that it’s no surprise that I want to know more about them everywhere we go. Fortunately, those beautiful routes in the area are very easy to access via the website of Gravel Veneto
My tip for vineyards in Veneto: take your time, enjoy the real Italian culture: the villas, the villages, the prosecco and the delicious food. What you cycle here may not be epic, and you don’t need to be trained like a pro, but the views are romantic and the roads are so lovely to ride on. That’s why this is the ultimate relaxing cycling destination!
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.