Bicycle Italy.org

[Trieste - Credit: mariotto52]

Ways of Access:

• Trieste - It’s connected with east Europe, and the difficult route will depend by the country start point (Romania, Ungheria, Croazia)
• Alps - If you decide to pass through Alps mounts consider the high difficult of the slopes
• Ligury - Ligury routes are more easy with a relaxing sea-landscape

Tours Idea:

• City to City: Geneve-torino, Wien-Trieste.
  When you will arrive in italy cities start to tour the most important places.
• City to natural lakes: Lion-lago maggiore
  Zurich-Lago di Garda through Alpi Mounts
• Through beaches: Monaco-Sanremo through beaches of tirrenian sea where many cycle tracks are available

Benefits: You will save up your money (link chaeper italy biking) because you don’t have to pay any transport such as train or airplain or car.

Suggestions:

• This type of long route is suitable for well trained cyclists
• Choose the right season such as spring
• You can pass from Italy to other country, for example for way back you can start from Italy places and arrive in you country: North Italy to German, France, Switzerland, Austria

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[Are them happy? - credit: astilly]

Attractions

• Florence and its History (LINK Historic tuscany cities bike tour)
• Pisa Tower (LINK Historic cities bike tour)
• Natural landascape (LINK Inland Tuscany bike tour)
• Vineyards (LINK Inland Tuscany bike tour)
• Surrounding walls
• Castles
• Fortresses
• Palio di Siena
• Etruscan tombs and a museums

Weather

In may the weather changes everyday. It is normally clear and sunny but not hot or humid. It is local, especially in the hills. You could have a good biking with a few scattered showers. The ideal periods are Spring and Autumn but even the winter offers a suggestive atmosphere.

[View of a Trail - credit: rogilde]

Road Conditions

There are asphalt, dirt roads and trails. The territory has a capillary network of secondary roads that are in effect natural bike paths, far from motorized traffic.

Tuscany topography allow to ride its route also who isn’t not well trained, in fact you will cross rolling hills, but no steep climbs. This means that also a family with his children can ride through tuscany routes.

Suggested Bike Tours

[The Chianti Vineyards - credit: rogilde]

1° Chianti bike tour (LINK Inlan Tuscany bike tour) - Itinerary through the Chianti region, the wine country of Tuscany.
This bike tour starts from Florence and rides along the Mugello Valley, through ancient roads built by the Romans.

Its landscape has been the source of inspiration for painters and artists.

Famous Tuscans that born here: Giotto, Beato Angelico and Andrea del Castagno are all from this area. The Medici family had their roots in this land.

2° Florence tour ( LINK Historic tuscany cities bike tour)

3° Val d’Orcia and Crete Senesi. Bike ride through the typical Tuscany countryside south of Siena.

[Val D'orcia - credit: Oishi Kuranosuke]

Travel Services

In Tuscany there are hotels and country houses (agritourismo) with different services.
In towns and villages there are bed and breakfast establisments and rooms for rent that guarantee essential and cheaper services.

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[Naples Bay - credit: Golden puppy]

Review: An seacoast bike tour along the sea landscape of the bay of Naples

Attractions:?

1. Capri
2. Ischia
3. Amalfi Coast

N° of Days: One week

Highlights: It’s a particular tour. You’ll combine different experiences like biking through romantic and relaxing landscapes. Don’t be scared about your legs fit…this place is so exiting that You won’t feel tired. Many young couples choose this tour to pass new vacations for their honeymoon.

What to Do: You can combine a sport trip with a walk though main natural attractions. You can also relax
in pubs, restaurants and other nightlife attractions

[Capri - credit: J.Salmoral]

1° Capri, in the southern part of the Bay of Naples

Natural Attractions

• Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto), a cavern where sunlights reflect through the underwater opening.
• I Faraglioni, three jutting limestone formations that rise from the sea off the Punta Tragara.
• Mount Solaro, the highest point on Capri. Beautiful views of the island and of all the surrounding areas.

Historic Attractions

• Villa Jovis remains, the most magnificent of twelve villas built by Tiberius Emperor
• Piazza della Vittoria

Relax: Capri is high level peaceful side, the best for a relaxing vacation

[Amalfi - credit: jordics]

2° Tour of the Amalfi Coast Attractions

You will bike through one of the most famous italian coasts and will visit:

• Amalfi
• Positano
• Ravello
• Sorrento, where you can take the ferryboat to go in the island of Capri
• Eremo’(hermitage) to enjoy the wonderful view over the Gulf of Naples
• Luna Convento (Franciscan Convent)
• Church of Santa Maria Maggiore
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrow (Sancturio Maria Santissima Addolorata)

Road Conditions: The terrain is hilly

Suggested Bike: Mountain bike

Skill Level: Many bikers protrude some difficults that can make this adventure more exciting:

• I would NOT suggest cycling along this road, it’s NARROW and busy!
• If you are a fit and experienced cyclist, you probably would not find the Amalfi Coast road too daunting. Between Positano and Amalfi it is reasonably level, climbing to perhaps 100-150 meters above sea level in places, then descending to sea level again - but not too steep.
• Off the beaten track will probably mean inland, away from the coast road, and this will be more difficult on a bike.
• Cycling would be hard, although I have seen cyclists there with all the lycra racing gear on. It would also take up several time and energy and you’d be too knackered out to enjoy it all once you get there.

Safety: To be realist this is a high car traffic place. Here is a cyclist experience:

• The erratic traffic is a serious safety risk for a cyclist
• Smog/smoke from buses and trucks would reduce my enjoyment
• It is steep. But safety is my number one issue.
• Be careful: the roads are narrow and when two tour bus are trying to pass each other there is no room for error.

[Ischia Bay - credit: Caleb Los]

3° Ischia

Ischia is a volcanic island at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples.

