From Vienna to Rome: Our journey along EuroVelo 7 and other cycle routes

The most important preparation was our journey on EuroVelo 6 – Atlantic-Black Sea in 2025. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to go on another cycling holiday. But this time we both had gravel bikes.

Stages 1–4: EuroVelo 9, Semmering, EuroVelo 14 & Mur cycle path

Langenzersdorf to Wiener Neustadt

I rode the first three stages on my own since Thomas wanted to take on a 300 km challenge. Because of the thunderstorm forecast, I started my first 55 km stage from Langenzersdorf to Wiener Neustadt at six o’clock in the evening – the day before I originally planned.

Taking the underground through Vienna, I enjoyed EuroVelo 9 – Baltic-Adriatic, spotting numerous animals, including frogs, rabbits, deer and falcons, as I continued cycling into twilight.

Wiener Neustadt to Bruck an der Mur: 108 km & 800 m of elevation

The second stage took me from Wiener Neustadt to Bruck an der Mur via Semmering, where confusing navigation led me onto a dead-end gravel road.

But after a coffee break in Mürzzuschlag and a final push to outrun an approaching storm, I was lucky to arrive at the hotel just before the thunderstorm began.

Bruck an der Mur to Murau: 120 km & 1,300 m of elevation

My last day of cycling alone took me 120 km from Bruck an der Mur to Murau via EuroVelo 14 – Waters of Central Europe and Mur Valley Cycle Path, tackling around 1,300 m of elevation before reuniting with Thomas, whose ambitious 300 km ride from St. Andrä-Wördern was delayed by a bike breakdown in Vienna early in the morning. Since no bike shops were open at that hour, he somehow managed to continue riding without being able to shift gears until he reached Leobersdorf, where his bike was fortunately repaired.

Nevertheless, he arrived at our meeting point at around ten o’clock in the evening, and we were very happy to continue the journey together.

Finally together: Murau to Möllbrücke

We cycled for around an hour until we reached Predlitz – the starting point of the climb to the Turracher Höhe. For the first 12 to 13 km, the gradient was fine, but after that it became really tough. The final section demanded a lot of effort before we finally reached the summit around 1,700 m above sea level.

At the top of the Turracher Höhe, we stopped for a bite to eat before heading towards Lake Millstatt. We had planned to go for a swim, but a thunderstorm forced us to take shelter at a bus stop instead. We then continued to Möllbrücke, with several smaller climbs still lying ahead. By then, I was already feeling the strain, and even these short ascents became a challenge.

Stages 5–8: Just follow EuroVelo 7 signs

From Möllbrücke to Sillian

in Möllbrücke. This stage was an exceptionally beautiful ride to Sillian, with pleasant temperatures, a fantastic cycle path and tailwind for most of the day, although our increasingly tired legs and Thomas’s saddle sores made the journey more challenging.

Scenically, this was one of our favourite stages so far, and we noticed a growing number of cyclists on the route, especially on e-bikes.

From Sillian to Bolzano: More climbing than expected (again)

Despite expecting a relaxed downhill ride from Sillian to Bolzano/Bozen, we faced several challenging climbs. By this stage, the accumulated fatigue was beginning to take its toll. Aching knees (me), sore muscles (me), tender saddles (both, but Thomas even more), and yet more elevation meant that we had to take several breaks throughout the day. We stopped in Brunico/Bruneck and later again in Bressanone/Brixen, giving ourselves some time to recover before continuing.

From Bressanone/Brixen onwards, however, the stage finally turned into what we were expecting from the start: a long and enjoyable downhill ride.

Because we arrived in Bolzano/Bozen late and my knees were not in the mood for any additional walking, we never made it into the city centre. But we had the best pizza of our entire trip!

Bolzano to Avio: Stunning scenery all day long

The 114 km ride from Bolzano to Avio offered an excellent cycle path, spectacular rocky landscapes along the Adige River and no rain for the first time in days. However, rising temperatures, heavy legs, aching knees and saddle discomfort made it challenging.

Avio to Mantua

With 90 km, this stage was one of our shorter ones, but it included a challenging climb and an unexpected detour through vineyards after losing the cycle path. To get back on the road, we had to lift our bikes through a hole in a fence. As a result, we continued along a slightly different route than originally planned, following the southern part of Lake Garda.

