Trent-E
A cycle holiday travel with children on the cycle lanes
along the rivers Brenta (Valsugana) and Adige, through Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige,
from Marostica (VI) and Bassano del Grappa to Resia / Reschen lake pass (BZ)
Photos, drawings, data processing and text by Daniela Zappa and Marco Cerisola, 2013
Translated by Matteo Cerisola and Daniela Zappa, 2014
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For seeing the photos please go to the Italian version (Clicking on them they get wider)
An unforgettable stage adventure by bike with children on a cycle route is also possible in Italy: after the experience in 2012 when we followed Po river by bike we wanted to try again. In the first stretch we rode along the river Brenta (from the Vicenza province to the Trento one) and then Adige (from Trento northwards through Bolzano province), the second longest Italian river. We started from Marostica with our children – Anna 10 years old and Luca almost 7 – and arrived to Glorenza/Glerns (both wonderful towns surrounded by fortified walls), with an additional mountain stretch to get to the smooth Resia lake. The bike lanes mainly run at the valley bottom among apple orchards and the well-known vineyards. The climb to Resia pass is an exception. It is a paved cycle dedicated lane with only few very short stony or sand stretches. It is the unique ascent on a cycle lane among the almost 400 ones collected by Marco!
As in 2008 (Donauradweg), in 2010 (Drauradweg) and in 2012 (la ciclovia del Po) we adopted the proposal by Ediciclo who had just published the “Guida alle più belle piste ciclabili in Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige e Friuli Venezia Giulia” by the valuable Alberto Fiorin, which we followed as our compass for our enterprise. In comparison with/While the Po cycleway from Monviso to Adriatic sea which has too many not protected and sometimes dangerous stretches in the west part, our itinerary is mainly on dedicated cycle lanes and the remaining stretches are not travelled.
We chose to ride together like last year from one hotel to the next one, then daddy (the only really trained one) rode back to our car and drove to reach the rest of the family at the well in advance booked accommodation. In one occasion we used the train to return to Egna/Neumarkt from Bolzano/Bozen where we had found no suitable accommodation but we realized it is an expansive solution for short distance travels.
The beauty of the landscape and the shortness of the distance transformed Glorenza into our turning point to return to Marostica. The advantages were: we did not have the trouble to book additional hotels because we stopped at the same, moreover it was pleasant finding yourself in familiar places and having more time to know them better and to search for hidden beauties. Of course you can choose to follow our path in reverse order which also means going sometimes downhill.
Like last years we succeeded in holding our total expenses down choosing with the utmost care the accommodations: we could sleep in quality facilities and eat healthy food at cheap prices. While in hostels guests have to make and unmake their beds, on the other hand you find precious facilities such as playrooms for children and a washing machine which are generally absent in hotels. Although we have always been satisfied, the paid the cheapest prices in 2012 at Piacenza’s hostel and in 2010 at Vuhred in Slovenia.
What fabulous memories [see the photos on this page, and in Vi-Tn-Bz2 and in Vi-Tn-Bz3] delighted us during those splendid days!
b – Departurefrom Marostica, wonderful fortified town
CYCLETOURISM – Our stages and travel schedule (photo A):
1^ Marostica (VI) - Bassano del Grappa – Marostica km 19,3 (sightseeing in Marostica, Bassano del Grappa, Venetian villas; met the legendary Giovanni Battaglin in his factory: photo C);
2^ Marostica (VI) - Grigno (TN) km 42,2 (nice environment through Veneto and Trentino);
3^ Grigno - Pergine Valsugana km 34,6 (good cycle lane up to Caldonazzo lake; sightseeing in Trento);
4^ Trento - Egna / Neumarkt (BZ) km 45,4 (sightseeing in Egna, medioeval town with enchanting porticoes and an interesting Museum of Popular Culture);
5^ Egna - Caldaro lake - Egna di km 26,7 (admired the enchanting Caldaro lake and wineyards);
6^ Egna - Bolzano km 28,6 (sightseeing in Bolzano);
7^ Bolzano – Merano km 34,9 (sightseeing in Merano and found the via Claudia Augusta, already encountered along Danube and Po);
8^ Merano - Coldrano di Laces/Goldrein-Latsch km 33,2 (magnificent Adige and castles, train world in Rabland: with 70 electic trains running on a plastic model rich in details);
9^ Coldrano – Glorenza/Glerns km 31,6 (fascinated by Coldrano; tasted strowberries, cherries and apricots; captivated by the altitude railway , the woods, little bridges the mountaintops);
10^ Glorenza - Resia pass- Glorenza (BZ) km 46,6 (enchanted by Glorenza and by the Curon steeple towering out of the water: photo Z).