Attractions:

• Aragonese Castle, on a rock near the island.
• La Mortella Gardens

Skill Level: Easy, your tour will enjoy of a relaxing atmosphere

Bike Roads: Easy to bike

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N° of Days: One week

Beaches

Alghero beaches, west Sardinia

[Alghero Beach - credit: Ramón?Gris

Mugoni beaches, 18 kilometres north-west of Alghero

Characteristics:

• Paved and unpaved road
• Pine-wood
• Eucalyptus trees
• Fine white sand

Porto Palmas Beach, 40 kilometres north-west of Alghero

Characteristics:

• This beach is sloping towards the sea, it consists of pebbles and sand
• Crystal-clear water
• Crescent-shaped beach 30 metres long

Maria Pia Beach, 2 km north-west of Alghero

Characteristics:

• Sandy beach
• Pine-wood
• Dunes

[Smeralda Coast - credit: marconav]

Beaches of the Smeralda Coast

Is the north-eastern sardinian coast

Attraction

Cala di Volpe, la Celvia, Liscia Ruja

Natural landscape:

• Green Capriccioli headland
• White sandy beach
• Strawberry trees

Pevero Beach

Natural landscape:

• Dunes
• Junipers

Romazzino Beach

Natural lanscape:

• Crystal-clear water
• Blue water

Poltu li Cogghi - Principe Beaches

Natural landscape:

• Sandy beach
• Rocks around here
• Crystal-clear water

[Nuraghi - credit: do.se]

Historical Attractions

Less than half an hour from the sea you will find:

• The home and the tomb of the National Hero Giuseppe Garibaldi is today an important Museum. It is located in Caprera island, connected to La Maddalena by a long bridge.
• The building were last Garibaldi’s home from 1854 to 1882.
• The Church of San Simplicio in Olbia is a medieval building (XI-XIII century).
• Tomb of the Giants of Coddu ‘ecchiu, a funerary monument dating from the Ancient Bronze Age (1800 B.C.)
• The Necropolis of Li Muri (3500 Before Christ)
• Albucciu Nuraghe, dating from 1220 B.C.
• Nuragic Temple of Malchittu

Accomodation Suggestions: Take accommodation in Olbia and take trip out

Road Conditions: Unpaved and paved roads alternate along the route

Nightlife: Sardinia will entertain you with its Restaurant, Discos, Pubs and music clubs

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[Coast of Capo D'Orlando, North of Sicily - credit: grafosecondo]

N° Days: 4 days

Accomodation Suggestions

You can Book your accommodation in:

• Palermo
• Milazzo
• Maniace

Stages : You can choose to bike in 3 different places:

1. Sea places
2. Mountain places
3. North Etna Villages

1° Sea Places to Visit

• Gioiosa Marea
• Capo d’Orlando
• Messina
• Milazzo
  

[Gioiosa Marea - credit: * mario *]

Here the landscape is unique, You will enjoy the sea in front of the green hills of Messina and the farmhouses to taste local food.

[Lake in the Nebrodi Mounts - credit: eriol ]

2° Mountain Places to Visit

The Route is between the slopes of Nebrodi and Etna Mount.

• Nebrodi Regional Park
• Etna Regional Park
• Madonie Regional Park

[Medieval Church in Randazzo - credit: .countz]

3° North Etna Villages

• Bronte
• Randazzo
• Maniace

What’s the Best Period?

To ride this zone is better to choose springtime. During this period It’s common to swim in the tyrrhenian sea in summer. Winter offers you a good-time trip, but the most tourist services are available in summer or spring, because this is a summer resort.

Fit Level

• High-level. The Slopes of Mount Etna are good for well-trained cyclists
• Etna villages are about 700-800 metres on sea level
• Nebrodi park and Madonie are at great height too

Road Conditions: Asphalted roads

Suggested Tours

• Start visiting Madonie Regional Park
• On the second day visit Nebrodi Regional Park
• You can end doing Etna villages tour to cycle through the ancient etna villages of Bronte

Here you can taste the typical sicilian cuisine such as pistacchio and visit the Horatio Nelson’s Castle.

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[View of the Ostuni City Center - Thanks to Fedewild]

Ostuni is placed on the remains of a prehistoric town destroyed during the final throes of the Second Punic War.

Attractions

• Museo di Civilt? Preclassiche della Murgia
• Fifteenth-century Cathedral, Gothic style of Venetian and Lombardian influence, with a large and decorated central rose window that represents the Cristo Sole (Christ the Sun)

The Umbra Forest

[View of a trail in the Umbra Forest - Thanks to Argentalico]

• Beatiful landscape of Gargano: sea, hills at 1000 meters height with splendid trees:
• Zeppino dello Scorzone, d’Aleppo pine tree 700 years old
• Cerro di Vico, 400 years old with a circumference more than 5 meters
• Colosso della Foresta, a beech tree of 40 meters near Cutino d’Umbra lake.

[Cyclist in Puglia - Thanks to Roberto Ferrari]

Description of the Bike Tour

1. Start from Caserma di Caritate 272 m
2. Cycle through the forest path
3. Hard hairpin turn
4. Rise until Sfilzifountain
5. Rise until you’ll arrive in Caserma Ginestra Superiore, at 687 m sea level: here you can enjoy a beautiful landscape

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[Campania Coast - credit: krisdecurtis]

N° of Days: 1 week

Main Attractions:

• Napoli
• Capri, Ischia, Amalfi (LINK sea-coast campania bike tour)
• Pompei, Vesuvio (LINK vesuvio-pompei bike tour)

Neaples Historic Center

[View of Naples - credit: Perrimoon]

Here the Napoli historic monuments such as the many castles used as defensive fortification.

• Castel Nuovo or Maschio Angioino
• Aselmeyer castle
• Capuano castle
• Sant’enselmo castle
• Dell’Ovo castle
• Caserma Garibaldi
• Nisida castle

[Galleria Umberto in Naples - credit: Global Jet]

Other Attractions

• Plebiscito square
• Royal palace
• Teatro San Carlo, the largest opera house in Italy
• Galleria Umberto, A beautiful late 19th century shopping arcade
• Spanish Quarters

The neighborhood known as Spaccanapoli (literally, “split Naples”) takes its name from the narrow street which, under several names, divides the city running east to west.

