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Europe / / Family Bike + Adventure Tour and the Land of the Italian Fairytale

© 2021 DuVine Adventure + Cycling Co. Hand-craft fresh pasta during an evening of Italian hospitality with our friends Alberto and Manuela Hike a footpath up Monte Baldo, the mountain above Lake Garda that offers the Veneto’s greatest views Learn the Italian form of mild mountaineering known as via ferrata Swim or sun on the shores of Italy’s largest lake Spend the night in a cozy refuge tucked into the Lessini Mountains, the starting point for a hike to historic WWI trenches Arrival Details Departure Details Airport City: Airport City: or Venice, Italy Milan or Venice, Italy Pick-Up Location: Drop-Off Location: Porta Nuova Train Station in Verona Porta Nuova Train Station in Verona Pick-Up Time: Drop-Off Time: 11:00 am 12:00 pm

NOTE: DuVine provides group transfers to and from the tour, within reason and in accordance with the pick-up and drop-off recommendations. In the event your train, flight, or other travel falls outside the recommended departure or arrival time or location, you may be responsible for extra costs incurred in arranging a separate transfer.

Emergency Assistance For urgent assistance on your way to tour or while on tour, please always contact your guides first. You may also contact the Boston office during business hours at +1 617 776 4441 or [email protected].

Younger Travelers

This itinerary is designed with children age 9 and older in mind. The itinerary can be tweaked for your family’s needs. For safety reasons, children must be at least 7 years old to ride their own bike. Trailers and tag-along bikes are available for younger children Safety triangles are provided to all children on tour Please note, children must be age 6 and older to participate in the via ferrata activity Tour By Day

DAY 1 Welcome to Veneto!

Meet your guides at the Verona train station for a quick transfer to Borghetto sul Mincio where our adventure begins. At this very special hotel and former millhouse, enjoy a light lunch on the river followed by a bike fitting and safety talk. We’ll head out on our first ride through the surrounding area to the walled village of Castellaro Lagusello. Several battles for Italy’s unification in the 1800s took place in this countryside, and the Red Cross was founded nearby in the aftermath of the Battle of . Tonight we’ll celebrate the start of our trip with a hands- on cooking class hosted by our friends Alberto and Manuela.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Borghetto, Monzambano, Castellaro Lagusello Accomplished: 14 miles / 22 km, elevation gain: 643 feet / 196 meters Longer Option: 20 miles / 33 km, elevation gain: 1,010 feet / 308 meters Accommodations: Il Borghetto

DAY 2

Wake to the gentle sound of the Mincio River running past your window. Today we bike to Mantua, home to an impressive concentration of Italian Renaissance art. Follow the winding course of the Mincio River downstream through this famously fertile land and cross one of the four artificial lakes into Mantua. We’ll explore the Renaissance architecture of the town before lunch at our favorite osteria in the main square. This afternoon, complete the ride back to the hotel or take a lift in the van to a local water park and spend the afternoon riding waterslides with the locals. For dinner, sample Il Borghetto’s famous tortelli pasta along the riverbank.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Mantua, Goito, Falzoni Accomplished: 22 miles / 35 km, elevation gain: 351 feet / 107 meters Longer Option: 40 miles / 65 km, elevation gain: 741 feet / 226 meters Accommodations: Il Borghetto

DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications. DAY 3 The Heights of Monte Baldo

Leave the bikes behind—today we’re heading up Monte Baldo, the huge massif dominating the eastern shore of Lake Garda, via a footpath along the mountain’s crest. This is one of Europe’s most scenically spectacular hikes with 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape. We’ll stop for lunch in a typical mountain hut before shuttling down to the lakeside town of , then reward yourself with an afternoon of relaxing on the sunny shores and swimming in Italy’s largest lake.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch Destinations: Monte Baldo, Riva del Garda Accomplished: 3-4 hours hiking Accommodations: Hotel Sole

DAY 4 Via Ferrata

Today we head into the mountains north of Lake Garda to try our hand at via ferrata. This form of Italian mountaineering combines hiking and rock climbing and can be adapted for all levels of explorers. Scramble up to the heights above Arco for breathtaking views of the lake and mountains below. After a picnic lunch, cool off with a dip in the river or dare to dive in from the old Roman bridge. Later, we venture deep into the alpine pastures of the Lessini Mountains on a sunset hike that arrives to our mountain-top refuge. Settle in for a hearty dinner and rest in your cozy, cabin-style accommodations.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Lake Garda, Bardolino, Sant’Ambrogio Accomplished: 3-4 hours hiking; rock climbing; swimming Accommodations: Rifugio Castelberto

DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications. DAY 5 The Lessini Mountains

Wake up in the tranquil setting of the Lessini Mountains ready to hike to the well-preserved WWI trenches that litter the plateau. We stop into a local malga for a quick taste of the cheese being made from fresh milk, then hop on our bikes for a long, gradual descent along the ridgelines of the Valpolicella. A picnic lunch is served at a local farmhouse, then pedal on through vineyards to the valley floor. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool with sweeping views of Verona. Tonight we’ll head into Verona for dinner, gelato, and perhaps an opera performance in the ancient Roman amphitheater.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Lessini Mountains, San Rocco, Verona Accomplished: 29 miles / 47 km, elevation gain: 656 feet / 200 meters Shorter Option: 22 miles / 35 km, elevation gain: 610 feet / 186 meters Accommodations: Relais Fra Lorenzo

DAY 6 Goodbye to Verona

Spend your last morning in Verona riding an optional loop through the hills behind the city, or seize the opportunity to sleep in and take a final riverside stroll. Transfer to the Verona train station and bid farewell to your guides on the way to your next destination.

Meals: Breakfast Destinations: Verona

DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications.