This itinerary is designed for cycling enthusiasts who love making new discoveries on their bikes.
The safe and easily accessible forty-six kilometers of the Ciclovia del Sole (the “Bikeway of the Sun”) take you into the heart of the Emilian plains of the Po River Valley.
Start your cycling adventure in the historic city of Mirandola, whose treasures have been preserved throughout the centuries.
Don’t miss a chance to sample local food and wine, and then press on for a tour of the Mirandola valley area, a genuine temple for birdwatchers.
In the valleys, you can visit the “barchessoni,” one of the area’s distinctive attractions, including the Barchessone Vecchio, sometimes called the “Basilica of the Valleys.” These unusual, round buildings originally housed stalls for the horses used by the cavalry.
Return to the Ciclovia del Sole and pedal on to San Felice sul Panaro, a small, historic city with narrow lanes paved in cobblestones and centuries-old churches.
Encircled by the greenery of public parks and private gardens, the area was once the fiefdom of Countess Matilde di Canossa, whose history and elegance are reflected even today in the imposing Rocca Estense.
From San Felice sul Panaro, continue on to Camposanto, a classic town of the Bassa Pianura Modenese (that is, the “Lower” part of the Po River Valley near Modena), the perfect stop for a genuine experience off the beaten path.
Set off on your exploration in the center of town, starting from the railroad pylons where the Ciclovia del Sole passes . There, you’ll be able to see more than twenty murals created in recent years by internationally known artists through the Quadricromie Project. The creativity on display in this open-air museum will fascinate you as you discover the history and the traditions that these urban “frescos” have to relate.
Once you embark on the section of the Ciclovia that enters the Bologna area, you’ll come upon Crevalcore, on the border between the Provinces of Modena and Bologna.
Make a stop here at the Castello di Palata Pepoli, rebuilt in 2012 after an earthquake. The castle is an austere, quadrangular structure with a central tower and a courtyard surrounded by a portico. Stop by the small, well-preserved oratory and let the magnificent grounds keep you company during your visit to the castle. In keeping with the Medieval theme, don’t forget to stop at the Torre della Guisa.
Descending toward Bologna you’ll come to San Giovanni in Persiceto.
You’ll want to see the Piazzetta degli Inganni, also known as Piazzetta Betlemme, designed by Gino Pellegrini, a noted stage designer and painter. Pellegrini imagined the space as a homage to the movies, and he playfully decorated the piazza with scaffolding that seem to support the actual windows. Pellegrini later created a new painterly deception, a riot of larger-than-life vegetables and whimsical animals.
You might want to treat yourself to a stop at one of the sites of the Museo del Cielo e della Terra (the “Museum of the Earth and the Sky”), which tells the story of the relationships between heaven and earth, stars and animals, the sun and the plants, never forgetting humans and our use of technological resources. The Museum is divided into a number of centers with different emphases: the astronomy zone, the botanical garden, the insect laboratory, and the “physics experience.”
Moving on from San Giovanni, you’ll arrive in Sala Bolognese, the last stage of the Ciclovia.
From there, you can bike into Bologna on a marked path that keeps to secondary roads where traffic is minimal.