Many of the streets of this district have Greek/Roman origins. Naples has the best-preserved original street plan of any major city in the Roman world.

• Santa Chiara, a large Gothic church
• Piazza San Domenico Maggiore
• Museo Archeologico Nazionale
• S. Francesco di Paola church
• Neaple Fountains: Sebeto, Nettuno, Tazza di Porfido

Naples is the largest city in southern Italy and the most densely populated city in Italy.

Naples remained an important city under the Romans, when the area around its bay was important for its ports and naval bases.

Transport

• Traffic is terrible, public transport is slow and not always reliable
• Parking is a major problem. So your bike will be a necessary and useful way of transport

Roads Conditions

Roads are crowded and noisy. BE CAREFUL: Napoli is a crowed and dangerous city because intense car traffic. Possibility to rent bike: There are many cycle shops for rent

Suggested Bikes

• City bike
• Mountain bike

[Cycling in Campania - credit: Feuillu]

Suggested Bicycle Tours

• Neaple city center
• Positano
• Beaches of Campania
• Amalfi coast (LINK sea-coast campania bike tour)
• Capri, Ischia, (LINK sea-coast campania bike tour)
• Pompei, Vesuvio (LINK vesuvio-pompei bike tour)

Know Before You Go

This is the region where was invented “pizza margherita” for queen Margherita in the 1830.
Here was composed the famous song “O Sole Mio”, sung by Elvis Presley too

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[Old Bike in Apulia Port - credit: Andrea Rinaldi]

Suggested N° of Days: 1 Week

Attractions to Visit

[Trulli di Alberobello - credit: boadiceafairy]

Alberobello’s Trulli - This village’s habitations are Trulli, particular houses built of stone without any use of mortar. They are circular, conical-roofed whitewashed.

Their roofs, topped with peaks, have concentric rows of gray slate and looks they are painted with astrological or religious symbols.

Their characteristic is that in the surrounding inside temperature remains almost constant irrelevant of outside temperature, therefore it is fairly warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It is on the Unesco World Heritage list.

[Beach near Gargano - credit: *Blunight72]

Beaches - The coastline round is rocky between Santa Maria di Leuca and Otranto. There are beaches around San Cataldo, San Foca, Casalabate and Torre Chianca on the Adriatic coast. Porto Cesareo on the Ionian coast is a beautiful beach to relax or make a tour bike around. The coast from around Gallipoli to Santa maria al bagno is good too. (link apulia coast tour)Headland of Gargano, bike through beautiful path with hard hairpin turn. (LINK ostuni, umbra forest)

[Ostuni view - credit: fataetoile /Cinzia]

Ostuni - Cycle along the scenic ridge road to Ostuni. Known as “The White City”, Ostuni is on the remains of a prehistoric town destroyed during the final throes of the Second Punic War. Its labyrinthine alleyways and cobblestone streets are ideal for exploring by foot or by bike. Visit to the Spanish-influenced, fifteenth-century Cathedral
(LINK Ostuni, umbra forest)

More to see:

• Umbra Forest (LINK ostuni, umbra forest)
• Tremiti islands (LINK Apulia coast tour)
• Olive Groves
• Byzantine stronghold Otranto

Apulia Cuisine

[Orecchiette - credit: Geomangio]

• Go north from Bari towards the Gargano Peninsula, you will pass dozens of miles of olive groves.
• Cereals and grains gown on the flat stony plateau that extends south from Bari, reaching all the way to Taranto.
• Puglia boasts a great culinary tradition, well known for orecchiette, pasta that bear in mind the shape of the human ear
• Altamura, renowned for its bread and friselle, disks of dried bread dipped in water and seasoned, with olive oil, hot peppers, and freshly tomatoes.
• Fine cheeses and excellent lamb and kid
• Apulia produces much more wine than any other Italian region

[Apulia Countryside - credit: paolo m? rgari]

Land Characteristic

The bicycle is the ideal way to see Puglia’s rural countryside. The region’s small roads and natural cycling tracks allow visitors to reach most of the monuments and significant cultural sites with complete freedom and independence.
Possibility of renting bike

Suggested bike tours

• Bike on small roads through orchards to the sea
• Alberobello tour, an UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Cycle through olive groves to the Roman ruins of Egnazia
• Cycle along the coast’s ancient stone villages, prehistoric menhirs and Byzantine crypts

Wether

The sunny days of the mediterranean climate allow you to bike Apulia all the year round. If you want to avoid the hot summer temperature, i suggest Spring as the best time to visit Apulia.

What people say

- “We just returned from their road biking tour of the Puglia region and it was great”

- “As for food? It’s amazing what is on offer. Puglia is mainly rural and that means loads of fresh produce.”

- “My wife and I, with our two boys aged 4 and 7 just completed the Butterfield & Robinson Homebase trip in Puglia in June 2007. This was without a doubt the best family vacation, and perhaps the best vacation my wife and I have enjoyed (short of our honeymoon!).”

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[Biking on a Sicilian river - credit: pepsy+]

Attractions

Doing a Sicily tour bike means to live particular natural and cultural experiences. Your natural tour bike will include:

• Beaches
• The Volcano Etna
• Mounts such as Nebrodi, Madonie
• Natural parks

Your cultural tour will show you:

• Phoenician villages
• Punic Cities
• Roman and Greek Amphi theaters
• Greek Temples
• Norman Castles
• Spanish Churches.
• Historic cities

[Syracuse's Greek Theater - credit: James UK]

The best time to bike

Sicily has a great secret: it is a sunny place all the year round. You can visit all the attractions in summer and winter too.

But some suggestions can be is useful:

• Summer is hot, and a tour bike in August can be hard, especially coast city for the high temperature.
• Spring is the best season to cycle all the sicilian landscape, in fact the mild climate allow you to cycle mounts, valley, coasts and cities.
• Winter is a good season too, but no for riding high-top of mounts, like volcano Etna: here in Winter the climate is cold, and a tour bike will be hard.

