Cycling in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna
The Italian region of Emilia-Romagna is consistently promoting cycle tourism. New cycle routes keep appearing, and there are bike rental shops and support points for cyclists and road riders. A good opportunity to see what the region currently offers two-wheel enthusiasts was the Italian Bike Festival trade fair, held in September in Misano Adriatico, together with a special accompanying event: a race for journalists called the European Media Cycling Competition.
The eastern part of Emilia-Romagna is a paradise for leisure cyclists and keen road riders alike. In Romagna, the area stretching along the Adriatic, 16 cycle routes have been marked out, differing in length, difficulty and surface.
(you will find another article about fast cars and superb food in Emilia-Romagna here)
Easy and moderate routes: Comacchio, Lugo, Brisighella
Among the easy routes, one worth mentioning is in the Ferrara area and runs through the Comacchio valley in the Po Delta park. Along the way you are guaranteed to see wild birds, and if you are lucky you will also come across flocks of pink flamingos. The village of Comacchio itself is known throughout Italy for its eel dishes, and at the turn of September and October it holds a festival of dishes made from this fish. The route is 18.9 km long with an elevation gain of just 5 m (it is marked as number 8) and is recommended for mountain bikers.
The Lugo route is also an easy one, although it is longer (38.7 km), with an elevation gain of 28 m. The route runs between Lugo, Bagnacavallo and the Lamone river. Its main theme is food. Along the way you will visit several wineries and come across places famous for making all kinds of pasta, such as lasagne, tortellini and tagliatelle. This route (16) is recommended for road and gravel bikes.
Romagna has 3 routes of medium difficulty. Representatives of the region say that route no. 14 takes you to "the most beautiful villages in Italy", such as Faenza and Brisighella. The latter boasts well-preserved medieval walls, a fortress, a clock tower and a Romanesque church. There is also a small cave nearby. The route is ideal for road bikes and is 43.3 km long with 632 m of climbing.
The toughest routes: Casentino and the Barbotto climb
One of the most difficult routes in the region runs through the Casentinesi Forests National Park (route 11). On a mountain or gravel bike, you have to tackle 80 km with as much as 2,256 m of climbing on the border between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. Along the way you are guaranteed spectacular views and the chance to swim at two waterfalls you pass.
Another tough route is number 12, suggested for road cyclists. It is relatively short (35 km), but the climbs are a real challenge. Eight kilometres after passing the village of Sogliano al Rubicone, where "Fossa" cheese is made, a steep climb begins. It is 3 kilometres long - local cycling enthusiasts call it the "Cruel Tiffi" - with an average gradient of 5.8%, rising to 16% in places. That is not the end of the climbing, because soon afterwards you have to face the so-called Barbotto Climb: 5.5 km uphill at an average gradient of 6.9%.
Via Romagna - 463 km between the sea and the hills
A special place in the catalogue of cycle routes belongs to the "Via Romagna". This route covers as much as 463 km of riding on secondary paved roads with little traffic, as well as off-road. The "Via Romagna" may well rank among the most interesting cycle routes in Europe running between the sea and the hills. It links the provinces of Ferrara, Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena and Rimini. It passes through around 30 municipalities and 20 historic villages and fortresses, goes past more than 100 cyclist-friendly establishments, guesthouses and agritourism farms, and passes bike shops offering technical help. Its northernmost point, and also the ideal place to start, is the aforementioned Comacchio, with an interesting opening off-road section in the Po Delta. The route then heads inland, through "lower Romagna", to the gently rolling hills near Faenza, then towards Forlì and Cesena, crossing the Casentino forests park, before turning south towards the Marecchia and Conca valleys near Rimini and ending in San Giovanni in Marignano, close to the border with the Marche region. The "Via Romagna" connects the main seaside towns: Ravenna, Cervia, Cesenatico, Rimini, Riccione and Cattolica. The route has already been mapped out and is now waiting to be signposted. "Via Romagna" signs will appear in 1,500 places, and 50 information boards will also be put up. (more information at www.romagnabike.com)
Italian Bike Festival routes and the media race
Of course, there is no need to stick to the marked and described routes. During the Italian Bike Festival, participants were offered a specially designed route of 58 km (600 m of climbing) through the charming villages and small towns of San Clemente, Morciano, Saludecio and Mondaino. Along the way you could enjoy a good lunch and taste wine at the Ottaviani winery.
Another route, ideal for "Sunday cyclists" or families with children, starts in Misano Adriatico and heads south along the coast all the way to the Gabicce protected area. Along the way it is worth turning inland and riding at least a few kilometres along the Conte river.
The Italian Bike Festival was an occasion to hold a cycling race for journalists. Almost 50 representatives of the international media - journalists, bloggers, influencers and YouTubers - specialising in cycling lined up at the start of the "Gran Fondo La Gialla", held over a 100 km course with 1.6 km of climbing.
Frederik Böna of the German magazine "RennRad" took first place in the men's category, ahead of his compatriot Timo Schoch, a freelance journalist. Third place went to Nicolas Raybaud, a French blogger and influencer. Among the women, first place went to Italy's Giulia De Maio, a journalist with "TuttoBiciWeb". Second place was awarded to Johanna Warren from Sweden, and third to Slovenia's Polona Stradt, representing the cycling magazine "Polet".
The Italian Bike Festival and the European Media Cycling Competition will not be back until next year, but the cycle routes of Emilia-Romagna are open 365 days a year.
