The best traffic-free bike rides around Rivarolo Mantovano

Possible stop for water and coffee

This stretch of cycle path runs along the Oglio River. It is part of the long route called "Via delle risaie" that crosses the south of Lombardy.

Gazzuolo is an interesting town in the Mantua area. The architecture is typical of Gonzaga towns, with beautiful porticos that shelter from the sun and rain. It is known for the theater founded by the Ligurian playwright Giacometti, who moved here in the 19th century.

Originally this was the gateway to the city. Today it leads to a small park that borders the ancient walls of the village.

In this place they shot the film entitled 100 Nails

Nestled in the tranquility of the Lombardy plain, Ostiano Castle is an unmissable stop for lovers of cycling and gravel. Along this trail, you cross dirt roads and suggestive paths that wind through fields and small villages, offering a perfect mix of history, nature and adventure. The castle, with its medieval charm, represents a unique point of interest, ideal for a panoramic stop and an immersion in local history. There is no shortage of technical and fun sections that make the route stimulating, perfect for those looking for a complete and engaging cycling experience.

Isola Dovarese is a gem set along the course of the Oglio River, a village that proudly preserves its historical soul. Walking along its streets means immersing yourself in a past made of Renaissance architecture and atmospheres of times gone by, where every stone tells of ancient glories and community life. The beating heart of the village is the splendid Piazza Matteotti, a large quadrangular space surrounded by porticoes, designed by the architects of the Vignola school. Here, every year, the Palio di Isola Dovarese brings the seventeenth century back to life: an event that transforms the village into a large open-air theater, among period costumes, flags in the wind and historical reenactments. But Isola Dovarese is also nature and slowness: the Oglio River embraces the village and invites contemplation, the discovery of paths that wind through woods and countryside. A place where history meets quiet and where every journey becomes an experience. (Anna)

Crossing the Gravel trail that passes through Villarocca means immersing yourself in a landscape suspended between past and present, where history is harmoniously intertwined with rural life. The route winds through ruins full of memories, ancient buildings that tell of distant eras, and farmhouses still inhabited, witnesses of a territory that, although inhabited by few, retains its lush soul. Pedaling along the dirt paths, the rhythm of the wheels mixes with the sound of the wind that caresses the countryside and the echoes of a time that seems to have never vanished. Villarocca welcomes wayfarers with its authenticity: a succession of suggestive views, between cultivated fields, rows of centuries-old trees and stone walls that conceal stories of toil and beauty. The trail invites you to discover, to contemplate a territory that, although far from the crowds, pulsates with life in its most genuine forms. It is a journey that goes beyond a simple pedal, an experience that celebrates the resilience of a land that, silently, continues to thrive.