[St. Agatha's Feast, Catania - credit: euart]

Doing a Sicily bike tour allows you to live the real Sicilian way of life, with its folkloristic Festivity and cultural shows:

• Catania: on the 5 February St. Agatha’s Feast, a two-days of procession, the second famous religious procession in the world
• The Almond-Blossom Festival in Agrigento
• The Pistacchio festival at Bronte
• The Chestnut Tree festival at Trecastagni
• Euro Chocolate at Modica
• Palermo: S. Rosalia Festivity on the 15 July
• Taormina’s Greek Theater holds theater, opera, movie, and music performances
• Siracusa: in Greek theater you can see INDA shows (National Institute for Ancient Drama).
• Ottobrata: in Zafferana you will taste tipical sicilian food with singer and comics shows

[Sicilian Cannoli - credit: fazen]

Gastronomic experiences

• Sicily is famous for its pastries: Cassata, Cannoli.
• Wine is another well know product of Sicily with its variations like “Marsala”, “Passito di Pantelleria”, the “Nero D’Avola” and the most important “Etna Red.”
• Sangeli: pig gut cooked in blood is a specialty of catania cuisine
• U pani ‘ca meusa: bread roll with calf spleen and lung
• Granita and Gelato (ice-cream)
• Pasta alla norma (LINK Mediterranean diet.com)

Suggested Bike Itineraries

1° A wonderful place: Etna - The Etna is a great Volcano. Winter is a good time to visit Etna, when the crater is full of snow. But the summer is a good time too, the only difference is an easier tour bike because the absence of snow and higher temperature. Consider to be provident while choosing your equipment when climb on the summit.

[Mount Etna Eruption 2007 - credit: CyboRoZ]

Bike tour on the Etna volcano

1. Reaching the summit, through woods and hidden trails.
2. Philosopher Tower, a high refuge seat in a rudimentary construction that legend ascribes to Empedocle, a philosopher from Agrigento lived about V century a. C.
3. Bicycle tour of the Mt. Etna villages tour bike: you will cross the characteristic mountin villages by your bike:
4. Nicolosi, Linguaglossa, Zafferana, Belpasso, Adrano, Bronte, so you can see and live Sicily history. (LINK north sicily bike tour)

2° Greek atmospheres

• It is sure you will enjoy seeing Agrigento and its magic Temples Valley
• Syracuse and its Apollo temple, Greek theater
• Greek show of Segesta, with its Doric Temple made around V a. C. and the Greek theater.(LINK west sicily bike tour)

3° Cities: visit the most important cities of the island Catania and Palermo

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[Woman biking near Cagliari - credit: piermario]

Places to visit

Inland places: Gennargentu mounts, Riserva Naturale di Monte Arcosu, Lago di Mulargia
Stagno di Cabras, Lago del Coghinas, Sulcis iglesiente (LINK Sardinia inland bike tour)

Costa Verde (green coast), in the west Sardinia, has spectacular beaches and dunes.

Smeralda coast is one of the most enchanting italian places VIP (LINK Sardinia coasts bike tour)

[Alghero Coast - credit: Marcia_Salviato]

Beaches

Alghero beaches:

• Mugoni beaches, 18 kilometers northwest of Alghero
• Porto Palmas beach, 40 kilometers northwest of Alghero
• Porticciolo beach, 17 kilometers northwest of Alghero
• Maria Pia beach, 2 km northwest of Alghero.

Baia Chia, such as a caribbean beach
Cagliari’s beaches (LINK Sardinia coasts bike tour)

Historic Attraction

• The Nuraghe is an archaeological megalithic monument. It is a truncated cone tower, built with huge square blocks of stone, more than 20 meters in height. You can find this attraction in the northwest and south-central Sardinia.
• Garibaldi House Museum

Weather

Mediterranean climate, temperatures reach and even exceed 30C. May is a perfect month to biking Sardinia.

Suggestion on Accommodations

I suggest to book a hotel in Alghero or Cagliari and take trips out. The main reason is that most of the small places will still not have opened all their hotels and restaurants for the summer season.

[credit: mailliw]

Roads Condition

Costa verde in the west has many dirtroads.
The routes is middle-high difficult

Geography

Gennargentu, 1,834 meters sea level, is the highest point in Sardinia. The largest river on the island is the Tirso, which is 151 km and flows into the Mediterranean Sea

Music

Sardinia is one of the world’s most interesting musical place. Here is one of the oldest forms of Vocal Polyphony, known as Canto a Tenores. Big names of international music have found it enchanting, such as Frank Zappa, Ornette Coleman, and Peter Gabriel.

Language

Sardinian is a Romance language of Latin origin, but with an obscure Pre-Roman element, including Phoenician, Etruscan, and Near Eastern languages

[Gennargentu - credit: Sicco2007]

Bike Trips Suggestion

1. Sardinian Nuraghe, example: Cycling between ancient Civilization
2. Smeralda coast biking
3. Costa Verde biking
4. Beaches Tour (Alghero, Cagliari)
5. Unmanned and wild inland places such as Sulcis Iglesiente(LINK Sardinia inland bike tour)

IMPORTANT! To visit Sardinia inland You need a map of its territory.

Problems for Bikers

Some bikers ask questions about stray dogs, in fact many people have had probelm with them. You’ll meet stray dogs in the towns, but not in the countryside.

What other bikers say

“I think the island is a diamond for ambitious bikers, a rough diamond!”

“The island roads are steep and empty (almost lonley, I had 120 km tour one day with less than 50 cars) and dammed hot. Take plenty of water for your daytrips because in some villages you might pass, even bars are closed between 1 pm and 4 pm.”

“It is cheaper to hire the bike for a whole day - they are that cheap! Women Bikes are 7 euro a day. (9am - 7.30pm). Men Bikes are 9 euro a day.”

