8 days - Self-guided cycling

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

SAT 1 Bergamo.
Arrival.

SUN Day 2 Bergamo–Como (15 km by train + 66 km).
We exit from the city of Bergamo by train to Ambivere (15 km). From there we start out following the river Adda and cycle through the Parco dell’Adda Nord. At Villa sull’Adda we will cross the river with one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s inventions, a ferry which, thanks only to the power of the current, will silently take us to the opposite shore. Cycling by the lakes of Olginate and Garlate we eventually reach Como: a walk on the lakeside promenade is a must.

MON Day 3 Como–Varese (36 km).
Hilly route, quite a bit of traffic: pay attention! Varese, the city of villas and gardens.

TUE Day 4 Varese–Sesto Calende (40 km).
A very agreeable route, partly through the beautiful cycle path along the Lago di Varese. Right before the final destination we will come across two other suggestive lakes: Comabbio e Monate. Sesto Calende is situated on the Lombard shore of the Lago Maggiore.

WED Day 5 Sesto Calende–Milano (72 km).
Beautiful route along the Ticino river first (Parco Naturale of the Ticino Valley) and then along the Naviglio Grande, a grand work of hydraulic engineering. We will come across many barrages for the regulation of water flow into Lago Maggiore as well as many artificial canals. Beautiful and monumental is the Pampeduto Dam: short afterwards, at the Villoresi canal, we leave the river and proceed on the towpath. Welcome in Milano!

THU Day 6 Milano–Pavia (48 km).
A fascinating route along the beauti-ful Naviglio Pavese, away from traffic and noise. Along the way, less then 10 km before reaching Pavia, we come across the famous charterhouse built in 1396.

FRI Day 7 Pavia–Bergamo (45 km + 20 km by train).
A tranquil route through the fertile countryside crossed by the rivers Olona, Lambro and Canal Muzza until Lodi (worth a visit). We proceed following the course of the river Adda pedalling inside the Parco Regionale dell’Adda. After a break in Cassano d’Adda, famous for its exclusive villas (villa Brambilla and villa Borromeo), we go on to Treviglio where we catch the train to Bergamo.

SAT Day 8 Bergamo.
Departure.

Tour Level:
The itinerary is mostly in the low-lands with some hilly sections. The route is almost always in the countryside along lakes and natural or artificial rivers. There are however some short stretches in very busy roads, where you have to watch out for the traffic. The route includes a ferry crossing of the river Adda and two train transfers. N.B. The ferry and train transfers are not included in the price. The ferry on the river Adda costs approx. 1 Euro (5 min.). The train tickets from Bergamo to Ambivere cost approx. Euro 5,50 (15 min.). On the last day you can chose where to catch the train depending on how far you want to cycle. From Lodi is approx. Euro 9,50 – from Cassano d’Adda approx. Euro 7,50 – from Treviglio is approx. Euro 6 (bike included)