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In Trentino, Calabria, Emilia Romagna, Marche and Basilicata: on the winning roads of the 2021 Italian Green Road Award with itineraries suitable for everyone thanks also to e-bikes.
Cycling tourism knows no seasons: it is always the right time to get on the saddle and discover the beauty of the Italian territories by pedaling in harmony with the nature that surrounds us. An excursion of a few hours in the parks outside the city, a weekend on two wheels on the wine roads, a bike trip with friends or family, but always at a slow pace, coming into contact with cultural, historical, landscape and food and wine of our regions. Each season offers glimpses, opportunities, and unique moments. Furthermore, thanks to the e-bike, the cycling touring experience is truly within everyone's reach.
And what could be better than a holiday along the cycle routes that have been awarded the Italian Green Road Award 2021?
Also known as the Italian Cycle Tourism Oscar, the award is awarded every year to “Green Ways” of those Italian regions that have distinguished themselves in their attention to "slow" tourism and that have been able to enhance cycle routes by completing them with services suitable for the development of cycling tourism.
The choice is between five Italian regions. There Autonomous Province of Trento and Calabria who ranked in 1st place ex aequo respectively with Green Road of Water and the Parks Cycle Route; L'Emilia Romagna which came in second place with the Ciclovia del Sole; there Marche region, in third place with the GABA-Great Ring of the Ascoli Villages and, finally, the Basilicata which received the special mention from Legambiente with the cycle route From Matera to the Lucanian Dolomites.
These are the "Oscar cycle routes" which, naturally, can be followed in stages or even just for a stretch, depending on the type of excursion you want to undertake.
IN TRENTINO on the Green Road of Water
The Trentino region is renowned for its decades-long commitment to green tourism and the promotion of cycle routes. The Green Road dell'Acqua (first place ex aequo with the Ciclovia dei Parchi in Calabria) is a 143 kilometer circular cycle/pedestrian route born from the ambitious project of the Autonomous Province of Trento to unite a selection of already existing sections of other cycle routes. pedestrian and cycle paths to create a more complete itinerary among the valleys, rivers and lakes of lower Trentino, whose common denominator is, in fact, water. Furthermore, most of this route is created from river banks, as well as abandoned roads and railways: a respectful recovery and an important enhancement of the territory.
Well signposted and equipped, the Green Water Road it 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, part of this itinerary is served by an efficient extra-urban public bike sharing, perhaps the largest in Europe, with 90 cycle stations, 1000 stalls and 60 kilometers of connected network.
IN CALABRIA to discover the Ciclovia del Parchi
The victory of Calabria Parks Cycle Path (ex aequo with the Green Road of Water in Trentino) at the 2021 edition of the Italian Cycle Tourism Oscar recognizes the Region's commitment to a new project to enhance sustainable tourism and slow mobility through an itinerary that combines the four main naturalistic areas of the territory, converting the vast network of paths, Apennine routes and minor low-traffic roads into a cycle route to be explored.
The Calabria Parks Cycle Route is a green road that crosses, in fact, the entire regional Apennine ridge of 545 kilometres; begins in Laino Borgo (in the province of Cosenza) and ends in Reggio Calabria, covering a very large protected area of approximately 350,000 hectares along four natural parks – the Aspromonte, the Sila, the Pollino and the Serre - and through over 60 cities, towns and villages that well embody the "Calabrian spirit". The type of pavement alternates between asphalted and dirt sections and many kilometers are for the exclusive use of cyclists and pedestrians. The route is signposted and equipped with water fountains, bike centers, rest areas and hospitality areas.
IN EMILIA ROMAGNA at a slow pace along the Ciclovia del Sole
Inaugurated on 13 April 2021, the 46 km stretch of the Ciclovia del Sole (on the former Bologna-Verona railway) which unites 10 municipalities between the provinces of Modena and Bologna, from Mirandola to Sala Bolognese, ranked second in the This year's Italian Green Road Award. An Oscar-winning route for the recovery of abandoned railway sites and the reconversion of the route with an intervention considered "textbook" among the good practices of cycle tourism.
Signposted and equipped with rest areas - equipped with e-bike and mobile phone charging points, water fountains and repair kits – the cycle route is interconnected with the existing local roads and, thanks to the ease of the route, it is perfectly suitable for families and budding cyclists. The itinerary, through the evocative landscapes of the Emilian plain, fully interprets a new idea of travel capable of combining the slow and careful discovery of the territories with greater environmental sustainability.
The Ciclovia del Sole it is part of the larger European Eurovelo 7 route, which connects the North Cape in Norway to Malta along 7,400 km. In Italy the Brennero-Verona section has already been built, while Emilia Romagna is the leading region for the Verona-Bologna-Florence section of approximately 400 km, of which 154 are in Emilia Romagna.
IN THE MARCHE region on the Great Ring of Ascolani Villages (GABA)
Wanted by the Marche Region in response to the growing demand for outdoor tourism in the aftermath of the first 2020 lockdown, the Great Ring of Ascoli Villages (GABA) is a new cycle/pedestrian route with a historical-naturalistic theme that won 3rd place in the 2021 Italian Cycling Tourism Oscar.
The itinerary is a 100 kilometer ring – divided into 7 stages of 15 kilometers each – which unites Ascoli Piceno with the most characteristic localities of the pre-Apennine hinterland, enhancing their naturalistic, cultural and food and wine peculiarities. A journey through the magnificent hilltop villages at the foot of the Ceresa and Monti Gemelli mountain ranges, including the municipalities of Ascoli Piceno, Venarotta, Roccafluvione and Acquasanta Terme. 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 points and accommodation options in the locations crossed.
IN BASILICATA from Matera to the Lucanian Dolomites
At the 2021 edition of the Italian Cycle Tourism Oscar, the Legambiente special mention went to the Basilicata Region with the cycle route From Matera to the Lucanian Dolomites. From the Città dei Sassi, a UNESCO heritage site and European Capital of Culture 2019, 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 villages perched on a mainly asphalted route, signposted and equipped with bike grills, water fountains, assistance and the possibility of catering and hospitality in the municipalities crossed.