Is cycling your passion? Follow the Ciclovie dei Parchi and discover 10 bike itineraries among the most beautiful parks of Emilia Romangna.

“A bike ride is an escape from sadness” – James E. Starrs.

Cycling is your biggest passion? And you really like doing it in the middle of unspoilt nature? You’re in the right place. Discover our itinerary that will introduce you to the Ciclovie dei Parchi, 10 bike routes from Piacentino to Romagna.

The routes of Ciclovie dei Parchi are accessible and suitable for everyone; each stage has different degree of difficulty and their duration varies. So, in order to choose the stage that best suits your needs, consult the technical sheet. As a matter of fact, it will give you information about the height, the difficulty, and the length of each route.

ciclovie dei parchi map
photo via ambiente.regione.emilia-romagna.it

Let’s discover the 10 itineraries one by one!

1. Ciclovia dello Stirone

Parco Regionale dello Stirone e del Piacenziano (Piacenza)

Borgo
Castello Borgo di Vigoleno – Foto di Daniel70mi Falciola, via Flickr

The landscape is composed of stretches of fields surrounding the heights of Vigoleno, in the province of Piacenza. The route also passes through the Stirone, embedded in steep cliffs, and decorated with beautiful poplars and willows. The colorful flight of the bee-eaters makes this bike ride unique.

Perfect for: those who love to discover fossils, small villages and ancient castles

Length: 42 km – Altitude difference: 100m

Walking time: 1 day

Difficulty level: medium

Maps and Altimeter setting

2. Ciclovia del Taro

Parco Regionale fluviale del Taro

Ponte medievale
Santa Maria del Taro – Photo by Davide Papalini via Wikimedia

This path is composed of two different routes. The first route is on flat ground and it is quite simple. The second path follows the Taro and other channels. This path is more adventurous, with its environment composed of woods, stones and groves.

Perfect for: a bike day with your beloved ones

Length: 6 or 20 km, according to which path you choose – Altitude difference: not so much

Walking time: 1 day

Difficulty level: medium

Maps and Altrimetry

3. Ciclovia boschi di Carrega

Parco Regionale Boschi di Carrega

This route starts from the station of Collechio and, after crossing the village, reaches the entrance of the park. What’s more, following an asphalt road you can easily reach the Casino dei Boschi, the ancient residence of the Dukes of Parma.

Casino dei boschi

Casino dei Boschi – Foto via Montecoppe

Perfect for: those who are into garden and nature

Length: 20 km

Walking time: half a day

Difficulty level: not so high if you follow the main path

Maps and Altrimetry

4. Ciclovia del Parco dei Sassi

Parco Regionale dei Sassi di Roccamalatina

Very challenging itinerary, for its height level and for its length. The “Sassi” are the main part of this route. They are very important for their fauna and botanical peculiarities: as a matter of fact, in some natural cavities it is possible to find rare birds such as the peregrine falcon.

Sassi
Photo by Foto di Pagarau via Wikimedia

Perfect for: those who are into garden and nature

Length: 20 km

Walking time: half a day

Difficulty level: not so high if you follow the main path

Maps and altimetry

5. Ciclovia dei Gessi di Gaibola

Sassi di Roccamalatina Regional Park

This hilly itinerary doesn’t last for long, but it has very steep climbs. It starts from the urban environment and then it reaches the gates of the park. In addition, here you can find an uncommon rock called the Gypsum.

Parco dei Gessi
Photo by Anita Malina via wikimedia

Perfect for: those who love adventures in the wood

Length: 50 km

Walking time: one day

Difficulty level: really high

Maps e Altimetry

6. Ciclovia della Memoria

Monte Sole Regional Park

Here, you can find many landscapes with panoramic views of the ridge Reno and also, the ridge Setta. Hence, here the botanical features are several: if you’re lucky enough, you’ll have the chance to see herds of ungulates and also, some wolves. In addition, you should remember that this is a memorial park which recalls the Italian massacre by the Nazis against some civilians.

Mmemoriale
Photo by Roberto Ferrari via Wikimedia

Perfect for: those who are interested in our history and want to have a look at this beautiful memorial.

Length: 25 km

Walking time: one day

Difficulty level: from medium to high

Maps e Altimetry

7. Ciclovia di Monteveglio

Abbazia di Moneveglio Regional Park

The main part of this itinerary is the Santa Maria abbey, which gave identity to this protected area. As a matter of fact, it is a Romanesque church which still has its original architecture. Also, this beautiful abbey is surrounded by a frame of cypresses.

Photo by Matteo Castaldo via Wikimedia

Perfect for: people who want to discover ancient abbeys

Length: 27 km

Walking time: half a day

Difficulty level: easy

Maps e Altimetry

8. Ciclovia dei Gessi

Vena del Gesso romagola Regional Park

This hike is not easy, due to its differences of height. However, here you can find the Gypsum, a particular type of rock and also a large vegetal expense which has extremely particular features. In fact, it is Mediterranean on the southern part and wooded on the northern one.

Parco regionale
Photo by Marinaloconteciaranfi via Wikimedia

Perfect for: adventurous people who are ready to push themselves to their limits

Length: 30 km

Walking time: one day

Difficulty level: high if you want to follow the whole path

Maps e Altimetry

9. Ciclovia del Trebbia

Trebbia Regional Park

This route of Ciclovie dei Parchi is peculiar for its diversity of environments; it starts from the historic center of Piacenza, so you’ll ride between  Romanesque churches and large squares. Than, you reach Case Buschi, where you will have a view of the bell tower of the St. Patrick Church.

Landscape
Photo by.Anglisani Alessandro via Wikimedia

Perfect for: an adventure with your mountain bike

Length: 50 km

Walking time: one day

Difficulty level: from medium to high

Maps e Altimetry

10. Ciclovia del Secchia

Riserva naturale orientata Cassa di espansione del fiume Secchia

The starting point is the center of Modena (where you can see the beautiful Piazza Grande, which is a World Heritage Site). Then, following the bike routes and some narrow streets you can reach an important destination: the so called  ‘Cassa di Espansione del fiume Secchia’.

Modena centro
Modena – foto di Ermaf62 via Pixabay

Perfect for: families who want to discover Modena

Length: 25 km

Walking time: one day

Difficulty level: low

Maps e Altimetry

Which path did you enjoy the most? From which one of the 10 Ciclovie dei Parchi would you like to start this beautiful route? We know that cycling in nature always gives you great emotions so, what are you waiting for?

Cover photo: photo by Pxhere