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The Italian cycle tourism Oscar is the prize that is awarded every year to the green cycle routes of the Regions that promote holidays on two wheels with services aimed at slow tourism.
Now in its eighth edition, the Italian cycle tourism Oscar has a dual objective: on the one hand to stimulate administrations to enhance their excellent routes, on the other to promote investments in cycle tourism.
For territories and, in particular, small villages, cycling is in fact a tourist with high added value and sustainable impact and green roads offer the possibility of visiting a region while helping to support local heritage.
The second prize goes to the Sicily Region for Sicily Divides, while the Veneto Region ranks third with the Treviso-Ostiglia cycle path.
The Press and Communication Award goes to the Emilia Romagna Region for the Food Valley cycle path while the special mention from Legambiente is awarded to the Abruzzo Region for The path of Abruzzo.
The proclamation took place on 3 June in Cesena "Capital of Cycling Tourism 2023" in the Emilia Romagna Region, winner of the 2022 Cycling Tourism Oscar with the Grand Tour of the Savio Valley.
The jury – composed of prominent personalities in the field of journalism, opinion leaders, sponsors, experts in the bike, environment and tourism sectors – chose from the proposals presented by regions, territories and autonomous provinces: the prizes are awarded to the cycle routes that demonstrate they possess criteria of excellence and the highest score according to the various parameters under consideration, including design, construction, promotion, equipment, signage, green services and more.
Going into more detail, here are the protagonists of this edition:
FIRST PLACE – Puccini cycle/pedestrian path, Tuscany region
The Puccini Cycle Walk collects the cultural and natural heritage between Lucca and Versilia, telling the life and places of the composer, whose centenary of death will be celebrated in 2024. It is a cycle path set to music because a signage allows access, via QR code, to a musical accompaniment during the ride and to listen to the symphonies suggested at some selected points. It extends for 58 km from Lucca to Torre del Lago, a flat route suitable for everyone equipped with bike rental services, assistance and charging points for e-bikes, drinking fountains, refreshment points, guides, etc. Excellent intermodality with the railway stations with the possibility of traveling sections by bike and returning by train. The cycle route crosses an enchanting natural setting, runs on the banks of the Serchio river, with the pre-Apennine hills on the left and vineyards, olive groves and woods on the right, arriving at the Lipu Oasis nature reserve.
Unmissable for music lovers is the museum set up in Villa Puccini, the home where the composer spent many years of his life.
SECOND PLACE – Sicily Divide, Sicily Region
Sicily Divide is a 457 km cycle route from Trapani to Catania – on secondary and rural roads but also former railways, dirt paths on the banks of rivers and canals – which passes through 48 inhabited centers between villages and cities, an adventure cycling route that crosses horizontally the most unknown central Sicily, the one far from crowded beaches and the most famous locations. Along the entire route there are bike hotels, fountains, refreshment points, assistance, bike rental and charging and check-points, where cycle tourists can get the Divider's Pass stamped, a "passport" that allows them to take advantage of discounted conditions in hotels affiliated. Sicily Divide is a project born in 2020 during Covid thanks to the initiative of a group of young people from the Sicilian Cycling Association, who self-financed to generate new economies in their land with the aim of helping the realities of the internal areas of the island through the dissemination of good practices in welcoming tourists on two wheels and to reverse the trend of young people emigrating.
THIRD PLACE – Treviso-Ostiglia cycle path, Veneto Region
The Treviso-Ostiglia Cycle Path is a green cycle path created from the recovery of a former railway built in the 1930s for military and commercial reasons: it is 70 km of easy travel along a wooded strip that crosses fields, country towns, naturalistic oases, courses water and Venetian villas, in the provinces of Treviso, Padua and Vicenza, from the Sile to the Po.
Built starting in 2009, it is today among the major arteries of cycle tourism in Veneto and facilitates connections with other cycle paths such as the GiraSile cycle path, the Riviera Berica cycle path, the Ring of the Euganean Hills and the Brenta cycle path, as well as intercepting the great cycle itineraries such as the Dolomites-Venice, the Lake Garda-Venice and the AIDA (Upper Italy to Cross). Entirely equipped with signs, the route also recovers the old toll booths as refreshment points and workshops that facilitate cycle tourists in the "gentle" discovery of the area, also equipped with fountains, bike grills, mechanical service, bike rental and numerous accommodation options.
PRESS AND COMMUNICATION MENTION – Food Valley cycle path, Emilia Romagna Region
The Food Valley Cycle Route is an 80 kilometer cycle/pedestrian itinerary that connects Parma to Busseto, designed to enhance the strong food and wine vocation of the area and its excellent productions – an important attraction for Italian and foreign tourists – linking them to sustainable tourism. The cycle route is equipped with unique signs that underline the food and wine value of the area and is equipped with fountains, bike grills, assistance points, phosphorescent signs for night outings and charging stations for e-bikes. Partly derived from previous cycle paths along the banks of the Po and Enza, the route also passes through valuable naturalistic areas such as the Mab Unesco Po Grande area. The first edition of "l'Ingorda - pedaling assisted by good food" took place in 2022, a non-competitive event with a stop to taste local specialties in each municipality of the route
SPECIAL MENTION LEGAMBIENTE – The path of Abruzzo, Abruzzo Region
The Cammino d'Abruzzo is a 700 km circular tour in the heart of the region, to be covered on foot or by bicycle, to discover the historical and cultural riches and the food and wine excellences: it touches 71 municipalities in addition to national and regional parks, reserves and nature oases, and is fully equipped with fountains, cycle workshops and e-bike charging, refreshment points, accommodation options. From Pescara it goes up along the coast and runs towards the Teramo hinterland to then reach, through a wooded path of extraordinary beauty, the villages of the Vestina area; it then immerses itself in the L'Aquila territory and then, through paths and sheep tracks, concludes the journey in the Chieti area and takes travelers and cyclists to the suggestive Costa dei Trabocchi, before returning to Pescara.
ITALIAN OSCAR AWARD FOR CYCLE TOURISM ITALIAN GREEN ROAD AWARD – Gran Canaria Island
For the first time, the Italian Cycle Tourism Oscar goes abroad: the 2023 Italian Green Road Award is assigned to the island of Gran Canaria (Spain), a bike-friendly destination that has made cycling accessible to everyone. For years a privileged destination for cyclists and cycle tourists thanks to the excellent climatic conditions and its particular orography, Gran Canaria has organized urban mobility with an effective and widespread bike sharing system while it has dedicated quality services and infrastructures dedicated to cycle tourism, with routes in the whole island.
The 2023 edition of the Oscar Italiano del Cicloturismo confirmed Banca Ifis as official partner, Istituto per il Credito Sportivo and Legambiente as institutional partners, the participation of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane and RFI and enjoys the enthusiastic and active support of the City of Cesena.
The absolute winners of past editions
They have been awarded on the first step of the podium in the seven past editions of the Cycle Tourism Oscar: in 2015, Umbria with the “Assisi-Spoleto-Norcia” cycle route; in 2016, Friuli Venezia Giulia with “L'Alpe Adria”: in 2017, Veneto with “La Ciclovia dell'Amicizia”; in 2018 Lombardy with “La Ciclovia del Fiume Oglio”; in 2020, it was the turn of Abruzzo with the "Bike to Coast", in 2021, in first place ex aequo of the Autonomous Province of Trento with the "Green Road of Water" and of Calabria with the "Ciclovia dei Parchi" . In 2022 Emilia Romagna won first prize with the "Grand Tour of the Savio Valley".