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Italy is a land where a well trained ciclysts can put himself to the test.
There are many routes with different difficulty level:

[Mortirolo +16% Pendence - credit: renschmensch (no video)]

Mortirolo Mountain Pass (Passo Mortirolo)

It is a Valley at 1800 meters above sea level, famous because of the feats of cyclists of Giro d’Italia as Pantani. (link giro d’italia history)

Here german troops and partisan fought during World War II (April, 1945).

Travel services

How to arrive to Mortirolo:

1. Take the highway Milano-Venezia
2. Take west exit for Bergamo and go to Lovere direction
3. Take east exit for Brescia and go to Lago d’Iseo direction
4. Follow the direction for Passo del Tonale s.s. 42
5. 5 kilomtres after Edolo you will find a signal for Monno-Mortirolo

An example of a tour - Start from Edolo to arrive to Mortirolo

Characteristics

• 21 kilometers
• From 700 m sea level you will rise until 1850 m sea level
• Maximum slope is 20%, the medium around 13%
• Natural landscapes
• Difficulty level: high difficulty, better to be high well trained
• Along the route You’ll find a way in the wood
• Many cyclist say that it seems an endless rise, the hardest in Italy
• A particular attraction is the monument for Pantani, the famous italian cyclist dead prematurely

[Stelvio Mountain Pass - credit: * Click-Clack-Kodak ! *]

The Stelvio Mountain pass (Passo dello Stelvio)

It is one of the highest mountain pass in Italy

Weather

You could find a great climate difference betwen the start and the arrival, in fact you can start under sun and arrive on the top with cold temperature and rain.

Routes

• Start: Bormio (Sondrio province, in Lombardy), 1215 meters sea level
• Arrival: Stelvio pass, 2758 meters sea level

Characteristics

• 22 Km
• Slope: medium 7%, maximum 11%
• Difficulty level: high difficulty, better to be high well trained
• 36 hairpin turn
• Attractions: War Memorial, 6 km before the top; Braulio Fall

[Mt. Etna Cave, North Side - credit: pepsy+]

The Mount Etna Cave Tour

Best period: Spring-Summer

Landscape:

• Nebrodi Mounts
• Alcantara Valley
• Lunar landscape and little operant crater
• Lava Flowes of 1981 and 1614
• Caves: Palombelle cave, Lamponi cave, Female cave, Palombe cave

Suggestions:

• Expert guide required
• Water supplay

Characteristics:

• Height difference: 1100 mt
• Route: 50 km
• Sandy and rocky route
• To see Lamponi cave you must carry on by feet

Itinerary:

• Start from Randazzo going to “A” zone of Etna Park
• Keep going to Case Pirao Refuge, at 1050 meters sea level
• Arrive to Spagnolo mount, at 1400 m sea level: here is Palombelle cave
• Keep going to 1981 and 1614 Lava Flowes
• Continue to Timpa Rossa (1750 m sea level): from here start your trek to arrive to Lamponi cave.
• Other caves on way back: Female cave, Palombe cave.

[Ice Cave on the Northern Side of the Volcano - credit: pepsy+]

Difficulty level: High - You will find difficult because the nature of the road: lava, rock, black sand

Weather: Cold on the top if the route

Safety:

• Be careful when you enter the caves
• Be careful: when you’ll near the little craters don’t exhale their gases

PAY ATTENTION:
THESE ARE ONLY EXAMPLES OF BIKING TOURS: DON’T GO THERE IF YOU ARE NOT WELL TRAINED OR IF YOU HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS.

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Riding through scenic areas in Italy means enjoy different types of experiences. You can cycle cultural and historic places such as artistic cities, natural beautifulness such as italian coasts and mounts.

Cultural Cycling Tours

[Rome's Cycling Path - credit: _MaO_]

Rome, The Eternal City

Why Visit Rome? The ancient Capital of Roman Empire has stored historic Monuments and Finds that represents its uniqueness all over the world.

You can ride through some attractions:

• Vaticano with its S.Peter Church, where lives the Pope
• Coliseum
• Roman Forum
• Costantino Emperor Arch
• Pantheon
• Caracalla Spa
• Portuno temple
• Fosse Ardeatine, caves near Ardeatina road, where Nazies killed 335 italian civilian.
• Mura Serviane, near Termini station, defense wall built by Servio Tullio, the sixth roman king of VI century before Christ.

[Biking in Florence - credit: mcgurme]

Florence Bike Tour

Tour Attraction:

• Historic center of Florence
• Churchs
• Squares
• Historic palaces (LINK historic tuscany cities bike tour)

[Biking on a Venice's Canal - credit: Gregory Williams]

Venice Cycling Tour

Tour Attraction: This will be a particular cycling because Venice is a unique city all over the world. You can cycling on the lagoon through streets without cars, enjoy the quiet all cyclists dream for their tours.

Benefits: You can see the most important Historic places of the most famous cities all over the world

Drawbacks: Cycling in the city will not be healthy because the smog. You must be careful because it is dangerous for a cyclist going through the cars traffic

Coast Cycling

[Bicycle path on Garda Lake - credit: CasteFoto]

Biking on Sicily’s Coast: From Temples Valley in Agrigento to south Sicily coast of Marina di Ragusa (LINK west sicily bike tour)

Sardinia Coasts: You can choose which beaches to visit, as Cagliari beaches or Alghero’s beaches (LINK sardinia coasts bike tour)

Coast Lake cycling: a tour around Lago Maggiore or Lago di Garda

Campania Coast: Cycle through the coast line of Amalfi and Capri (LINK sea-coast Campania bike tour)

Islands will be another good idea for your cycling, because the quiet and the beautifulness of the territory:

• Elba island
• Capri island (LINK sea-coast Campania bike tour)
• Eolie island tour
• Sicily Bike Tour
• Sardinia Biking Trip

Suggestion: for island tour choose summer period, because these places are more glad

Mountain Cycling

[Dolomites Biking Trail - credit: Don Martin 37]

