Cycle way from Peschiera del Garda to Valeggio sul Mincio

From Peschiera del Garda, on the southern shore of Lake Garda, a charming bike path leads along the Mincio River to Mantua. Along the way you will encounter numerous sights and picturesque villages such as Borghetto, the birthplace of the "Tortellini di Valeggio".

Peschiera Valeggio sul Mincio cycle way

The starting point is the right bank of the Mincio River on the southern edge of the medieval old town of Peschiera del Garda, where the paved cycle way towards Mantua follows.

It leads almost level through the gently undulating landscape characterized by cypresses, poplars, olive trees, grain fields and vineyards. After about five and a half kilometers, you cross a dam wall and cycle along the left bank past the dreamy town of Monzambano, behind which the flat Po valley opens up.

Finally, you reach the idyllically situated Valeggio sul Mincio, whose district Borghetto has a special charm. The charming "little village" with its medieval fortifications, the historic houses on the left and right of the Mincio, the Visconti bridge and the old mills seems to have fallen out of time.

The latter, by the way, have a special meaning: since some inhabitants were already processing grain into flour in the 14th century, the little town was already known for its numerous mills. Soon the flour was to be mixed with eggs and water and the dough was to be made into delicate pasta. However, Borghetto is known first and foremost for its tortellini, those tasty little pastries whose special texture can also be explained by local history: Since there was hardly any pig farming in and around Borghetto, resourceful inhabitants filled their dumplings not with the classic pork, but with a more digestible mixture of beef and chicken, and served them in a broth or tossed in sage butter.

With this in mind, it hardly seems surprising that there are a whole ten pastifici stores selling handmade pasta and tortellini in the small town. In addition, numerous restaurants and inns invite you to stop for a bite to eat.

Those who wish can continue the bike tour to Mantua. But we will visit the tranquil old town of Valeggio, which can be reached by bike in about ten minutes. To do this, cross the bridge, leave the idyllic Borghetto and ride up a pleasant incline towards the old town, where on every fourth sunday of the month an antiques market is held in the town square "Carlo Alberto" by more than a hundred professional exhibitors and numerous hobbyists.

Also worth seeing is the multiple award-winning Parco Sigurtà, one of the most beautiful landscape parks in Italy. A colorful variety of numerous flowers, medicinal plants, shrubs and trees thrive here in an area of 560,000 square meters. There are also 18 fish ponds and some other sights to admire.

The way back from Borghetto to Peschiera del Garda is the same as the way there.

Infos Cycle way from Peschiera del Garda to Valeggio sul Mincio

• Duration:02:00 h
• Length:27.1 km
• Height gain:75 m

• Min. elevation:58 m
• Max. elevation:99 m