Bicycle Tours

Villas of Veneto

Our easy paced tour is a visually stunning journey through this region of Italy, so rich in culture, art and natural beauty. Here we'll admire the creations of Palladio, the Italian master architect who designed many of the elegant villas and their harmonious gardens for Venetian nobility of the 16th century.

Day 1: Arrival on your own at the Hotel Donatello, a tastefully restored 18th century hotel, ideally located near the St. Anthony Piazza with views on the famous Basilica. We'll meet at 3:00 PM for an orientation followed by an optional walk through the center of Padua and a bicycle fitting and short ride around the charming statues of the close by Prato. No cars are allowed here so it is a great place for biking or roller blading. Before our first scrumptious Italian dinner there is time to enter the Basilica or visit the botanical garden close by but we hope that you will arrive in Padua at least one day early, as there is so much art to admire in this wonderful city. After dinner we'll take a stroll to admire the lights of Padua at night.

Day 2: Today it is an easy, flat day of biking, a relaxing ride in the country. We start our ride along the Canal Piovego to Stra, where we'll stop to admire and visit Villa Pisani, a majestic villa situated on a curve in the canal. It is more a palace than a villa with the living area at the front and an enormous ballroom, completely encircled by an arcade and a frescoed ceiling painted by Tiepolo depicting the Pisani family on a throne. We'll find the extensive park, garden and orange grove in the back. The villa was built for the Pisani family in 1736; Napoleon bought it in 1807 and Hitler and Mussolini met here for the first time in 1934. We'll continue along the Brenta Canal, a green sheet of cool water, full of fish. The balconies and gates of the villas open onto the canal and we'll bike on the right bank, away from the main traffic. In picturesque Dolo we'll stop for lunch in a delightful local trattoria. Then we bike on to our hotel in Mirano, Villa Giustinian. The villa is a beautiful example of 18th century Venetian architecture, once belonging to a patrician family of Venice. It is furnished with beautiful antiques, well chosen art and the swimming pool is a welcome attraction.

Day 3: Again a flat ride along curving back roads and canals through beautiful Venetian country first to Piombino Dese, where we'll stop for cappuccino in a small bar across from the Villa Cornaro. Saturday is also market day in Piombino Dese so we'll have a chance to acquire some local presents to bring home. Lunch is in the medieval walled city of Castelfranco, birthplace of the painter Giorgione and another charming city. After lunch we visit one of Palladio's original designs, Villa Emo, just outside of Fanzolo. The villa blends perfectly into the surrounding landscape and the walls inside are adorned with frescoes by the artist Zelotti. The beauty of Villa Emo prepares us for the stunning beauty of beloved Asolo, the "jewel" of Italy and the "town of a hundred horizons" that has attracted so many artists and writers for centuries. We'll make a gentle, 2 km climb to Asolo on a road lined by wonderful oaks and locust trees. It is also possible to shuttle to the hotel by van! Villa Al Sole is an enchanting, beautifully renovated, four-star hotel right in the center of town.

Day 4: Today in the morning we'll have time to visit romantic Asolo, a poetic "hill town" in the Treviso province. In the afternoon we'll make a short bike ride to one of the highlights of Veneto, the Villa Barbaro in Maser. This villa is one of the most outstanding examples of 16th century architecture in the province. It was built around 1560 for the two Venetian Barbaro brothers, who were knowledgeable and passionate about ancient art. Their villa is located on the slopes surrounding Asolo and still privately owned today. Villa Barbaro was decorated by the great Renaissance painter Veronese with some exquisite frescoes and contains elegant stuccowork. We'll return to our cozy hotel in Asolo for a local wine on the terrace. A challenging longer ride, with a morning visit to Possagno, the small village where Antonio Canova, the most important sculptor of the Neo-Classical time period, was born is also possible today. In Possagno we'll visit Canova's birthplace and museum and will get a complete understanding of his way of working. After lunch we'll visit the Villa Barbaro in Maser. Dinner is on your own tonight in one of Asolo's excellent restaurants!

Day 5: A morning of easy biking through tiny villages will bring us to Bassano del Grappa, the town in the foothills of the famous Monte Grappa, famous for its potent "grappa" made from the local grapes. Up in the mountains some of the bloodiest battles of WW I took place but we'll have coffee in the peaceful historical center. The city still contains important ruins from its medieval defenses and the pre-Romanic Duomo rebuilt in the early 1400's. But the most famous symbol of Bassano is of course the Alpine Bridge over the River Brenta. Already in existence in the 12th century, the bridge was built in its present form according to a design by Palladio. It was blown up in 1945 but faithfully rebuilt three years later. In the afternoon we'll bike on to the wonderful city of Vicenza, a true "Outdoor Museum", where the master architect Andrea Palladio was born in 1500. Dinner tonight is in the restaurant of our comfortable 4-star hotel, renowned for its typical local dishes.

