THE MORNING LIST
Of bicycle thief, from Vittorio De Sica, to the Giro d’Italia, the Tour of Italy more than a century old, cycling is deeply rooted in transalpine culture. As elsewhere in Europe, sales of bicycles – electric in particular – continue to climb. Suddenly, from Parma to Lake Garda, cycle paths and marked routes flourish.
In Parma
Renowned for its gastronomy, Parma has completely converted to cycling. The architectural treasures of the center can be discovered by the cycle paths: from the cathedral to the Benedictine convent of San Paolo passing by the ducal palace, the bike allows all the detours, gourmet breaks included. If you arrive by the station without a bike, no problem: head for the Cicletteria, which rents bicycles for 12 euros a day, or the BicinCitta app. Outside the walls, nineteen well-signposted cultural routes allow you to discover the former Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. Verdi’s birthplace is only thirty kilometers away, a perfect distance for an electric bike tour, especially if you stop at Fontanellato Castle, a 14th century fortresse century where you can admire a fresco by Parmigianino.
On a dream track above Lake Garda
The so-called “dreams” cycle path, laid out along Lake Garda, in the Italian Alps, did not usurp its name. If it is today one of the most famous in the world, it is thanks to its two kilometer footbridge, suspended above the water in Limone sul Garda, north of the lake, in the province of Lombardy. On this family promenade for pedestrians and cyclists, the speed of bicycles is limited to 10 kilometers per hour.
The experience is stunning: we ride above the pines, between the cliffs and the lake. Open at night, the footbridge gently lights up and is admired even from afar. The complete tour of the lake is only possible by mountain bike, with too many sections shared with cars to undertake it as a family. But the success of the “dream cycle path” is such that a mobility plan plans to extend it all around the lake in the coming years.
On the cycle pathand the Riviera dei Fioriin San Remo
Between Ospedaletti, twenty kilometers from the French border, and San Lorenzo al Mare, passing through San Remo, look no further for the Genoa-Ventimiglia railway line. Closed in 2001, it was replaced by the Riviera dei Fiori cycle path: two wide lanes for bicycles, one for pedestrians, and many tunnels, sometimes quite long but perfectly lit.
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