Mortirolo and Stelvio mountain Passes (LINK th hardest Italy bicycle routes)

Mt. Etna tour, achieving the highest Europe’s crater (LINK noth sicily bike tour)

Dolomites

West Alps: you can try the hard rise of Bianco Mount

Appennines mounts: Hill Areas of Umbria and Abruzzo

Biking in the Countryside

[Tuscan Hill - credit: keylosa]

Tuscany (LIN generico)

Apulia (LINK generico)

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[Mt. Vesuvius - credit: Dr. Pat]

Biking along the ancient crossroad between Cumae, Nola and Stabiae destroyed by Vesuvio eruption in the AD79

Tour’s Highlights:

• Ride through the way that connect Vesuvio To Pompei so you will see two landscapes:
• The view of Vesuvio from Pompei
• The view of Pompei ruins from the height of Vesuvio

What to See:

• A wild atmosphere that combine the historic ruins of Pompei with the majestic Vesuvio.
• You will go through the ancient ruins buried.
• This is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Skill Level: Middle-high difficult. The Vesuvio rise will be the more difficult path

[Pompeii - Credit: Stuck in Customs]

What to See:

• The Ruins: The city is mainly famous for the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii, located in the frazione of Pompei Scavi.
• Theater in Pompei

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[Apulia Coast - credit: ????]

The Adratic Coast

Route:

1. Taranto gulf has a low coast with white beaches bordered by splendid pine forests
2. Gallipoli
3. Lido Silvana: here you will find crystal-clear water and a green landscape
4. Campomarino: here the coast is like a desert: rocks, nooks , spurs
5. Torre del Pizzo bay
6. Marina di Leuca
7. Santa Maria di Lèuca: here is the lighthouse that divides both Adriatico and Ionio seas,
8. Santa Cesarea

Landscape: You can see Albania mounts. Near Brindisi there are San Foca and San Cataldo beaches and other tourist facilities.

[Tremiti Islands - credit: Rev. Santino]

Tremiti Islands

• San Nicola
• San Domino
• Cretaccio
• Caprara
• Pianosa

Highlights

• Crystal-clear water
• Important VIP summer resort
• Good tourist facilities
• Low cost
• Sandy beaches
• Mediterranean vegetation

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[credit: Giampaolo Macorig]

N° of Days: One Week

Highlights

• Nature
• History
• Folklore

Attractions

• Coast and sea landscapes
• Historic sites
• Ancient Greek and roman monuments

Daily Itinerary

[Cefalù Beach - credit: farsergio]

Cefalù - Visit its Mosaics and the House where Satanist Aleister Crowley have gone in 1920

Palermo - See the interesting construction style of the city. Here you have to visit the Norman Palace, the seat of Sicilian Parliament; the many theatres attend in the city; the characteristics market of Vucciria. At least, if you will go in Summer, on the 15 July there is the S. Rosalia Festivity.

[San Vito Lo Capo - credit: pureguava]

San Vito Lo Capo - This is one of the most important sicilian summer resort, an attraction for tourists coming from all over the world

Erice - Norman Castle and Erice Castle

Segesta - It’s? an ancient site where you can see Greek Temple and Theatre.

Marsala - It’s an important historic site, where you can see:

• Cassero, an archaeological site
• Old roman house rests called INSULA ROMANA
• Punic tower basement
• Defensive punic Fosse
• Greek-Roman necropolis

[Sciacca - credit: hetan_hunt13]

Mazara del Vallo - A fishermen village

Sciacca - It’s main attractions are:

• Counts Luna castle built on 1380,
• Ferdinandea island: in the south of the coast of Sciacca there is a small island in the sea born by an eruption of a marine volcano

Porto Empedocle - A village near Agrigento where visit the Temple Valley

Accomodation: You can take your accommodation in Palermo, Marsala, Sciacca

Roads Conditions

• Easy: you don’t have difficulties riding west Sicily roads.
• Slightly hilly
• Asphalted roads
• Total Km: between 205 and 215

When to Bike?

The best period is spring, so you will enjoy the mild mediterranean climate. But winter is good too, because cold days are not much. Summer is a good period because you can relax on sicilian beaches, but your ride will be hard because the hot temperatures

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Touring the Sulcis Iglesiente in the south-west sardinian region

[Sulcis - credit: TheMadcapLaughs]

Suggested Bike: Mountain bike

N° of Days: To visit and enjoy this amazing experience you need of 2/3 days trip.

You can divide the itinerary in three parts. During your cyclotour you can have a picnic in the appropiate areas, so your trip can joins biking and relax.

Accommodation suggestion: Take a bed and breakfast in Cagliari and take trip out.

How to reach Sulcis: You can reach Sulcis Iglesiente starting from Cagliari by bike or by car. In this case you will leave your car in the proper parking zone.

[Coast of Iglesiente - credit: mark78_xp]

Natural Attractions

• Here is the largest natural Mediterranean Forest in Europe
• WWF Oasis of Monte Arcosu - Height: 948 metres sea level
• Rock faces of Monte Lattias - Height: 1,086 metres sea level
• “Cannoneris” forest, where there is Sardinian deer Preserve.
• Iglesiente area, famous for its mines.
• Waterfalls of Muru Mannu, Piscina Irgas and sa Spendula.
• Caves of Su Mannau. Here are thousands of paths which cross this area giving access to cyclists.
• Monte Linas mountains, with Perda de sa Mesa peak at 1,236 metres sea level, is the highest peak in Cagliari.

[Antas Temple - credit: atrogu]

Historical Attractions

• You can visit also the abandoned mining villages in the areas of Malacalzetta, Reigraxius, Candiazzus and Arenas.
• Antas temple, an ancient Punic-Roman ruin.
• Buggerru, mining area

Skill Level: High

• Difficult paths and unpaved roads
• Presence of slopes
• Woods and all other places are easily accessible

Landscapes: To enjoy a beautiful landascape you can’t lose the view from the Is Crabus peak, at 545 metres sea level. From this height you’ll look the coast below Santa Margherita.

