Reggio Emilia and surroundings by bicycle

Are you a cycling enthusiast? Here is a series of cycle routes selected by the Fiab Tuttinbici association that allow you to discover Reggio Emilia and its surroundings.

1. The Crostolo route from Reggio Emilia to Lido Po

This fascinating route links the city to the Po River (Guastalla), also touching on the municipalities of Cadelbosco di Sopra, Castelnuovo Sotto and Gualtieri. The route winds mainly along the banks of the Crostolo Torrent (over 24 km) with stretches on roads with little traffic (about 4 km) and cycle paths. This itinerary is characterised by a high naturalistic value. The landscape traversed is that of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese interspersed with woody crops such as vineyards and orchards. To recharge your batteries, we recommend a stop at the Laghetti di Camporanieri.

2. Itinerary from Reggio Emilia to Modena (Curiel Lakes)

The itinerary runs north of the Via Emilia through the municipalities of Reggio Emilia, Rubiera, Campogalliano and Modena. The landscape we encounter is that of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and Lambrusco DOP vineyards with an important presence of orchards. The rural settlement is evidenced by the numerous farmhouses and manor houses while the environmental value is linked to the presence of the Secchia expansion reservoirs with the Curiel Lakes and the Regional Nature Reserve. At the Curiel Lakes in Campogalliano there are various refreshment and picnic points.

3. Reggio Ring Route (GiraxRE)

This ring route ’embraces’ the city by crossing green areas that are agricultural or protected by parks. The areas traversed, the three River Parks (Crostolo, Rodano and Modolena) with their different environmental, naturalistic and historical values, and the Green Wedges that connect with the city are particularly rich in naturalness and biodiversity. Rest areas are located at Laghi di Reggio and Laghi di Pieve Modolena.

4. Route of the Matildic Castles

The route winds through a portion of the hilly territory of the province of Reggio Emilia, where Countess Matilda of Canossa had placed the political and military centre of her immense fiefdom. Of that great power, a large number of castles and parish churches remain, recalling a period of strong political and religious passions. Along the way, cultivated fields alternate with wooded and sparsely vegetated areas such as gullies. Important features encountered are the Roncolo Park, the Bianello Oasis and the historic Ducal Canal.

5. Gonzaga Lands Itinerary

A circular route along the territories ruled by the Gonzagas, one of the most famous princely families in Europe, protagonists of Italian and European history from the 14th to the 18th century. Thanks to this presence, these places benefited from great infrastructural embellishment works. The route runs along cycle paths and roads with little traffic that from the Reggio Emilia station go north to Guastalla. There are numerous points of interest both of historical-monumental value and of naturalistic and environmental importance.

6. Itinerary from Reggio Emilia to Rubiera

This circular route, departing from the Reggio Emilia railway station, combines naturalistic and historical aspects of the territory. The typical landscape is that of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and land dedicated to the cultivation of fruit trees and life. But there is no lack of points of historical and religious interest. We pass the parks of San Lazzaro and the Mauriziano, and past the hamlet of Gavasseto (where, thanks to the passion of a breeder, many storks have become sedentary, finding an ideal habitat) we reach the WWF Oasis in Marmirolo and the hamlet of Bagno. After passing through Rubiera and the hamlet of San Faustino, we return to the municipality of Reggio Emilia via Castellazzo.

7. Itinerary towards the Secchia

This circular route, which starts in Piazza da Prampolini, aims to reach the Secchia River at Villalunga. Along the entire route, low-traffic roads are followed. The landscape is characterised by cultivated fields, orchards, rows of vines and farmhouses (some dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries). The itinerary also includes a shorter variant, which does not reach the Secchia but gives the opportunity to visit the historic centre of Scandiano.

8. Rodano Park Itinerary

The itinerary takes us to get to know the Rodano River Park, which, with its 400 hectares, embraces the city of Reggio Emilia to the east and is characterised by its marked “wildness” and high naturalistic value. The park includes places of great natural, historical and cultural interest such as the Mauriziano complex, the Acque Chiare area and the ‘Rio Rodano and Fontanili di Fogliano e Ariolo’ Site of Community Interest.

9. Itinerary Reggio-Broletto

A circular route towards the picturesque landscape of the first hillside and Broletto, a village south-west of Albinea, already known in Roman times, which developed in the Middle Ages with the presence of a castle and a church (among the oldest in the Diocese). The order of the vineyards stands out in the surrounding landscape. Typical wines of the area are Lambrusco di Montericcio and sparkling wines made from Spergola grapes.