You want to do some bicycle riding while you're in Stresa. But you're nervous about riding on the narrow, shoulderless roads. Or you don't want to attempt the downhill mountain trails. Then read on, this one's for you! Andrea, Stresa's 'go to' cycling guy, has sent me a couple of videos of one of his most popular bicycle tours. This one is great for those who don't have a lot of cycling experience, who don't want anything too strenuous or too long; it's even great for older children.

The path begins in Fondotoce at the Isolino camping compound and ends in Mergozzo. (If you're new to this blog search and see how much we LOVE Mergozzo!) To begin the path in Fondotoce you can ride there (about 20 minutes from Stresa on bike and yes, along the main road), or perhaps be transported to the starting point. But from this point on the path is completely offroad and mostly flat, traveling along the bank of Lago Mergozzo all the way to the small town of Mergozzo at the top of the lake. When you reach Mergozzo take a break at the birreria or one of the other spots for a short time before returning to Fondotoce. This giro, trip, traveling at a slow pace and stopping now and then for a photo, should take about two hours roundtrip to Fondotoce, about three hours roundtrip in beginning and ending in Stresa.