Vita Pugna

Vita Pugna Barge and Bike

Blending nature, culture and fine cuisine, this leisurely bike and barge tour in Northern Italy along the River Po offers more than just a taster. It explores celebrated cities of art, one of Europe's prime Nature Reserves, and a wealth of tucked-away rural hamlets, rewarding our daily rides with authentic regional dishes back on board. The tour starts in Mantua – in its heyday a major city state crowned by the Italian Renaissance – progresses to Ferrara and culminates in Venice. Along the way: Adria, once a key Roman port; the natural wonders of the Po Delta, famed for its birdlife; and colourful Chioggia, gateway to the Venetian lagoon. Finally: the glory of Venice herself.

Day 1 (Sat): Embarkation: Venice

We welcome you aboard your new home-from-home from 4.30 p.m. onwards, and then regroup for the introductory briefing – at 6.30 – with your tour leader, skipper and crew, along with a first refreshing aperitivo. After dinner you can savour Venice at night, now free of the crowds and at her most romantic: Benvenuti a Venezia.

Day 2 (Sun): Venice After breakfast – and perhaps following a wander off the beaten track with your tour leader – you all meet up with our Venetian guide for a tour through the historic center. Christened La Serenissima (“The Most Serene”), the Venetian Republic held sway over much of the Mediterranean (and beyond) for centuries – both as a military power and a beacon of culture, her explorers reaching as far as China and Newfoundland. After your guided tour, you have the afternoon free to enjoy the city at your own pace.

Day 3 (Mon): Venice – Pellestrina/Chioggia (Approx. 30 km/18 mi.) Cruising out of Venice at a gentle pace, you start your bike and boat adventure on the Lido, the first of the two islands you explore today. Fashionable with the artists and aristocracy of the Belle Époque, the Lido di Venezia is now home to the International Venice Film Festival and its galaxy of stars. A short island-hop takes you into another world: Pellestrina, where you ride past the picturesque cottages and boats of this humble fishing backwater. You rejoin the barge and sail to Chioggia – a bustling and colourful fishing harbour known as “Little Venice”.

Day 4 (Tue): Chioggia– Po Delta Nature Reserve –Adria (Approx. 40 km/24 mi.) You open the day with a stroll through Chioggia, followed perhaps by a visit up the millennial clock tower – the oldest in the world – for some breathtaking views. Weather permitting, you can also bask in the sun at a fine-sand beach nearby: a dip in the Adriatic, a hot savoury piadina – and you are well and truly local! Then onwards into the delta of the life-giving Po. This unique wetland is the prime reserve in Europe for herons and home to a colony of flamingos. You moor for the night in Adria, a key Roman port, once washed by the waters of the sea which bears its name. Adria is also renowned for its Etruscan and Greek heritage. An after-dinner passeggiata into town for a well-earned grappa or gelato is in order.

Day 5 (Wed): Adria – Ferrara – Zelo (Approx. 35 km/21 mi. + 35 km by bus) After a short cruise you saddle your bikes and, following the Po through farmland and hamlets, you reach Ferrara. Under its ruling family, the Este, this City State attracted architects, artists and scholars for centuries, pioneering town planning principles that have been emulated worldwide ever since. To this day, Ferrara University ranks among the best, and the town is dubbed the ”Cycling Capital of Italy”. A private bus and trailer takes you back to your floating hotel in Zelo, a sleepy village on the Canal Bianco, the waterway which runs parallel to the Po.

Day 6 (Thu): Zelo – Bergantino – Ostiglia – Mantova (Approx. 50 km/30 mi.) This morning you head for the village of Bergantino, home of the distinctive Museum of Fairground Rides and its collection of street organs, all expertly restored (and thunderous!). But first things first: you are in the heartland of Grana Padano – the arch-rival of Parmesan – and after visiting the local cheese factory, you enjoy a degustazione of sharp and seasoned Grana, washed down with a glass of Valpolicella. After your customary picnic lunch, you leave Bergantino and follow the river to Ostiglia, famed for its medieval fortress and the fierce fighting that took place here in 1945, as the Allies and partisans drove Hitler's forces back. You ride on and rejoin our barge at Governolo Lock, where Mantua's River Mincio flows into the Po. Veering north, youcruise through the lush wetlands that finally emerge into the glorious “lakes” of Mantua.

Day 7 (Fri): Mantova (round tour approx. 25 km/15 mi.) Ruled by the House of Gonzaga for four centuries, the city state of Mantua attracted a dizzying roll call of names across the arts – from Rubens and Mantegna to Monteverdi and Mozart – and to this day the town is renowned for its international book festival. A ride through the center soon takes you past Palazzo Tè, on the outskirts, the Gonzagas' summer residence. Onwards to the hamlet of Grazie and its historic church: a site of pilgrimage, it is adorned with an intriguing host of wooden figures, personifying the many torments that pilgrims of yore could identify with. A cruise on a local barge takes you home through a waterscape rich in bird life, lilies and other aquatic flora. This afternoon you meet our Mantuan guide for a walking tour of the historic center, and enjoy the rest of the day in town, at our own leisure.

Day 8 (Sat): Mantova Departure after breakfast.

Details: In italics printed parts will be covered by the ship.

All distances are “approximate distances” of recommended bike tours. When a guest does not want to cycle one day, he or she can skip the bike tour and relax on board while cruising to the next town. Program and details barring changes, a.o. as a result of nautical, technical or meteorological reasons.

On board Vita Pugna

The typical wooden cabin area and the comfortable air-conditioned living room will welcome the customers for a well deserved rest after a day on bike.

• accommodating up to 21 guests
• 9 twin cabins and a triple one, .
• Each double cabin with traditional portholes (which can be opened) is approx. 7/8 sq.m. big and has 2 low twin beds with en-suite facilities and air conditioning.
• Bed size is: 1.90/2 m x 0.75/0.80 m.
• a spacious air-conditioned restaurant/lounge and a large sundeck, which is partly uses to store your bikes.
• free WiFi
• a free hot drinks machine (incl. Italian ground coffee)
• a 42″ screen for video in the living room.

Charter price p.w.: €0,-