The Music way

THE MUSIC WAY
Mantova – Sabbioneta – Casalmaggiore – Busseto – Gualtieri - San Benedetto Po
Lombardia, Emilia Romagna
5 days /4 nights

Easy itinerary (mix bicycle + bus) entirely on plain that leads to the discovery of the places where Giuseppe Verdi was born and took inspiration, of the landscapes that inpired the naïf artist Antonio Ligabue, of the gastronomic tradition of Parmigiano Reggiano and the butchery. It connects Mantua, where the famous opera “Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi is located, to the provinces of Parma and Cremona, with an incursion in painting and architecture.

Overall length: 238 km. 176 Km on Eurovelo8 route
In 3 and 4*hotels, hostels, holiday farms, - guided tour- without portage
Self- guided tour on request

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Day 1
Mantova - Sabbioneta - Casalmaggiore
Length: 54 km
Duration: 5 hours and 30’ (excluding stops)
Technical notes: route on low-traffic roads, easy and flat, mostly paved, with short stretches on dirt roads. Meeting with the cycling guide in Mantova and departure in direction of Sabbioneta. Once arrived, we can have a brief guided tour of the “ideal city” of Vespasiano Gonzaga, also known as the “little Athens”, which has remained intact over the centuries. We continue then to Casalmaggiore, the town on the border between the provinces of Mantova, Cremona and Parma, famous for the International Music Festival, which takes place in July every year.
Hotel accommodation in Casalmaggiore, dinner and overnight.

Day 2
Casalmaggiore - Roccabianca - Zibello - Busseto - Roncole Verdi
Length: 45 km
Duration: 4 hours and 30’ (excluding stops)
Technical note: route low-traffic roads, easy and flat, entirely on paved paths along riverside water meadows. After breakfast, departure for Roccabianca. We carry our bikes on the boat at Motta Baluffi and navigate the river Po until Stagno Roccabianca. After disembark, short visit of the fortress of Roccabianca and departure for Zibello.
In Zibello, famous for the production of the “culatello”, we can have a tasting of the typical cold cuts of the area. After a short break, we pedal to Busseto, the city that evokes the places of Giuseppe Verdi and which houses the museum dedicated to the great Maestro. We continue to Roncole Verdi, his birthplace, where we have dinner and spend the night.
Hotel accommodation.

Day 3
Roncole Verdi - Soragna - Colorno - Brescello - Gualtieri - Guastalla
Length: 58 km
Duration: about 6 hours (excluding stops)
Technical notes: route on low-traffic roads mostly paved.
After breakfast, short visit to the home of Giuseppe Verdi and departure for Soragna, an ancient village in the territory of Parma, dominated by the beautiful Rocca; we will be conducted on a guided tour by the Prince who still lives there. We then proceed to Colorno, where we can admire the Farnese palace built on the ruins of the ancient fortress, with gardens that recall the famous gardens of Versailles. We continue and get to Brescello where, along with a short ride through the village, we can see the places described by the pen of Guareschi in the famous saga dedicated to Don Camillo and Peppone. Next stop is Gualtieri, where we visit the museum dedicated to the naïve painter Antonio Ligabue and, finally, transfer to Guastalla for dinner and overnight. Hotel accommodation.

Day 4
Guastalla – San Benedetto Po - Governolo
Length: 56 km
Duration: 5 hours and 30’ (excluding stops)
Technical notes: route partly on riverside paths, for the most part paved with short stretches on dirt roads. After breakfast, departure for San Benedetto Po; we pedal along the river Po and visit then the complex of the former benectine monastery of San Benedetto, the Polirone that dominates the town’s main square. After the visit, we depart for Governolo.
Hostel accommodation, dinner and overnight.

Day 5
Governolo - Mantova
Length: 25 km
Duration: 2 hours and 30’ (excluding stops)
Technical notes: route mostly on bike path with short stretches on dirt roads along the river banks. After breakfast, leave for Mantova. Once arrived, guided tour of the historic center of the beautiful town long ruled by the Gonzaga family, nestled between the three lakes formed by the river Mincio and where Giuseppe Verdi set, the story of his masterpiece, the famous opera “Rigoletto.” End of services.

INFO:

ON THE ROAD TRAVEL
Via G.Chiassi, 20/E – 46100 – Mantova
Tel. (0039) 0376 1434771 – Fax (0039) 0376 1434772
[email protected] – www.ontheroadtravel.it
P.Iva 02411290204

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