The total amount of kms (the ones above descripted are 343,1 km but we have effectively ridden for 833 kms) was higher than the previous years (333 in 2008, 449 in 2010, 767 in 2012) as well as the average length of the stages (34,3 km in the above description, but the effective ones were 43,8 km/day) which has been growing along with our children’s age (33,3 in 2008, 37,2 in 2010, 42,6 in 2012).
c – ourmeeting with the champion GiovanniBattaglin
Given that children must be warned about the possible dangers which can always occur in every place and situation of life, we give hereunder a few warnings:
· in some rare cases the lane runs along the river with no protection;
· the roads and crossings require the utmost attention; the lane could suddenly narrow or bow;
· the lane may go down considerably (photosX, Y);
· some cyclists train on cyclelanes running at high speeds (instead of building new roads for motorveicles, different lanes for different users would be required);
· do not forget: drinking water, suntan cream, clothes suitable for different temperatures (getting to Glorenza / Glerns the temperature dropped from 32° to 13° from one day to the next one), raincoat (althogh Venosta valley is the less rainy valley of the region) and air chambers (the stones are not the most recurring causes of puncture but glass chips and thorns, in fact the only puncture we got this year was because of a thorn at the edge of a lawn);
· train and get used to the saddle are necessary although we generally rode no more than three hours a day. Leaving Merano towards Glorenza the lane gets so steep that if you are not well trained you could be in difficulty (Daniela and Anna had to get down and push their bikes in some points). The wind could slow you considerably especially in the afternoons when it blows the most.
· the average slope from Glorenza to Resia pass (up to the lake) is deceiving moderate because long easy stretches alternate with walls that even reach the percentage of 19 (photo X) and made me consider it a 4th category as to "Cerisola index" (with 10 levels) being its difficulty 4,840.
d – ridingthrough Valstagna (VI), along the river Brenta
After these important highlights some unforgettable suggestive emotions we felt during this holiday. Describing what captured our eyes is almost impossible, also because many of the places are already very famous. The panhandle 1,5 km long between the rivers Isarco and Adige south of Bolzano was memorable: photo M. We would like to point out something less known but surely worth stopping at: the huge model of the province of Bolzano called Mondo Treno / Eisenbahnwelt at Rablà/Rabland near Merano with 70 trains which we would have never left (photo R).
We remember a lot of funny episodes, such as distraction falls, even at pizzeria and the trip leader’s direction mistakes (photo i)! Marco asked the way in German and was answered in Italian. So at the next crossing he asked in Italian to a man who kindly and widely explained in German!
We had the greatest pleasure in riding on cycle lanes inside residential areas, where we always had the right of way, sometimes even at the crossroads.
The cycle lanes and the pedestrian walkways have their own separate track.
The bicigrills (photo S), the toilettes (photo G) and the bridges (photo J,L,V) are noteworthy. The best surprise was the air compressor (photo N) in Walther von der Vogelweide square near the cathedral in Bolzano!
As to food we have particularly appreciated the elderberry (Holunder) and apple juice. We are very glad of the wonderful things admired during this and the previous similar holidays. We are very grateful to all who hosted us for meals or overnights. It would be difficult and not fair making a classification. Just for fun and to appreciate the particularly meritorious ones we have given marks: as a whole the 4th stage of this year (from Trento to Egna, photo K) was our favourite one and the next ones were Rosegg labirinth and Velden lake in 2010. The most acclaimed cycle lane was the second stage of 2008 travel from Niederranna to Aschach, followed by Bolzano-Merano of this summer (photo O, P, Q) which is not included in the above mentioned book by Ediciclo. The most suggestive portion of river was the Po delta (2012). The most unforgettable scenery was in Slovenia (2010), slightly better than the Vercelli district landscapes (2012). The marks to towns and cities were similar in these years but Bolzano’s and Merano’s ones were slightly better. Among the landscapes the Dolomiti got the best (beginning 2010 travel). The favourite overnight was in 2010 at Velden’shostel. The best dinner was in Grein (2008) with a very good quality/price ratio, followed by Gorino (2012). The most extraordinary breakfast we had this year was in Marostica, at the Due Mori hotel (in 2010 Voelkermarkt, but many others also very good), that also wins as to their friendly attitude. Its very high quality was above our standards and budget limits we had given but once we excepted it and made us a present.
f – on theValsugana cycle lane
Now we are taking pleasure in our memories and photos hoping that the soft mobility willl be encouraged and supported as much as possible for the wellness of people and of our planet . Economy would benefit from it too.
Daniela Zappa e Marco Cerisola, 2013