04 Ott Bike tour on Petrarca’s hamlet and the Venetian Villas 

Find yourself in the green heart of the Colli Euganei Natural Park, for a group weekend in the center of the Veneto cycleways.  

 A weekend on a bike to fully savor the Euganean hills, right between Padua, Vicenza, and Rovigo. A light tour along vineyards will take us to the famous Arquà Petrarca and the beautiful Venetian villas that cover the Po Valley. We will also discover the food and wine traditions of the territory while cycling and admiring beautiful sceneries full of history and art. The heart of Veneto awaits.  

PROGRAM

Friday: After settling down in the hotel, we meet in the afternoon to meet the guide and the rest of the group. A chat together, some dinner, and then bedtime.  
Saturday: Right after breakfast, we hop on our bike and plunge into the hills’ wildlife. We climb up to admire the view and reach the majestic Villa Vescovi, a noble residence inspired by Classic themes. Villa Vescovi used to be the residence of Padua’s Bishop and was recently restored and opened to the public by FAI (Fondo Ambientale Italiano). After lunch, we head to Praglia’s Abbey, one of the most important Benedictine monasteries of the hills, where monks pray, work, and restore old books. Along the Ring Cycleway of the Hills, we can admire Villa Draghi and Castello del Catajo. We then reach Battaglia Terme, an ancient river port full of many hydraulic artifacts and Venetian bridges. At last, we reach the Little Venetian Versailles, Villa Barbarigo a Valsanzibio and its gardens. Before heading back to the hotel, we can have some Fior D’Arancio DOCG wine tasting in a local cellar. Distance: 35km 
Sunday: Today, we head to Monselice, the walled town. We then deviate to Arquà Petrarca, the second most beautiful town in Italy (2017). We can visit the house where the great Francesco Petrarca used to live and taste some jujube broth.  
We have reached the end of the tour, time to say goodbye to the beautiful Euganean Hills. If you can stay a bit longer, we can have lunch together and visit the Catajo castle independently. Distance: approx. 25km 
Important: We suggest bike shorts. 

INFO

Holiday code: WEUGANEI 
Where: Veneto – Padua (PD) 
Accommodation: Belvedere Resort ai Colli – Galzignano Terme (PD) 
Guide: one of Jonas’ own 
Individual price: €300 
Electric bike rental: €20 
Single room fee: 70 
Includes: hotel accommodation in double/triple rooms, half board with drinks, bike rental for two days, wine tasting, Casa del Petrarca entrance, guided tours, guide, health, and luggage insurance. 
Does not include: journey, meals, extra drinks, Villa Vescovi and Giardino di Valsanzibio entrance, city tax, and anything not listed in “Includes” section. 
  
HOW TO GET THERE 
By train: Battaglia Terme station is the closest and smallest, but Terme Eguanee Abano/Montegrotto is larger and with more taxis, approx. 9km away. From each station, you can plan a transfer with the guide based on arrival time. 
  
USEFUL INFORMATION 
Total distance: approx. 60km 
First excursion: circular route of approx. 35 km. The tour starts with a brief 1km climb that can be done on foot. The rest of the tour does not have any further inclination.  
Second excursion: approx. 25km 
Intensity: intermediate/low 
Path: dirt and asphalt