The Village and Canonica on Lake Maggiore

The route begins from the stunning village of Caldè, known as Lake Maggiore’s Portofino. Passing through all the villages making up the town of Castelveccana, it is a chance to admire historic villages, cycling through a maze of enchanting alleyways and certain single track gravel paths taking us in gentle ascent to Lake Maggiore. There are various stop-off opportunities for those wanting to take a look at the area’s historic water fountains and innumerable churches, such as San Giorgio a Sarigo, the only Lombard Romanesque church in Varese.
A brief section on panoramic low-traffic roads takes us to Brezzo di Bedero, famous for its Canonica church, and a belvedere before returning to a circuit route along a section of the historic Cadorna Line and its trenches and artillery posts. At the end of this adventure a visit to the majestic Canonica di Brezzo di Bedero church is a must.
Returning to the panoramic road the route descends to the lake side by way of Porto Valtravaglia and climbs up to San Pietro in the direction of the lighthouse, a memorial to Veccana’s war dead. A long mule track with breathtaking views of the lake takes us downhill in the direction of the most spectacular of the villages’ churches perched on a rocky spur overlooking the village of Caldè, Chiesa di Santa Veronica. A photo here is a must before returning to Caldè square.