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For the first time, the prize that goes every year to the Italian Green Roads that have stood out for their attention to slow tourism, recorded a tie between the Green Road of Acqua di Trento and the Cycle Route of the Calabria Parks.
It was decided to award the first prize to two very different territories on the theme of cycle tourism: on the one hand, a mature fabric such as the Autonomous Province of Trento, on the other the great commitment put in place by Calabria region to convert the vast network of Apennine paths and routes into cycle routes, aiming at a different tourism target.
The second prize goes to Ciclovia del Sole of the Emilia Romagna Region while, the third, to the Marche Region with the GABA – Great Ring of the Ascoli Villages.
This year, 16 regions and autonomous provinces nominated up to two cycle routes, confirming an increasingly growing interest in cycle tourism, including: Abruzzo, Basilicata, autonomous province of Bolzano, Calabria, Campania, Emilia Romagna , Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Piedmont, Puglia, Sicily, Tuscany, autonomous province of Trento, Umbria and Veneto.
The Green Road of the Water of the Autonomous Province of Trento it is a 143 kilometer asphalted cycle path, which begins on the border with the province of Bolzano, in Cadino di Faedo and, after crossing 20 municipalities, ends in Trento. Water is the protagonist of the route, which winds between the Adige river and Lake Garda and other bodies of water and streams, skirting vineyards and panoramic points.
Furthermore, along the route you can find 90 cycle stations, 1000 stalls and 60 km of connected network. This green road, well served and signposted, was created by converting 113 km of river banks, disused roads and railways.
The Calabria Parks cycle path, however, was completed just over a year ago, converting old disused railways.
This is a 545 kilometer green road that begins in Laino Borgo (CS) and ends in Reggio Calabria, affecting a very large protected area of approximately 350,000 hectares along four parks, Aspromonte, Sila, Pollino and Serre, crossing 60 cities, towns and villages. The type of pavement alternates between asphalted and dirt sections, many kilometers are for the exclusive use of cyclists and pedestrians. The route is signposted and equipped with water fountains, bike centers, equipped rest and hospitality areas.
The Calabria Parks cycle path won first place for the Region's commitment to a project to enhance sustainable tourism and slow mobility, as well as a beautiful example of integrated communication.
The Ciclovia del Sole, which won second place, is approximately 64 kilometers long and was built on the former Bologna-Verona railway in the stretch from Mirandola to Bologna, crossing ten municipalities and uniting the territories of the provinces of Modena and the capital. Signposted and equipped with rest areas – with e-bike and mobile phone charging points, fountains and repair kits – the cycle route is interconnected with the existing local road system, to also facilitate home/work and home/school travel for local users. Being included in the EV7 (Eurovelo, the European route that connects Norway to Malta for over 7,000 kilometres) gives the cycle route a strategic importance in attracting not only Italian but, above all, European cycle travellers.
Third place, however Great ring of the Ascolani villages of the Marche region, a historical-naturalistic cycle/pedestrian route which, in a 100 kilometer ring – 7 stages of 15 kilometers each – unites Ascoli Piceno with the most characteristic locations of the pre-Apennine hinterland. The pavement is mixed and alternates dirt roads with dirt roads and paths, especially mule tracks used for the movement of the inhabitants between one village and another, sometimes asphalted. The route is signposted and equipped with bike grills, water fountains and assistance, as well as refreshment and accommodation points in the locations crossed. The project is due to the first lockdown of 2020, in response to the growing demand for outdoor tourism.
Legambiente special mention is Basilicata, with the cycle path that goes from Matera to the Lucanian Dolomites.
From the city of the Sassi, a UNESCO heritage site, and the 2019 European Capital of Culture, you cross the Murgia Materana park and, skirting the extraordinary ecosystem of the WWF oasis of San Giuliano, you reach the Small Lucanian Dolomites, through the Gallipoli Cognato park .
A total of 114 kilometers made up of nature reserves and perched villages, the route is mainly asphalted, signposted and equipped with bike grills, fountains, assistance and the possibility of catering and hospitality in the municipalities crossed.
Source: FIAB