The best 20 cycle paths in Italy to discover this spring

Is there a perfect itinerary to explore Italy from north to south by bicycle? In this article we suggest you the 20 most beautiful cycle paths in Italy that we have chosen for you among the best cycle tourism itineraries throughout the Italian territory.

With a variety of beautiful landscapes to admire - from the sea to the mountains and hills, from rivers and lakes to the plains, from the most remote corners of the cities to the most beautiful glimpses of wonderful hidden villages - discover the cycle paths in Italy, region by region, it is a unique and exciting experience for tourists looking for a new way of travelling, more immersive and dynamic.

What is the closest cycle path to you? Read on to find out: enjoy your ride!

Let's start our bike tour among the most beautiful cycle paths in Italy starting from the south. Here, the enchanting rural landscape of the Lucanian Apennines frames the Lagonegro-Rotonda cycle path, in the south-west of Basilicata, an itinerary that follows the old route of the Calabrian-Lucanian railway.

47 km long, seven fantastic villages to discover along the way and rises that reach an altitude of almost 900 m: a perfect itinerary, which can be covered in a few hours, for those who want to spend a day discovering stories and beautiful places riding their own bike.

Our tour continues moving to Calabria, a land capable of giving you a unique holiday traveling along the tracks of the Cycle paths of the Parks (Ciclovia dei Parchi) - Pollino, Sila, Aspromonte and Serre Calabresi - with a truly breathtaking panorama and surrounded by many tourist opportunities to know and experience the area.

The cycle path counts 545 km route which even exceeds 1300 m of altitude and dives in the wonderful Calabrian natural landscape, perfect for travelling within several days in the region. Among the most suggestive stages we suggest the paths of Castrovillari-Acquaformosa, Rovale-Mancuso, including a visit to the Arvo, Ampollino and Passante lakes, and Caraffa-Monterosso near the Angitola lake.

Imagine to ride your bike in peace and quiet, in total harmony with the surrounding natural landscape. All of this is possible in the next destination we suggest you: the Via Silente, a 600 km cycle path following the coasts and mountains of Cilento. We are in Campania.

The entire cycle path includes 15 cycle routes starting from Castelnuovo Cilento to discover places such as Roscigno, Sanza, Palinuro and Ceraso, until reaching to the top of Gelbison at an altitude of 1700 m. An itinerary to ride in silence, as the name itself suggests, a slow experience to fully enjoy the wonder of tourism in this reason.

A key stage of our tour discovering the most beautiful cycle paths in Italy: we are in the north of Apulia, destination Ofanto cycle path (Ciclovia dell'Ofanto).

Cycle tourism here is not just a trend, but a key factor which invites everyone, tourists and locals alike, to discover once again a territory with a tenacious identity. The cycle path rides along the river for all its course for about 150 km, crossing the Tavoliere up to the Adriatic sea, and for cyclists represents a real journey through beautiful rural landscapes, villages to discover and a lot of history and culture among important archaeological places from the Roman age.

By riding a bike along the Ofanto you will be able to gift yourself with a truly unique experience and discover a face that you didn't know before of this region.

It's time to land on the major islands for new fantastic adventures on two wheels: here we are in the wonderful Sardinia to discover its cycle paths exploring the entire island among breathtaking natural landscapes and amazing villages.

The cycle path system here counts almost 1150 km on 19 itineraries embracing the island, touching 115 municipalities and 45 natural areas: among the most beautiful routes, we suggest riding along the northern coast cycle path from Alghero to Olbia, passing through Porto Torres, Badesi, Santa Teresa di Gallura and Arzachena, or starting from Cagliari rising inland to visit the archaeological place Su Nuraxi near Barumini.

Now it's Sicily's turn, which offers cyclists the opportunity to explore by bicycle a wonderful natural reserve between the Ciane and Anapo rivers near Syracuse. It is a truly unique place and natural ecosystem: in fact, here papyrus grows spontaneously along these watercourses and it is possible to practice bird-watching of extraordinary species, especially flamingos.

The cycle path is about 12 km long following the Ciane, but it is possible to lengthen your itinerary by bike by exploring the saltworks or along the coast until you reach the city.

Let's go back to the mainland and go on in our trip along Italy passing through the center: next stop is Abruzzo, let's jump on our bikes and enjoy a beautiful ride overlooking the sea on the Adriatic Cycle Path.