Once we arrived at Lake Garda, I could not resist a quick swim. After lunch break, we enjoyed a scenic ride along the Mincio River, and we also spotted coypu!

Stages 9–2: Navigation issues

Mantua to Bologna: Navigation issues, burst tyres, knee pain, and more

Until Mantua, we followed EuroVelo 7. The route was excellently signposted, and the sun symbol marking the route appeared regularly on the pavement. But from Mantua on, the route was not marked so well, so that we accidentally ended up on EuroVelo 8 before finding our way back.

A flat tyre (Thomas) and worsening knee pain (me) added to the detour and made this stage really exhausting, especially in the end. After 130 km, we rewarded ourselves with an all-you-can-eat Asian dinner and spontaneously decided to take a rest day in Bologna for some sightseeing and recovery. We then continued with just a few more kilometres in the evening.

Bologna – Monzuno

The plan was to cycle a few kilometres uphill, so the next day’s climb would be a bit more manageable, as we had now reached the Apennine Mountains.

We asked an AI for recommendations on a suitable overnight location. The answer was Monzuno. But, from a purely logistical perspective, it was not actually the ideal choice, because we first had to cycle 3 km uphill, only to ride back down the same stretch the next morning.

However, the town itself turned out to be so charming that, in the end, the detour was worth it.

Monzuno via Prato to Florence: Mountains, long descents, and a brutal final climb

The section through the Apennines was fantastic: first a substantial climb, followed by a long and enjoyable descent. After that, things became a bit more complicated. We had to do quite a bit of navigating to find our way into Florence because we managed to lose the EuroVelo route again. In Florence, we grabbed some food and took photos while walking through the city.

Since the idea of cycling a few extra kilometres in the evening had worked so well the day before, we decided not to stay in Florence itself, but to book accommodation a little further on, in a monastery in Bagno a Ripoli, where a brutal final climb and my worsening knee pain (Thomas took all my luggage) were rewarded with a beautiful sunset over Florence.

Blood, Sweat and Gravel: From Florence to Arezzo

Despite the short 74 km ride from Florence to Arezzo, we hit a demanding gravel track because I didn’t want to cycle in traffic. This made us very slow. After briefly rejoining EuroVelo 7, we lost the route again and found ourselves riding on rather a major road.

To make matters worse, it was incredibly hot, and I also got my period. As a result, we took a lot of breaks and arrived in Arezzo later than planned. But we liked Arezzo a lot.

Stages 13–15: In search of a swim

From Arezzo to Baschi: 130 km

There was one thing I had firmly set my mind on this day: going for a swim.

This stage started smoothly with a tailwind and a pleasant canal-side cycle path, but my swimming plans fell through due to contaminated water and an inaccessible lake shore. It was a rough, rocky detour that slowed us down so much that we arrived in Baschi late, ending the day with a microwave dinner from the local pub.

Baschi to the Volcanic Lake: Finally, a swim!

In our final days, we were still driven by the desire to finally jump into water, and motivated by the fact that our destination was getting closer. Depending on the route, Rome was now only 120 to 140 km away – theoretically a distance that could be covered in a single day. However, the elevation gain and extreme heat once again proved quite demanding.

But our efforts were rewarded at the beautiful Lago di Martignano, where we finally jumped into the water and spontaneously decided to stay overnight.

Lago di Martignano to Rome

Our last stage – only 40 km to go! Despite a double crash caused by Thomas’s punctured tyre and my shoelace getting caught in the chain, we safely continued to Rome. After some navigation challenges, we finally reached the Spanish Steps at around two o’clock in the afternoon, where we celebrated the successful end of our cycling journey.

Our learnings from the trip:

• Navigation was not always ideal. Better route planning beforehand might have prevented us from discovering too late that our Komoot gravel route was actually more suited for mountain biking, or climbing up and then going back the same section.
• Pack as little as possible. Especially in summer, clothing can be reduced to a minimum.
• Don't underestimate the elevation gain. With more training, the climbs could have been easier (for me).
• Start early. It is usually worth skipping a long breakfast to get on the road sooner. Cooler temperatures or more time before thunderstorms make a difference.
• Always carry enough water.
• Wet wipes were very useful. Especially for cleaning your hands, but also for going to the toilet.

Article written by Susanne Bednarik.