Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time, I went on a bike tour to the Venus Line in Nagano Prefecture. The Venus Line is a 76km tourist road from Chino City to Utsukushigahara Kogen Art Museum in Ueda City, and is a popular spot where you can enjoy spectacular views of the plateau, lakes, and mountains. I set out from central Tokyo on my favorite Harley-Davidson FLSB Sport Glide and took a day trip around the Venus Line. In this article, I will introduce the route I chose, the highlights, and special products.
I started from central Tokyo and entered the Kanetsu Expressway via Shuto Expressway Routes 6 and 5. On the Kanetsu Expressway, I transferred to the Joshinetsu Expressway at Fujioka JCT, and then entered the Chubu-Odan Expressway at Saku-Komoro JCT. On the Chubu-Odan Expressway, exit at Sakuminami IC and enter Venus Line via National Route 142 and Prefectural Route 152. This route took us about 2 and a half hours to reach the entrance to Venus Line.
The Venus Line runs at a high altitude of over 1,500 meters above sea level, so there are great views of the surrounding Alps, Mt. Yatsugatake, and Mt. Fuji. It is also rich in nature such as grasslands and forests, and you can see a variety of flowers and plants depending on the season. I went around the Venus Line in the following order.
The first stop after entering Venus Line was Tateshina Ranch. Here you can interact with animals such as cows and sheep, and try your hand at milking cows and making cheese. There is also a restaurant and cafe on the farm. I ate fresh milk and yogurt straight from the farm here. It was very delicious.
Next we headed to Shirakaba Lake Observation Deck. From here, you can see Lake Shirakaba below and Mt. Tateshina and Mt. Yatsugatake beyond. Lake Shirakaba is surrounded by many hotels and souvenir shops, making it a popular tourist destination. I walked from the observation deck to the lakeside. The colors of the mountains and sky reflected on the surface of the lake were so beautiful.
Don’t miss Lake Goddess, which is located a little far from Lake Shirakaba. Goddess Lake is smaller and quieter than Shirakaba Lake. There are also campgrounds and cottages along the lake. I tried riding a rental boat here. The mountains and forests seen from the water were very impressive.
The highlight of Venus Line is Kirigamine Fujimidai. This is the highest point on the Venus Line, with views to the south. If the weather is good, you can see Mt. Kitadake, the Southern Alps, and Mt. Fuji. There is also a shop in the parking lot. I bought Shinshu special products here. There were apples, soba noodles, and wine.
The Utsukushigahara Kogen Art Museum, located at the end of the Venus Line, is a facility that combines nature and art. Inside the museum, contemporary art works from Japan and abroad are exhibited. There are also outdoor works such as sculptures and installations scattered around the museum. I enjoyed the contrast between the natural scenery and the artwork here.
This time, I started from central Tokyo and toured the Venus Line by motorcycle. The Venus Line is a popular tourist road where you can enjoy spectacular views of plateaus, lakes, and mountains. I visited natural spots such as Tateshina Farm, Lake Shirakaba Observation Deck, and Lake Megami, as well as art spots such as Kirigamine Fujimidai and Utsukushigahara Kogen Art Museum. I also bought some special products from Shinshu. I thought the Venus Line was a luxurious touring route where you could enjoy both the scenery and the ride. Everyone, please come and visit us at least once.
