A beginner’s look at Road biking in Peschiera del Garda, Italy
Seeing as I was in need for some more sun, Stefan and I headed down to the southern tip of Lake Garda for a weekend Road bike adventure.
Since August, I have found a new love for Road biking. Due to northern Germany’s lousy summer, Stefan and I booked a weekend trip with Roadbike-Holidays down to the Lake Garda in the town of Peschiera del Garda, Italy to get some more sun in. Because I am a beginner, we chose the southern portion of the lake to give me a taste for climbs without overdoing it.
The Garda Bike Hotel
As soon as we arrived in the hotel, it was clear that cycling is more than a sport here, it is a lifestyle. There are professional jerseys on display and the hotel is stocked with Pinarello bikes to rent. Perfect for those who can’t bring their own.
The hotel was just right.
The owners, Alberto and Nicola Verdolin, as well as other guides, offer tours of varying difficulty for first time road bikers, professionals and anything in between.
The Garda Bike Hotel is outfitted with both hotel rooms and small apartments that they call Hateliers (hotel + ateliers). We spent the weekend in one of the Hateliers, which are outfitted with a kitchen, living room, dining area, bathroom and bedroom as well as a balcony. They are the perfect size for two people and are only 100 m away from the hotel’s main building.
Our room also included breakfast, which was super tasty with a diverse array of food. Dinner was made up of four courses with four or five dishes per course to choose from. The hotel’s wine selection is also very large and they offer bottles at very fair prices.
Combine hotel and atelier and what do you get? Hatelier.
The bikes fit fine and the wine was good.
The tours
We decided to not take part in any of the guided tours, but to instead check out the area ourselves. Because I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Lake Garda, we first searched for a few routes that might be interesting.
| Name | Distace | Vertical Meters |
|---|---|---|
| Around the Lake Garda | 141 km | 720 |
| San Benedetto Di Lugana Verona | 95.23 km | 1562 |
| Peschiera del Garda – Riva del Garda | 63.33 km | 510 |
| Toscolano Maderno Brescia | 78.65 km | 640 |
| Peschiera del Garda - Verona | 42.63 km | 699 |
Quiet roads everywhere we went.
The views were always great.
Even cycling in the old city was a dream.
We ended up taking our first tour from Peschiera del Garda to Bionde and our second from Peschiera del Garda to Guidizzolo. First off, they were challenging with roads that roll up and down constantly, but the beautiful scenery made it all worth it.
Sun and fun in Italy!
On the road again.
It's hard not to smile when having such a good time.
Tour 1: Peschiera del Garda - Bionde
Our first tour was 80 km long and because we arrived midday, we had to turn around before reaching Verona. We enjoyed breath taking views filled with Cyprus trees and distant mountains. A perfect way to begin the trip. One thing that surprised me was how friendly the cars were when it comes to cyclists. They always pass with enough space and they share the road keeping an eye out for bikers.
| Name | Distace | Vertical Meters | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peschiera del Garda - Bionde | 80 km | 700 | 3:45 hours |
Download the GPX file below.
A quick look at our first tour.
Download the GPX file below.
Tour 2: Peschiera del Garda - Guidizzolo
Because it was my first time riding 80 km, my legs were pretty sore the next day. We decided to then take a 40 km route that lead us thorough Peschiera del Garda’s old city where we could enjoy some of Italy’s flair. We rode along desolate streets, which included my first ever 15 % climb. Before, I never thought I could accomplish something like that, but in the end I did it. The way back was a long fast descent. Overall, a beautiful tour.
| Name | Distance | Vertical Meters | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peschiera del Garda - Guidizzolo | 44.3 km | 485 | 1:59 hours |
Our second ride was beautiful in a different way.
My road bike and me.
Our second tour was short, but just as rewarding.
Lake Garda is truly beautiful.
We got back to the hotel pretty early and decided to spend the rest of our trip checking out the surrounding area.
An old city with Italian flair.
Summary
As a beginner to Road biking, I was a little worried that Lake Garda might be a little too much for me. Boy was I wrong. I had the feeling that the area offered the right amount of riding no matter the skill level.
The Garda Bike Hotel and Roadbike Holidays recommendations were spot on and we were more than comfortable during out stay. I already know that we will be heading back to Lake Garda for more fun on our bikes!
