Gravel loop between Valdadige and Valpolicella

In this first gravel ring I'll take you between Valdadige and Valpolicella. Take the whole day, because with the difference in altitude and the right breaks you will need time and desire to fill your eyes with beauty.

Depart from Bussolengo, leaving the town on a dirt path. Once you find the asphalt road again, you face the first ups and downs of the day, after which you immediately find yourself in one of the most pleasant segments of the route: the Brigaldola plain, between farmhouses and dusty, as well as crunchy, dirt roads. Put on the brakes to enjoy the view, which improves further from Castelnuovo del Garda onwards, also giving you some glimpses of the lake from a different perspective.

Still on a dirt road, among vineyards and cypresses that make you feel like you are in Tuscany, you pass through Calmasino and along a very pleasant dirt road with a dry stone wall alongside (perhaps my favorite passage of the day). With an effort that must be managed well, you face a short climb to reach Albarè, passing the foot of Mount Moscal.

A long stretch between the provincial road and the cycle path takes you to Castion Veronese, from where the climb on an asphalt road of around nine kilometers begins which takes you to the Passo dei Lumini, a small hamlet of San Zeno di Montagna, which welcomes you with a fresh fountain right at the beginning of the town. End the climb where the view embraces the entire group of Risare, Belpo and Nugoli mountains and indulge in the next eleven kilometers of descent.

Here a small valley opens up which today hosts the valuable 2x4 cycle path, a corner of gravel paradise among small woods and olive groves with a unique charm. Continue through the vineyards of Valpolicella until you join the Rivoli-Affi cycle path, passing through Camporengo, Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella and finally Arcè, before tackling the last trip on the hairpin bends of Bussolengo towards its centre. Conclude the tour with a well-deserved Spritz or a tasty glass of Ripasso.