• Rocky headlands
• Rough and desolate landscape of the mining areas

Road Conditions: It is an interesting experience because the difficult paths can be a good attraction for a ciclyst.
You will find unpaved roads, difficult paths and slopes.

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[Cycling in Tuscany - credit: Vir gin ia]N° of Days: This tour is one week long

Accomodations: It is better to take the accommodation in the centre of the cities and take trips out through the countriside. Your start point will be the city, so your tour will be more exiting. You will see the changing landscape of different locations. You may want to pick with you a lunch bag during your cyclotour.

[Chianti Vineyards - credit: Juergen Kurlvink]

Cycling in Chianti Region

Three-day bike tour of Chianti, the wine country of Tuscany.

Local Food:

• Olive oil
• Wine: Chianti Classico DOCG, Cabernet-Merlot-Sangiovese blend.

Skill Level: The route is hilly but not difficult.

Landscapes:

• Forest of chestnut and oak trees
• Sea of vineyards

Attractions to See

• Greve town
• Montefioralle, a medieval fortified village
• Monteriggioni town: Its beautifully preserved fortifications, encircling wall and 14 towers
• The fortified medieval monastery of Abbadia Isola

Road Conditions: Dirt and paved roads alternate along the route.

[Siena Countryside - credit: the bbp]

Biking in Siena Countryside

Road conditions: Natural cycle tracks through countryside

Attractions to Visit

• Crete Senesi, pug crests that create an arid desert. The undulateing roads follow the crest of the rolling hills.
• Lecceto Hermitage
• Granduca tunnel

[Val D' Orcia -? credit: rayced]?

Cycling Events

• The Brunello Gran Fondo is an amateur competition of the Val d’Orcia on September in Montalcino.
• There are two routes:
  
  • Competitive route of 54 km
  • Excursion route of 32 km. LINK COMPETITIONS

Landscape

• Vineyards
• Groves
• Rocca d’Orcia
• Bagno Vignoni
• Abbacy of Sant’Antimo

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[Old Bridge in Florence - credit: G|o®g|O]

Your tour will consist in the view of the historic centres of three cities: Florence, Siena and Pisa. Monuments, Churches, Tower, Walls, Squares, Bridegs will be part of these itineraries through italian history

N° of Days: 3/4 days

Accomodation: Book Your accommodation in a bed and breakfast in the centre of the cities. You can pick a lunch bag during the cyclotour.

Biking in Florence’s city center

History, Art and Culture to see

Squares:

• Piazza della Signoria
• Piazzale Michelangelo

Roman churches:

• San Miniato al Monte.
• Cascine park, hunting grounds of the Medici family
• Franciscan Church of Santa Croce where you can see the tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo, Rossini,

Other Attractions:

• Vasari’s Corridor
• Dante’s old neighbourhood.
• Giotto’s Bell Tower

[Sculpture in Florence - credit: wit]

Arts:

• Accademia Gallery where there is MichelAngelo’s David and other breathtaking sculptures
• Uffizi Gallery, a wonderful museum. You need a guidebook the navigate the over 40 rooms where you can admire:
  • Several Raphaels
  • A few Michelangelos: Madonna and Holy Family, Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and Primavera,
  • Leonardo da Vinci’s The Annunciation
  • Caravaggio’s Medusa

Scenic Views

In the City:

• Bike along the romantic Viale dei Colli up to Piazzale Michelangelo to see the wonderful landscape of Florence
• Panoramic view of the Boboli Gardens
• Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge)

Florence countryside:

• Pine forest of San Miniato
• Cypress trees
• Country churches

Roads condition: Narrow roads that wind through the hill

Lanscape: returning into town, you can enjoy the views of Florence from the height of the hills

Suggestions:

• For florence city tour it is better choosing an ibrid bike, good for countryside and city routes
• Bike rental estimated prices
  • 1-hour about 3 Euro
  • 1-day: from a minimum of 14,00 Euro to a maximum of 27 Euro
  • 5 days: from a minimum of 55 Euro to a maximum of 110 Euro
  • One week: from a minimum of 65 Euro to a maximum of 136 Euro

Florence Cycle Tracks: Florence is full of cycle tracks in its historic centre, and this make the city the best attracion for a cyclotour.

[The Palio of? Siena -? credit: pedro prats]

Cycling Tour of Siena

This wonderful medieval town is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Its peculiarity is the medieval town .

Attractions

• Cathedral in the Dome, with its Ss. Annunziata church
• Campo square, where you will see Mangia tower, one of the higher italian tower with its 87 metres
• Roman door, an ancient door of the Siena Wall
• Siena Palio on the 2 July and on the 16 august, the most famous horse run in Italy. The particular is that horse ride without saddle
• Siena Wall
• Important Villas and Museums
• The architectural beautifulness of this medieval city
• Siena Fountains

Nature

Your Siena tour can be a way to discover Siena parks: you will find natural landscape inside a city.

• Lizza park
• Botanical garden
• Orto de’ Pecci

You can’t lose the experience of biking Siena countryside LINK INLAND TUSCANY

Roads: Good condition for your biking, because Siena is a city with no high traffic cars

[Pisa Tower - credit: ccgd]

Pisa bike Tour

Attractions

• Pisa tower
• Miracle square, that is Dome Square, is on the list of Unesco: here you can see the Santa Maria Assunta medieval cathedral
• Medieval City Wall around historic centre
• Clock tower

[Pisa Bridge on the Arno river - credit: ccgd]

The landscape of Bridges on Arno river:

• Ponte di Mezzo
• Ponte della Vittoria
• Ponte Solferino
• Ponte della Fortezza
• Ponte della Cittadella

After your bikeday, in the evening you can relax taking a scenic walk to see Arno river lightened by lights of the city: I sugget to go to Ponte di mezzo to enjoy a beautiful view.

Famous People: It’s the city of Galileo Galilei, the famous scientist and other important people: writers, other scientists, Popes, Artists.

