I had never thought I would ever go on a cycling holiday in Italy, my homeland. However, the “Venice to Florence” cycle tour is one of those that I am responsible for at Eurobike. This, and the desire to rediscover my beloved Italy on two wheels, led me to choose this journey.
I start early one morning, heading towards Padua, to pick up my parents who will accompany me on this tour. We reach our first hotel in Mestre without problems, and were warmly welcomed by the hotel staff.
The Eurobike Station in Venice welcomed us and six other guests. We received information about the journey and were eventually given our rental bikes.
Full of excitement about the start of our journey the next day, we enjoy the first evening with a good pizza and a beer.
After an authentic Italian breakfast of cappuccino and brioche, we hop onto our bikes for the first stage of our journey. Chioggia, the little Venice, is waiting for us. We begin to catch a view of the city as we pedal over the long Liberty Bridge (Ponte della Liberta) to the dock for the ferry to Lido. Crossing to Lido offers a breathtaking view of St Mark’s Square while the sun warms our hearts.
Arriving in Lido, we ride along the lagoon for a beautiful section to Pellestrina, where we board a boat for the last time to reach our destination. The sea and sky are already blushing pink and red as we glimpse Chioggia on the horizon.
At the end of the day, we enjoy a well-deserved plate of spaghetti with clams in the small side streets of Chioggia.
After a fantastic breakfast with sea views, we leave the lagoon and travel into the Veneto countryside. We feel at home, cycling along familiar roads and discovering new and hidden places, such as the Oasi del Gorgo Leze, a small wetland nature reserve in the middle of the countryside.
After a short lunch break in the village of Cavarzere, we cycle further along small canals and reedbeds and reach the town of Adria in the early afternoon. A friendly local proudly shows us his town and gives us tips about some restaurants for the evening. With a platter of sausages and cheese, we enjoy the evening in beautiful Adria.
With superb weather, we set off on today’s stage, leading us roughly 65km further to Comacchio. We cycle a few kilometres in the Venetian region before reaching the Ferrara province in the Emilia Romagna region. This stage essentially runs through the Emilia Romagna backcountry, but we also catch several glimpses of the lagoon.
Making a short diversion to Cannavie Oasis is worthwhile, where you can observe different bird species in their natural habitats. We reach Comacchio at sunset and enjoy the last rays of sunshine in the small canals of the region.
Today, we take a long and relaxed ride through the regional park of the Po Delta (Parco Regionale del Delta del Po), a natural jewel in the heart of Emilia Romagna. Here, the beautiful pink flamingos nest and can be admired in all their splendour.
This is also where my favourite place on the tour is located, the Casone Donnabona. A casone is a traditional fisherman’s house where the local fish delicacy, eel, is caught.
After crossing the park, we return to the main road and reach our destination, Ravenna. Our host, Marco, welcomes us with open arms and shows us a great place for dinner. When in Ravenna, you must try the local flatbread, Piadina Romagnola.
After Ravenna, we leave the sea behind us for the rest of the journey. In the distance, the first foothills of the Apennines can be seen. We decide to make a short stop in the town of Faenza, where cafés and restaurants invite you to have an ice cream or a cappuccino. A few kilometres away from Faenza, we can already see the first houses from the town of Brisighella, our destination for today.
Brisighella is a small village nestled in the hills. From the castle, you have a wonderful view of the Apennines. We enjoy a delicious dinner on the terrace of our hotel.
The day begins with a short train ride to Borgo San Lorenzo. From here, we get on our bikes one last time and start a gently rolling ride up and down through the Tuscan Apennines. Thanks to our e-bikes, we can also conquer the more challenging climbs without any problems, and after about 35km, we are already in sight of Florence.
Before we reach our hotel, we spend a little time in the Florentine streets and enjoy seeing the tourist sights like the Piazza del Duomo with its famous dome and the Ponte Vecchio.
After a relaxing dinner in the hotel garden, we take a short evening stroll through the city centre and reminisce about all the beautiful moments we have experienced in the last few days.
On our journey through the Parco Regionale del Delta del Po in the heart of Emilia Romagna, I encountered one of the places I particularly liked on my cycle tour: the Casone Donnabona. It is a small fisherman’s house for catching eels, a typical culinary speciality of the Comacchio region. We came across the casone almost by chance and immediately fell in love with it. From here, you can also admire the lagoon birds, even the beautiful pink flamingos that nest here, and all their splendour.
