Cycle Tour Veneto – Tyrol – Swabia

From the hotel, we cycle a short, gentle climb to the cathedral and then west to Porta Santi Quaranta. After a brief photo stop, we ride in the bike lane next to the road.

Before the tunnel that runs under the railway tracks, we are reprimanded by a local resident for not getting out of the bike in time. Only pushing is permitted in the tunnel.

The I5 Treviso - Ostiglia cycle path begins directly behind the tunnel. We cycle on a compacted surface along the former railway line. Trees and bushes line the route, and views of the surrounding landscape are rare.

In Santa Cristina, we leave the I5 and cycle westward on a self-designed route. Initially, we mostly follow secondary roads. After four kilometers, we continue along the SP5 on a cycle path next to the road. However, the cycle path is not continuous; there are also frequent sections on the road.

Behind Cavasagra, we pass Villa Corner. A handsome property. The villa dates back to the 16th century. Today, it houses a hotel, which describes itself on its website as cyclist-friendly and has quite reasonable prices.

We're already halfway to Castelfranco since leaving the I5. The route continues with consistent impressions to Castelfranco. The last few meters before the old town are a stop-and-go between cars, in step with the traffic lights.

The first thing we notice of the old town is the Torre Civca, which towers over the eastern city gate. From there to the town center at Piazza San Liberale, it's only about 150 meters. To the south of the square is the cathedral, to the north the town hall.

While we're resting on the piazza, a wedding party leaves the town hall. Lastly, the bride and groom arrive. After a few ceremonies, a congratulatory treatment, and some chatting among the guests, the group heads one by one to the bistro next to the square.

We visit the Duomo and then climb back into the saddle. The route takes us further west.

After passing through the western gate of Castelfranco, we can look back and see the remains of the mighty, originally 17-meter-high fortification wall with its moat.

We cycle more on the road than before until Cittadella, passing through industrial areas for a long stretch before reaching Cittadella. Then we approach the Porta Padua city gate from the south. The visible city walls appear more impressive and better maintained than in Castelfranco. Through the gate, we enter the former fortress. The ride to the town center is a bit longer here than in Castelfranco. At Piazza G. Scalco, we find a café where we take our afternoon break. We enjoy a cappuccino and pastries and  observe the guests of the café and the hustle and bustle on the piazza.

Through the Porta Treviso, we begin the final stretch to our destination for the day. We cycle along the northeastern quarter of the city wall to Porta Bassano. Here in the north, the city wall is much more impressive in its defensiveness than at Porta Padua.

Through the northern suburbs, we reach the SS47, which we stay on and alongside for 1.5 kilometers. Then we switch to a quiet parallel road to the east. We cycle on this road for six kilometers through predominantly sparsely built-up areas.

After that, we ride for about half an hour on busier roads. A bike lane is only present in sections.

Through the southeastern city gate, we enter the old town. There are only a few cars on the road here. We cycle through cobbled alleys past Piazza Liberta up to Piazza Terraglio. Our small hotel is located right at the gate to the castle.

The bikes are locked in the very warm boiler room at the edge of the courtyard. We're given a small triangular room on the second floor.

At 3:30 in the afternoon, freshly showered, we set out to explore the city.

First, we visit the castle grounds. The walls are built of spherical river stones. Through a gate, we enter an outer defensive perimeter. This perimeter runs around the cathedral and ends above the Brenta Valley near the Torre dell'Ortazzo at the southwest corner of the castle. From here, there's a clear view of the Ponte Vecchio or Ponte degli Alpini.

On the way back, we visit the church within the castle grounds, the Duomo di Santa Maria in Colle.

Afterwards, we stroll down to Piazza Libertà. On the corner in front of the square is the town hall. Its Loggia di Piazza can be reached via a short flight of stairs, from where you can overlook the square.

Directly opposite is the Church of San Giovanni Battista. There was an art exhibition in the nave.

From the piazza, we walk down to the Brenta River. Here, the (tourist) hustle and bustle increases. The Ponte Vecchio is open only to pedestrians. The blue-green waters of the Brenta flow peacefully down the valley. On the western bank there is a quiet street with several restaurants and bars. To the right of the bridge, a steep staircase leads down to the bank. From there, you can get a good view of the bridge's construction.

Back in the old town, we stroll past Pizza Garibaldi to the eastern edge of the old town in search of a restaurant for dinner.