Salò – Valtenesi Loop

The Salò – Valtenesi ring is a 48 km cycle route that explores the rolling hills of the Brescia side of Lake Garda, where Chiaretto and Groppello, among the most elegant rosé wines in Italy, are produced. A scenic ride through vineyards, medieval castles and villages overlooking the lake.

The Route
It starts in Salò, the small capital of the Brescia Riviera, and ascends towards the hinterland of Valtenesi. The undulating route passes through Manerba del Garda, with its imposing Rocca overlooking the lake, and continues towards Moniga and Padenghe, medieval villages surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.
The Valtenesi is an area of rare beauty: the morainic hills slope gently down to the lake, creating a mosaic of agricultural landscapes dotted with medieval castles and towers. Every village has its castle, every hill its vineyard, every bend a new panorama of Garda.

Enogastronomy
The route passes through the production area of Chiaretto DOC, the rosé wine that is the symbol of the Brescia area of Lake Garda, and Groppello, the indigenous red wine of the Valtenesi area. Numerous wine cellars along the route offer tastings and direct sales. There is no shortage of oil mills where the Garda DOP extra virgin olive oil, produced from the olive trees that dot the hillsides, can be tasted.

Practical advice
The difference in altitude of 400 metres is distributed over numerous ups and downs, without particularly demanding ramps. With an e-bike the route is accessible to all. Mostly asphalted ground on secondary roads. Approximately 3 hours of cycling, but scheduled stops for tastings and village visits. The best period is from April to October. After the tour, Salò’s lakeside promenade offers restaurants and cafés to round off the day.