Romagna Bike Trail 2020

The adventure starts in Ravenna that is the largest and most historically important city in Romagna and has been thrice capital: of the Western Roman Empire (402-476), of the Ostrogothic Kingdom (493-553) and of the Byzantine Exarchate (568-751). For what remains of this past splendour the early Christian monuments of Ravenna were added in 1996 to the list of Italian UNESCO World Heritage sites as the serial site “Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna”. The Basilica of San Vitale, the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Baptistery of the Ariani and that of the Orthodox Church, the Basilicas of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, the Archiepiscopal Chapel and the Mausoleum of Theodoric, which you will see along the Trail, are the heritage not only of Ravenna but the whole of humanity. You’ll be cycling through a pinewood that flanks the Adriatic Sea and skirting the Po Delta Park with its pink flamingos, herons and little egrets. You’ll be crossing tough passes and seeing centuries-old fortresses such as those in Brisighella and Riolo Terme.

During the Romagna Bike Trail you can admire the unspoiled nature, crossing part of the Alta Via dei Parchi, the Vena del Gesso Park, the Casentino Forests Park and pedaling on the most important Italian roads (Assisi, Dante, San Francesco, San Vicinio, San’Antonio, San Romualdo, just to name a few). In the long route you will savor the magic and the total immersion inside the National Park of the Casentino Forests around the hermitage of Camaldoli, with its secular trees, rich in mystery, along the most beautiful forest of Italy (Cancellino-La Lama ) and around the Ridracoli reservoir. On the short route, after crossing much of the Casentino Forests National Park, you will ride along the famous Dante and San’Antonio path. Then we will reach the Hermitage of Monte Paolo, the starting point of the Cammino di Assisi. Finally we will descend to the sea, the ultimate destination of your adventure. In Romagna there are no high alpine peaks or the famous peaks of the Dolomites … but the slopes are often high and the continuous ups and downs will not give you respite … and are you ready to be tempted by this new adventure?

The first route will be about 480 km. long with a difference in altitude of about 10.000 D+.
The second route will be about 350 km. long with a difference in altitude of about 6.500 D+.
The participants can choose which option to follow anytime.
The Trail is a loop (starting point and finish point are the same)