The best gravel rides around Quarto D'Altino

Altino: inhabited since the Bronze Age, it was a sanctuary of the Veneti in the Iron Age. The god Altino/Altno was worshipped here. The city of Altinum was built in the Roman Republic and had 20-30,000 inhabitants. It was located surrounded by canals near the lagoon and was an important trade hub between sea and land. Under Emperor Claudius (15 BC-46/47 AD), the Via Claudia Augusta was built, which had its starting point here and ran via Trento, Reschen, Fernpass and Augsburg to the Danube (near Donauwörth). In addition, it met the Via Annia from Aquileia here in Altinum. In 452, Attila destroyed the city, and subsequently, it served as a quarry for the city of Venice. The museum, including the archaeological excavations, is a must for history enthusiasts and highly recommended. Allow a good 2 hours for it.

It's next to the Zero river not Dese!!

From here, at the start of the Via Claudia Augusta (which in Roman times reached Augsburg in Bavaria), the Path of Memory begins, but also the beautiful 5 Rivers tour.

Porta San Tommaso is the most imposing of Treviso's gates.

The Ciclovia "La Tradotta" is a fascinating 18-kilometer cycle and pedestrian path that connects Montebelluna to Nervesa della Battaglia, at the foot of Montello. This flat route follows the path of a historic military railway used during the Great War to supply the Piave front. Today, the trail, immersed in greenery and almost entirely unpaved, is an ideal destination for families and gravel or trekking bike enthusiasts. Along the way, you can breathe in history thanks to old railway houses, railway relics, and underpasses decorated with period murals. Well-equipped with water fountains, the route ends near Nervesa della Battaglia, where you can explore the evocative remains of the Abbey of Sant'Eustachio or the Military Shrine, crowning the excursion with a regenerating stop at the typical agriturismos of the area.

Built in 1518 under the direction of the podestà Paolo Nani, Porta San Tommaso is the most imposing of Treviso's three 16th-century gates. Probably designed by Fra’ Giovanni Giocondo, it is distinguished by its lavish Istrian stone facade, conceived more as a Renaissance triumphal arch than a simple military structure. The external facade is richly decorated with trophies, coats of arms, and the monumental Lion of Saint Mark, a symbol of Venetian rule. A curious detail concerns the statue placed on top: it depicts Saint Paul, a tribute to the podestà Nani (Paolo), although the gate takes its name from the nearby church dedicated to Saint Thomas Becket. Inside, the structure preserves the large arches that once housed the guardrooms and drawbridge mechanisms, still representing today the main access point for those coming from the north.

The "La Tradotta" cycle-pedestrian path winds for about 20 kilometers in the province of Treviso, following the old military railway line used during the Great War between Montebelluna and Susegana. This flat and protected route crosses the municipalities of Montello, offering a total immersion between nature and historical memory. The path is ideal for families and cycle tourists thanks to the absence of slopes and the safety of the route, which allows you to observe old recovered railway houses and valuable agricultural landscapes. Today it represents a fundamental green corridor that connects the historical heritage of the Piave river with the natural beauty of the hills of Treviso.

A few kilometers were enough for the route to begin to tell its story. The creaking wood of a long bridge accompanied us towards one of the most silent and memory-laden places: the cemetery of the Burci. Amidst the still water and the vegetation that now reclaims every space, the wrecks of old boats emerge like forgotten thoughts, suspended between past and present. There time seems to slow down, almost to stop, and we too, for a moment, truly stop pedaling...