Path details

Itinerary Style
Suitable for all.
Cycle path and dirt track that don’t request any technical task, even if it is advised to have a minimum training in order to finish the trip.
Potential variation: Cross Country
It’s a path that mainly requires lungs and legs and shows rare demanding obstacles.

Type of land
Cycle paths 100% (potential variation: cycle path 85% – dirt track 15%)

Description
Little trip to discover a relaxing oasis that seems to float over the blue water of Iseo lake.
Montisola is the bigger lake island of Europe and was inserted in the eminent list of “Most beautiful hamlet of Italy”.
It is a little island where only people who are allowed to circulate by car are the mayor, the priest and the doctor; residents and tourists move only by feet, bike or motorbike.
From “Peschiera Maraglio” we pass through the calm flat street along the lake to Sensole hamlet, which overlooks St. Paolo little island.
We ride up until Menzino and than, passing through Sinchignano, we continue for Siviano, town hall of the island. We cross the village in direction Carzano, a little hamlet that every 5 years during the party of St. Croce is literally overwhelmed by thousands of flowers becoming a wonderful flowered wood.
We exit from Carzano and come back to Peschiera Maraglio with a relaxing ride always along the lake.
Potential variation: after Menzino it is possible to ride up to the highest point of the island and visit the sanctuary of “Madonna della Ceriola”. The overview that opens from this point over Iseo Lake is matchless and in clear days it offers a 360° panorama.
We descend to Cure and arrive at Siviano passing through Olzano hamlet and from this point we rejoin the standard schedule.

Culinary note… In ancient times at Montisola, salami was produced at home and the whole family partecipated in its preparation. Processing took place exclusively with knife in order to obtain a dough composed of large pieces of pork meat. After filling in the gut, it was hung for 30 days and then consumed.
The tradition continues….

Technical data
Starting point:                    Peschiera Maraglio (187 mt above sea level)
Maximum height:              Siviano (265 mt above s.l.); Sanctuary of Madonna della Ceriola (600 mt above s.l.) for potential variation
Duration:                             2 hours; 3 hours for potential variation
Difference in altitude:       78 mt; 410 mt for potential variation
Total Length:                       9 km; 14,5 km for potential variation
Technical difficulty:            low; medium for potential variation
Physical difficulty:              low; medium for potential variation
Suitable for cycling:           100%;  80% for potential variation