Day 6: In the morning you have time to stroll through Vicenza's compact center with its beautiful buildings, many of which were designed by Palladio in his classical Renaissance style. Time also for some last minute shopping in Vicenza's elegant stores. In the afternoon our enthusiastic local guide, Luca, will share his encyclopedic knowledge of Palladio's masterpiece, the Olympic Theatre and then bike southward with us to Palladio's famous Villa Rotunda, perfectly preserved, perched on a hill in the countryside. Here we'll admire the villa's rose garden and gain a better appreciation of Palladio's vision in placing the structure so strategically within its surroundings. Then we'll visit the 18th century Villa Valmarana "Ai Nani" and its guest house, famous for the important frescos by Giambattista Tiepolo and his son Giandomenico Tiepolo. This is the only place in the world where we can directly compare the differences in the style of the two artists. The villa is perfectly placed in its still unspoiled surroundings. This evening we'll enjoy our final Venetian dinner (weather permitting) outside on the terrace of one of our favorite restaurants in Vicenza. We raise our glasses to the simple stonecutter who became so influential in architecture, to our own biking accomplishments and our newfound friends!

Day 7: Individual departure after breakfast to the train station in Vicenza to catch a train to the airport in Rome, Milan or the next leg of your European vacation!

2006 Departure Dates: May 18-24 and September 14-20

This tour is limited to 16 people!

Tour Begins: at 3:00 PM in our handsome, 4-star hotel in the center of Padua. You can easily reach Padua from Milan or Venice. From Milan's Malpensa Airport take the shuttle bus to the Milan Central Train Station and then a train to Padua (about 2 hours). From Venice's Marco Polo Airport there is every half hour a direct bus to the Padua train station (about half an hour). The hotel is a short cab ride from the station. Or you could call or fax Landomas Servizio for limousine service from the Venice Airport to the Hotel Donatello. Tel.: 011 39 049 860 1426 or Fax: 011 39 49 860 1642. This could also be arranged for you by the staff of the Hotel Donatello.

In order to enjoy the incredible artistic treasures of Padua, please consider arriving at least one night, preferably two nights, prior to the start of the tour. If you would like to view the newly restored frescoes painted by Giotto between 1303 and 1305, you must reserve tickets by means of the Internet more than 72 hours before you plan to see them in the Scrovegni Chapel. On line bookings must be made through the Eremitani Civic Museum at www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it.

Tour Concludes: in the morning of day 7 after breakfast. It's a 5 minute cab ride from our hotel to the train station in Vicenza. For last minute train schedules visit the website of the Italian Railways, www.fs-on-line.com or www.emmeti-it/FS/index.it.html

Tour Price: $1,995.00 per person ($395.00 single supplement)

Tour price includes 6 nights of double occupancy lodging in mostly 4-star, air- conditioned, hotels with private facilities each night. Also included are: daily breakfast, 5 dinners; outstanding personalized leadership; entrance to the villas mentioned in the itinerary and to the Canova Museum in Posagno; special guided tours of Villa Pisani, the garden of the Villa Rotunda and the Olympic Teatro; support van; daily route directions and cycling maps; baggage handling and all taxes and gratuities for the hotel and restaurant portions of the tour.

Not included in the tour price are airfare, alcoholic and bar beverages, lunches, 1 dinner, independent sightseeing, transportation other than scheduled transfers.

Bicycles: 21 or 24 - speed hybrid Specialized bikes in excellent condition can be rented for $140.00 per bicycle for the tour. Bicycles come equipped with handlebar bag, bell, bike computer, cage and water bottle, optional toe clips, rear pannier and rear view mirror. It is also possible to replace our pedals with your own "clip on" pedals. Helmets are not included; please bring your own helmet!

Weather and Climate: In June average daytime temperature is 75 F and in September about 70 F.

Cycling: The daily cycling distance ranges from 20 - 36 miles per day on flat and slightly rolling terrain; on day 3 and 4 there is a 1.2-mile climb to Asolo but you are welcome to take a van ride up. Bike experience needed!