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Italy is a country full of wonderful landscapes that deserve to be discovered, visited and savored in full.
Food and wine experiences, art, museums, breathtaking views and enveloping nature.
Our country is also rich in routes and elements with a completely unexpressed potential that can perfectly support cycle tourism: the disused railways.
To date there are 1,000 km that have changed their intended use and which have resulted in enormous losses benefits to the territory: valorisation of territories, new local economic energies and the creation of new activities and infrastructures.
The Italian Environment and Bicycle Federation, has estimated around 5,000 km of railway routes from which it would be possible to obtain beautiful cycle paths, making a huge contribution to cycle tourism and a concept of slow and sustainable holidays.
Antonio Dalla Venezia, regional coordinator of FIAB Veneto, explained that recovering the territory with the creation of new cycle paths depends on numerous factors.
First of all, the length of the recovery and the fact that the track in question is part of a longer and more complex route, capable of attracting more users.
The success of the route is also determined by the reachability of the track and the state of maintenance.
Cycling where a train once passed is a great emotion, and being able to do it in complete safety means being able to fully enjoy the experience and the wonders that surround us.
For this reason, maintenance is very important and, when this is not carried out, the structure loses interest and becomes increasingly forgotten.
One of the most beautiful routes created from a railway route is the one created along the 51 km of the picturesque railway Spoleto-Norcia.
Accessible with an E-Gravel, an e-trekking or an e-mtb, this route extends to the heart of Umbria, between rivers and fascinating villages, in the direction of the Sibillini Mountains National Park.
In Friuli Venezia GiuliaOn the other hand, the Tarvisio-Venzone-Gemona, 60 km long, is a route that uses an interesting intermodal service that provides hundreds of bike spaces every day on different trains.
In addition to the route, two stations along the route were recovered, that of Ugovizza and that of Chiusaforte, which currently host refreshment points, information offices and repair and rental services.
Another noteworthy route is that Ospedaletti-Sanremo-San Lorenzo al Mare in Liguria, where more than a million people pass by every year and in just a few years many infrastructures and services dedicated to cycle tourism have been created.
This route was created from the old railway line of the Fiori cycle path and is an entirely flat and asphalted route, suitable for cyclists of all ages.
Finally, one of the best known routes is in South Tyrol and develops in the Isarco Valley.
Many sections of the route were created from the old Brenner-Bolzano railway which have been modernized and adapted into cycle paths.
Along this route you cannot miss the Val di Flares, crossed by a fascinating stretch of the old railway with tunnels and hairpin bends, Bressanone, one of the most beautiful towns in Alto Adige and Chiusa, an ancient customs town, where the beautiful Monastery is worth a visit of Sabiona.
The conversion of abandoned railways is not only an excellent solution for redeveloping the area and supporting cycle tourism, but allows everyone to benefit from aunique experience, pedaling in the memory of romantic stretches crossed by old trains and enjoying emotions different from the usual routine.