The cycling path we suggest runs along the Abruzzo sea coast between Alba Adriatica and Roseto degli Abruzzi, a 45 km ride where you can enjoy the amazing landscape of the Adriatic Sea and discover these beautiful coastal towns. Our advice is to go there at dawn or at sunset to witness the wonderful meeting between the sun and the water!

Let's resume our tour from Molise, where we have chosen for you a cycle path that's as beautiful from a landscape point of view as it is difficult from a practical point of view: here is the Carpinone-Colle dell'Orso path, set in the panorama of the Apennines.

It starts from the village of Carpinone at about 600 m above sea level, where we suggest you to stop at the wonderful Carpino and Tura waterfalls: from here the ascent by bicycle starts, surrounded by green lands, passing through Sessano up to Colle dell'Orso at about 1300 m near Frosolone to then go back down. An experience certainly suitable for more expert and adventurous cyclists, who will be able to give emotions and satisfaction by discovering the hidden beauty of this region.

Our tour among the most beautiful cycle paths in Italy moves to Lazio, exactly to the Ciociaria, to discover a truly bautiful itinerary full of tourist opportunities: here is the Paliano-Fiuggi cycle tour.

This path allows cyclists to ride in the greenery of this splendid region, along a route of about 25 km which follows the course of an old railway and, starting from the countryside of Paliano and passing through the ancient villages of Serrone, Piglio and Acuto, rises up to Fiuggi. Here you can enjoy well-deserved relaxation at the thermal baths, among the best known and loved in the world.

Here we are in the Marche region, a wonderful place that will surprise you even more by visiting it on your bike: our next stop is the cycle path called Strade di Marca.

This nice name reveals a fantastic 113 km long cycling itinerary rising over 1000 m above sea level proposing a route which connects 26 municipalities and five valleys - Chienti, Potenza, del Fiastra, Vallesina, Tenna: here you can admire the amazing hills and woods of the territory and visit wonderful villages such as Cingoli, Apiro, Moscosi, Treia and Appignano.

Let's go now to the beautiful Tuscany to discover a fantastic itinerary suitable for everyone and for all tastes: we are talking about the Arno cycle path.

This route, about 270 km long and starting from the small village of Stia on the slopes of Falterona, crosses a large part of the region following the entire course of the river up to its mouth in Marina di Pisa, passing through many villages and cities such as Arezzo, Empoli, Pisa and of course the Tuscan capital. Don't miss the opportunity to visit Florence, perhaps even more wonderful by bicycle.

On our journey to discover the cycle paths in Italy we reach to the beautiful Umbria, the green heart of Italy, which offers tourists a spectacular experience to enjoy by bike: the Nera cycle path.

This cycle path, about 28 km long, follows the old railway track along the Nera river and crosses numerous and fascinating places such as Narni, Terni, Sant'Anatolia di Narco, Ferentillo, Arrone and the beautiful Marmore waterfall. An amazing itinerary to dive yourself in nature and discover the stories and beauty of this enchanting region.

Here we are, going further and further north on our tour of the most beautiful cycle paths in Italy. Our journey takes us to Emilia-Romagna to discover a truly unmissable cycling itinerary: the Grand Tour of the Savio Valley, a new icon of Romagna tourism.

The path develops for 172 km from the Adriatic coast inland rising up along the river to the source, towards villages and beautiful views to discover on your bike. It starts from Cesena stopping in places such as Bagno di Romagna, famous for its thermal baths, and Verghereto at about 800 m above sea level near the Fumaiolo, source of the Savio and also of the Tiber. From here, you can enjoy the descent back towards the coast, admiring the blue sea in the distance from the top of the Romagna's hills.

Keeping on riding, here we are at the next stage: the Ardesia Cycle Path, a journey that embraces the sea and the mountains in the unique landscape of Liguria.

The name comes from the main type of stone you can find in this area, where a cycle path of about 35 km develops which, starting from Lavagna, on the wonderful sea of ​​the Gulf of Tigullio, rises up the course of the Entella to discover beautiful villages hidden in the hills such as Carasco, San Colombano, Cicagna and Bassi di Tribogna. The strong points of this itinerary are the continuous changes of landscape and the low difficulty, making it a suitable destination for all cycle tourists.

Now we move to Piedmont to discover the cycle paths in the beautiful natural landscapes of the lakes of Avigliana, near Turin.

