4 Great September Getaways
September is a great month to enjoy some of Europe’s finest fall cycling weather – and possibly escape Labor day crowds in the U.S. Carry your peek summer cycling shape into the fall with these four bike tours departures that are guaranteed to go!
Cycling Umbria’s Medieval Towns
September 2-8, 2018
Located just east of Tuscany, Umbria is the birthplace of St. Francis and home to some of Italy’s best preserved medieval towns. Join us as we pedal from Perugia to Spoleto through vineyards and olive groves and over gently rolling hills to monasteries, castles, and stone villages virtually unchanged since the Middle Ages. Along the way, you’ll enjoy a two-night stay in Foligno and visits to important cities like Perugia, Assisi, Spello and Spoleto. These historic cities, built by Umbrians or Romans and then rebuilt or refurbished over the centuries, are a sight to see as are the small villages we pass through or stay in along the way. Add a visit to central Italy’s best known ceramics’ town, Deruta and a taste of Sagrantino di Montefalco and other Umbrian wines, and this tour is a classic Italian bike ride.
Highlights: Guided tour in Assisi, 2 nights in Foligno, Ceramics in Deruta, Wine Museum, Spoleto and its 5th Century BC walls, Spello and frescoes of Perugino and Pinturecchio, Olive oil tasting, 2 wine tastings
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Bicycling the Danube: Germany to Budapest
August 24 – September 6, 2018
Selected in 2015 by Outside Magazine as one of The 6 Best Cycling Tours in Europe and National Geographic Traveler magazine as one of “50 Tours of a Lifetime”.
Join us on a bicycle tour that follows the Danube River, from Germany to Vienna, and then on to Budapest. Enjoy long, leisurely rides along the longest river in Europe and through farm villages, picture-perfect you’ll have time to enjoy natural and man-made sights. Marvel at the “Schlögener Schlinge”, visit historic Abbeys and cathedrals in towns such as Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melk and Esztergom, walk through the steep, terraced vineyards of the Wachau, and experience “Hungarian Tuscany”. Relish the modern culinary kitchen of four countries.
Highlights: Bicycling along Europe’s largest river, Vienna, Dinner cruise on the Danube in Budapest, Budapest, Bike paths in Germany and Austria, Cycling in four different countries, Crossing the Iron Curtain by bike, The “Hungarian Tuscany”, Bavarian hospitality (with beer!)
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Cycling the Lakes of Austria and Slovenia Plus! Ljubljana
Sep 8-18, 2018
This cycling tour has you border hopping through Austria, Slovenia and Italy. We’ll experience the fascinating intersection of Slavic, German and Italian culture. Join us to relish alpine landscapes with a hint of the Mediterranean. We’ll bicycle along idyllic alpine lakes in Austria’s Carinthia region and northern Slovenia. Quiet roads and river paths lead us through picturesque villages, traditional farmhouses, imposing medieval castles and cozy hotels. We’ll introduce you to several of Europe’s most overlooked and pleasant cities, Klagenfurt, Villach and Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana, a true gem.
Highlights: Tarvisio, Lake Faak, Orientation walk of Ljubljana, Kranj, Lake Ossiach, Drava river path , Klagenfurt, Villach, Lake Bled, Border hopping between Austria, Slovenia and Italy, Julian Alps, Triglav Mountain, Savica waterfall, Lake Worth
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Cycling Italy’s Piedmont Plus! Lake Maggiore
Sep 1-12, 2018
Italy’s Piedmont region is surrounded on three sides by a great arc of the Alps as they rise out of the Mediterranean Sea and curve north and east through France, Switzerland and Italy to Austria. Within this great curve of mountains the Po River rises, forming a broad, fertile plain that forms Italy’s longest river flowing into the Adriatic Sea. It was in the western part of this valley that the Kings of Savoy built castles and fortified cities to protect wine merchants from intrusions by marauding pirates. And it was here that Count Camillo Cavour first proposed the idea of a unified Italian state. The food, the history and the landscape make the Piedmont an ideal destination for cyclists. This cycling tour through the Piedmont region and the Lakes District tour combines the best of Italian and French cuisine and wine with scenic pedaling through rolling hills dotted with vineyards and castles.
Highlights: Piedmont Vineyards and wine tastings, Gourmet regional cuisine, Italy’s Lakes District, 2 nights in the Langhe wine area, 2 nights in the Roman town of Acqui Terme, Monferrato , Lake Maggiore, Guided visit of Bene Vagienna Archaeological site