Province of Bologna

Bologna has many faces: it is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, but also one of the most culturally significant. The Asinelli and Garisenda towers, one of the oldest universities in Italy, the Basilica of San Petronio... there are many gems in the historic center worth visiting. The Basilica and Palazzo d'Accursio, with its Clock Tower and Bramante's grand staircase, dominate the city's most famous square, namely Piazza Maggiore, with its Neptune fountain.

Take one of the alleys behind Piazza Maggiore, and you'll reach the Quadrilateral, the ancient marketplace and the cheerful heart of the city, where you will find stores, pizzerias, taverns and inns.

The plains north of Bologna, among cultivated fields and ancient farmhouses, are all for cycling. The Navile Cycle Route winds along the banks of the canal of the same name, created in the 15th century for Bologna's trade and dotted with historic locks. The bike route grazes charming country villages, such as Malalbergo and Bentivoglio, which is also home to an interesting Museum of Rural Civilization.

Cycling on the Reno Ciclovia, however, you will not only come across the typical vegetation of the floodplains - the deposits transported by the river - and charming villages. In fact, if you love cars, you should plan an extra stop at the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum, in Argelato. Other landmarks of the "motor valley," as the area between Bologna and Modena, which has a strong automotive industry, is called, are the Lamborghini Museum (MUDETEC) in Sant'Agnese Bolognese and the Ducati Museum, just outside the capital.

In the hills southwest of Bologna, the Monteveglio Ciclovia takes you through the undulating landscapes of the Monteveglio Abbey Regional Park. Amid groves, cultivated fields and the characteristic outlines of gullies, you'll pedal along a loop: don't miss the short detour to the Abbey of Monteveglio, a fascinating and ancient monastic complex commissioned by Matilda of Canossa. The abbey, as well as some villages with antique flair, e.g., Castello di Serravalle, Bombiana and Pieve di Roffeno, is also one of the stops along the Piccola Cassia, a Roman road that continued the Via Cassia and, with some variations, also suitable for cycling.

If you're a mountain biker, you'll also love the Monterenzio Ring, which crosses the Indice and Zena valleys. You'll ride along the Laurenzano stream and, between paved roads, bike paths, and green ridges, you'll reach the Sanctuary of Monte delle Formiche, which offers wonderful views of the valleys.

Between the Setta and Reno valleys lies the Historical Park of Monte Sole. In addition to Apennine flora, sandstone conformations and gullies, this area is rich in both hikes and places that commemorate the victims of Nazi reprisals that occurred here during World War II.

Equally fascinating is the loop hike to Lake Castel dell'Alpi, which allows visitors to discover both the wonders and the fragility and constant change of the Bolognese Apennines, including ancient mills, modern locks, churches that have escaped landslides, and the small lake created near Castel dell'Alpi, which is also the only natural lake in the province of Bologna.

High-altitude forests and grasslands, lonely villages and ancient hermitages, mountains that touch 2,000 meters. The southernmost territory of the province of Bologna, on the border with Tuscany, is pure Apennine. Especially the Corno alle Scale Regional Park, which consists of the area around the mountain of the same name (1,945 m), and the nearby valleys offer many nature experiences. From spring to autumn you can explore the boundless beech and chestnut forests, medieval shrines, streams and waterfalls on foot, mountain bike or horseback. Don't miss, for example, the Dardagna Falls and the nearby Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Acero.

The same area is also an enchantment in winter. In addition to the Corno alle Scale ski resort, an "out-of-town" ski area for both Bolognese and Florentines, the wild mountain region can also be discovered off-piste on exciting winter hiking and ski tours. These experiences can be rounded off with a relaxing visit to the historic spa town of Porretta Terme nearby.

Following the course of the Reno southward from Bologna, the first hills give way to higher and higher elevations: the Apennines begin. And, as we said, one of Italy's most famous non-religious paths also begins. This is the Via degli Dei, which takes place in 5-7 days, crosses the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and ends in the city of Florence. It is an itinerary in stages that can be covered both on foot and by bicycle.

The first two stages take place in the province of Bologna: the first, from Bologna to Sasso Marconi (which owes its name to the famous scientist and where you can visit the museum dedicated to him), specifically to the hamlet of Badolo, and the second, from Badolo to Madonna dei Fornelli, a village of the municipality of San Benedetto Val di Sambro, located at 800 meters above sea level.

Along the Via degli Dei you will encounter unforgettable places, such as the Contrafforte Pliocenico Nature Reserve, an impressive complex of rocks made of Pliocene sandstone that stretches for around 15 kilometers and is embedded in a rugged and picturesque landscape that you can explore on foot along the numerous hiking trails. The rock formation is also home to several climbing routes of varying degrees of difficulty and a via ferrata.

For the tireless hiker, in addition to the Via degli Dei, we recommend a multi-day hike of historical and cultural significance that connects the city of Bologna, for centuries the capital of silk, with Prato, the capital of the wool and silk region. The Wool and Silk Road is a very challenging route of around 121 kilometers that passes through medieval villages and green valleys and brings the history of this region to life.

Slightly shorter (98 kilometers) is the stage itinerary of the Piccola Cassia, a Roman road that continued the Via Cassia, and which the ancients traveled to reach the Po Valley from Pistoia. It is a road dotted with notable historical-religious monuments, such as the Abbey of Monteveglio and the Castle of Serravalle and Sant'Apollinare, and small villages that smell of antiquity, such as Bombiana and Pieve di Roffeno. With some variations, the route is also suitable for bikes.

Another fascinating multi-stage route, which is much shorter, is the Via Flaminia Minor, which leads from Ozzano to the Passo della Raticosa. With a difference in altitude of 1625 meters and a length of 41 kilometers, this route follows in the footsteps of the ancient Roman road that connected Bologna with Arezzo and was actually just an extension of the more famous Via Cassia.