The two lakes, the Grande and the Piccolo, are part of a vast natural area, perfect to spend a relaxing day or weekend, even with the family. The tour around the lakes covers a path of just 8 km, perfect for a slow ride while admiring the beauty of the place. We also suggest you take a trip to the medieval village of Avigliana, full of unique views to snap with your camera!

Our tour of the cycle paths in Italy takes us to the Aosta Valley, where we offer you an enchanting itinerary framed in the fairy-tale landscapes of this region: let's talk about the cycle tourism paths of the Dora Baltea.

This route, which starts from Aosta to get to Verrès for about 50 km in length, is perfect for those who love to practice sports riding a bike in the tranquility of the surrounding landscape, however wthout ignoring the charm of discovery: in fact, along the route traced by the river you can approach and admire the beautiful villages and castles scattered throughout the valley, such as those of Chatillon, Fénis, Issogne and the Bard's Fortress.

The next stop on our journey is Lombardy, a region full of cycling itineraries to discover. Our suggestion for you? The Brembana Valley cycle path.

This route develops on the remains of an old railway and follows the course of the Brembo for about 30 km from Almè to Piazza Brembana. The most interesting feature of this cycle path is the presence of many tunnels dug into the rock, all illuminated, which will give you a unique cycling experience. Furthermore, the completely paved track makes this itinerary easy to follow and also suitable for less expert cyclists just looking for a nice ride on two wheels.

Let's move on with our bike tour to discover the Dolomites cycle path between Val di Fassa and Val di Fiemme: we are in the enchanting Trentino Alto-Adige.

What we offer to  you is a fantastic itinerary of about 48 km at about 1500 m above sea level in a wonderful landscape set in the heart of the mountains, to discover natural landscapes, hidden villages, stories and local culture. Enjoy relaxing days riding your bike in the shade of the Alps along the Avisio river and discover the beauty of unique locations such as Predazzo, Moena and Canazei.

We are approaching the end of our journey by stopping in Friuli-Venezia Giulia to discover the Trieste Karst and its cycle paths.

The route, about 22 km long, starts from Trieste and rises up the karst plateau in the hinterland between Opicina and Basovizza to discover suggestive landscapes between rocky hills, caves and woods with the sea in the background, not far away. For more curious and expert cyclists who will to explore the area, it is possible to extend the ride towards the natural reserve of the Rosandra stream.

Here we are at the end of the tour among the most beautiful cycle paths in Italy. We end with a truly fantastic stage: the Euganean Hills Cycle Path.

This route, immersed in the beautiful hilly landscape of the Padua area, revolves around the park of the Euganean Hills for 63 km where you can relax on your bike. The best path to follow? We advise you to start from Padua and head south-west towards Abano Terme and then continue riding along the borders of the park: here you can admire the delightful panorama of the hills and discover beautiful places such as Montemerlo, Lozzo Atestino and Monselice.

Spectacular this bike tour to discover the most beautiful cycle paths in Italy! The Bel Paese is truly among the best destinations in the world for bike tourism, offering travelers wonderful glimpses of natural landscapes, villages and cities full of stories to discover.

Have you already chosen your favorite cycle path for your next cycling trip in Italy? Here are the cycle paths in Italy we talked about in this article, from south to north:

- Lagonegro-Rotonda cycle path in Basilicata;

- Cycle path of the Parks of Calabria;

- Cycle paths of the Via Silente in Cilento in Campania;

- Ofanto cycle path in Apulia;

- Sardinia cycle paths, with routes in the south and north of the region;

- Cycle path of the Ciane and Anapo rivers in Sicily;

- Adriatic cycle path in Abruzzo;

- Carpinone-Colle dell'Orso cycle path in Molise;

- Paliano-Fiuggi cycle path in the Ciociaria in Lazio;

- Cycle path Strade di Marca in the Marche region;

- Arno cycle path in Tuscany;

- Nera cycle path in Umbria;

- Grand Tour of the Savio Valley in Emilia-Romagna;

- Ardesia cycle path in Liguria;

- Cycle paths of the lakes of Avigliana in Piedmont;

- Dora Baltea cycle path in Valle d'Aosta;

- Valle Brembana cycle path in Lombardy;

- Dolomites cycle path in Trentino-Alto Adige;

- Cycle paths of Karst in Friuli-Venezia Giulia;

- Cycle paths of Colli Euganei in Veneto.