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[Bicycle Home Training - credit: ?keaggy.com]

Training tips to Bicycle Italy

1° Evaluate your fit level doing a test: Bike for 5 Km at your maximum speed noting how much time you employ for this route

• If you employ a time between 8 and 10-minute you have a good level
• If you employ fewer than 8-minute you have a higher level

If you are satisfied with these limits you have a good basis to face the hardest routes, but you have to follow an appropiate training.

2° If you want to try this adventure you have to rise your resistance force.

1. Before starting your training, warm up on a level route for 30-minute.
2. On the first your biking will consists in low number of spin pedal up no hard slopes.
3. Progressively increase the spin pedal number and the hardness of slopes.
4. Start to train on long routes of 20 Km about 10 % medium slope: this level is the goal of your training.

If you can repeat more times the n° 4 point you are ready to try the hardest bike routes in Italy

[Mortirolo, one of the hardest bicycle tracks in Italy - credit: renschmensch]

3° Alternate the training and rest days: during a week you can ride four days. Repeat this practice for 2/3-month

4° It is better to assure of your health condition by a physical examination

5° Combine the training with the correct nutrition LINK ALIMENTAZIONE

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[Italian Spaghetti - credit: Gio JL]

You need to pay attention to nutrition to train well and bike on difficult routes.

Italy has a great selection of typical foods. It could be a great idea to join the health benefits of fresh food wiith your nutrition requirements.

What to eat before a cyclotour?

• Carbohydrates
• Fructose
• Proteins

These are nourishments that you should feed in the right measure also during training time.

The right diet consits in 5 meals a day

Don’t hope that doping is a real solution to replace a good training. This is a dangerous method that threaten your health. Anabolic steroid and other substances are dangerous and outlaw.? Protein supplements are the result of chemist elaborations such as freeze-dry of low quality milk, You can find good proteins in white meat and eggs.

Suggested Italian Foods to eat

Here an exhaustive list of the aliments: (Click here to read the Mediterranean food pyramid)

• Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes
• Vegetables: Spinach, Cauliflowers, Carrots, Eggplants, Tomatoes, broccoli, capsicum, capers, garlic and onion
• Fruit: Olives, Grape, Oranges, Lemons, Apples, cherries, Strawberries, peaches, apricots
• Legumes: beans, peas
• Fruit: Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachio nuts
• Oil of olive
• Honey
• Milk and cheeses
• White Meat (chicken, rabbit, turkey, etc…) and fish (fish sword, sardines, tuna, clears)
• Eggs
• Red meat (veal, lamb, etc…)
• Water

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[credit: DBarefoot]

Here some answers to common questions most cycle tourists request Us.

Where are the best cycle tracks in Italy?
Florence, Tuscany. But there are other place with natural cycle tracks in the path of the coutryside of Tuscany, Sicily coast, Apulia inland

What places are worth a visit in Italy?

• Sicily (link sicily generico)
• Tuscany (link tuscany generico)
• Campania (link campania generico)
• Apulia (link apulia generico)
• Sardinia (link sardinia generico)
• Mortirolo (link the hardest italy bicycle routes)
• Mount Etna (link north sicily bike tour)
• Tremiti Islands (link apulia coast tour)
• Historical Places (LINK scenica areas e historic tuscany cities and campania)

What’s the weather like in Italy?
The Italian weather is stable. You don’t need particular dress or other similar. You have to consider that during the winter the temperature is more hot on respect the other European country. It rains during November to March.

Consider also that each region has its typical climate. It’s not easy to find out a general pattern about Italy. The best way is to check the weather forecast fro the specifi region You want to travel in.

Take as example Mount Etna in Sicily. The Etna temperature: during a visit in the summer months it is easy to climb the Etna and find low temperatures cause the fast changement of the atmosphere conditions.

What is the Best period for biking in Italy?
Spring is the best period to avoid the hot summer temperature of south Italy, and the cold rained winter of the north

Who can do a bike tour of Italy?
Every people that is fit or healthy can bicycle in Italy. Consider your physical level before choosing a tour.

How to rent a bike in Italy?
Every place where is possible to bike has the proper bike rental service

How to carry a bike on train?
Most regional trains in Italy now take bikes. There will be a bike symbol on the list of leaving trains at the station and on the TrenItalia website (www.trenitalia.com). You’ll need to pick a destination and see which trains accept bikes.

As well as your train ticket, you will need to buy a ticket for the bikeof 3.50 Euro on regional trains. The ticket has two parts; one to attach in the handlebars of your bike using the adhesive strip and the other to keep with your train ticket. The ticket is 24 hours valid.

Suggestions: Remember in small-town stations the train stops only for few minutes, so you’ll want to be ready with your bike to get off.

Other solutions: An alternative is to put your bike in one of those vinyl bike carrier bags.

How much cost to book an accommodation?
Accommodations in Italy apply two rates:

• High season (July, August) where prices increase.
• Low season (the rest of the year) where prices are much lower

When is it possible to shop?
Usually in Italy all stores open for all the week from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 21:00 o’clock with a break during the afternoon. In the afternoon it is probable to find some bar or restaurants open.

• Some shops close during the last two weeks of August.
• Archaeological sites open from 9-13 AM and 4-8 PM from Monday to Friday.
• Museums open from 9-13
• Churches open in the morning from 8 till 12, and some open after 4 PM.
• Most shops close Monday morning and on Sunday. In particular period such as Christmas they open Sunday too.

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[Traveling by Bike is Cheaper... - credit: Jeff_Werner]

Cheapest Places

Restaurants - If you want to taste local food you should choose the various Agroturismi (farmhouses) attending in Italy. Fixed price of menù includes all the entreès and it is around 30 Euro. South italian places are cheaper than North Italy.

Bike Rentals - Italy is rich of not expensive bike rental services.? Renting a bike will keep You fit and cheap:

• You won’t pay for public transport ticket
• You won’t pay for a taxi (expensive in italy)
• You will enjoy landscapes riding your bike, stopping your route where and w