THE EUROPEAN NORTH-SOUTH CYCLEWAY, FROM TRENTINO TO VENETO AND EMILIA

STAGE 5

(Mirandola - Bologna, 65 km)

The stage from Mirandola to the very centre of Bologna, the capital of Emilia Romagna, and one of Italy’s major towns and metropolitan areas, runs largely on a cycle path created a few years ago on a disused railway line. Here is a short history.

Although crucial from a transport standpoint, and effectively the continuation of the Brenner route from Northern Europe to the Po Valley, the Verona-Bologna line operated as a single track for a long time, with unavoidable impacts on service efficiency. Debate over whether and when to upgrade it dragged on for decades without tangible outcomes; it was only after a tragic 2005 train accident in Crevalcore, a town on the line, that doubling and modernisation finally began. Much of the original single-track line was ultimately decommissioned, as in several sections it was considered more effective to construct the new double-track line on a nearby, separate alignment rather than add a second track alongside the existing one – particularly between Gazzo Veronese and Ostiglia (around 5 km) and between Poggio Rusco and Osteria Nuova (about 40 km). The shorter section is currently out of use, while the longer one has been taken over by the Metropolitan City of Bologna, which acts as the contracting body for ministerial funds supporting the Sun Route in Emilia-Romagna. In this way, the former railway alignment – running alongside the active line, except where it diverges to serve stations still in operation – has been re-purposed for cycling and walking. It has become a high-quality route that offers a peaceful journey through the rural landscape while linking sizeable towns (San Felice sul Panaro, Crevalcore, and San Giovanni in Persiceto, each with its own station), which, thanks to this infrastructure, have unexpectedly gained new visibility as tourist destinations.

We leave the centre of Mirandola, piazza Costituente (km 0.0) heading north along the SS12 State Road, which has a wide mixed-use path, then after 300 m we turn right into via Gramsci, and continue on the mixed-use path until the train station (km 4.0): we will notice the signs indicating the Sun Route next to the building, which we follow southward. This marks the start of a long, uninterrupted ride of just over 40 km on a fine path that runs parallel to the active double-track railway (indeed, the route starts about 7 km north of Mirandola station, at the regional border south of Poggio Rusco). Well-placed signage clearly marks side junctions; the only interruptions are the urban crossings of the three larger towns, each served by active stations, where regional trains are equipped to carry bicycles. In summer, this intermodal service provides more than 60 bicycle spaces between Bologna, Verona, and the Brenner Pass. At km 8.8 you leave the tracks for the first time, pass under them and enter the centre of San Felice sul Panaro, go past the railway station (km 11.2), and rejoin the active tracks a little later (km 12.2). There is another short deviation near the Camposanto train station (km 16.9) to cross the river Panaro, after which you continue straight on close to the active tracks, past the former Bolognina station (km 19.7). At km 22.0, in the borough of Crevalcore, you turn left onto Via Fornace, following a well-maintained dirt road. After a short section on a mixed-use path alongside the SP9 Provincial Road, you continue following the signs as you cross the town centre, near the station (km 25.5), and rejoin the route alongside the tracks at km 26.9. The next interruption of the continuous route is at km 33.3 to enter San Giovanni in Persiceto: you turn left into via Cavamento, then right into via Lupria and right again into via Permuta, at the end of which you rejoin the railway line, which you then follow on its eastern side; to reach the town centre, however, you need to pass under the tracks (which is possible on via Cento at km 36.6). The clearly signposted cycleway continues east of the railway, returning alongside the tracks once and for all no sooner than km 40.9. It then continues without any other interruptions until the current terminus on the abandoned section, close to the station of Osteria Nuova (km 44.9). From there, while waiting for the City's Metropolitan Authority to finish the work and provide a dedicated cycle connection to central Bologna, we recommend a mixed route of about 20 km, combining several long stretches on segregated paths with sections on shared roads, mostly very quiet. From the end of the bike path, we head towards the square in front of the Osteria Nuova station to take the underpass to the other side of the tracks. After that (km 45.4), we follow the bike path keeping to the left and then to the right, onto Via De Gasperi, where we turn left, then take Via Gramsci on the right (km 45.7), where we will be on cycle lanes for a long stretch. We then turn left into via Ferrovia (km 46.5), which we follow until it comes out onto a main road, via Valtiera (km 47.6): at the crossroads we follow the signs for the airport and Calderara, go over the railway on a viaduct, taking care to remain on the shoulder. Once on the other side of the railway tracks, we keep following the signs and turn right into the first street, via Bazzane (km 48.2), continue for about 2 km, then turn right into the path on via delle Mimose (km 50.0), then left in via Turati and right in via Roma, in the centre of Calderara di Reno. At the junction with Via Garibaldi and Via Rizzola Ponente (km 51.3), continue straight along Via Roma, which goes through a rural area and shortly after (km 51.8) an underpass with a bollard to block vehicle access. Further ahead (km 52.2) we will find another underpass, this time clearly for cycle and pedestrian use, which leads onto a blue segregated path next to Via della Torretta, very close to Bologna's Guglielmo Marconi airport (you will likely see aircraft taking off or landing): follow the path and you arrive at the Calderara-Bargellino station (km 53.2), of which we use the cycle and pedestrian underpass. Once on the other side, right in the middle of the Bargellino industrial estate, we continue following the blue path in via Piretti, via Pizzoli and via Finetti. At the intersection with Via Commenda (km 54.2), the blue paint fades, but the path continues on the right as a mixed-use path. This leads to a roundabout, where you take the second exit, then turn left, right, and left onto Via Sant’Agnese. After 100 m, join the cycle path starting on the right, passing between two industrial complexes. After 300 m, we turn left on via Persicetana (km 55.0) and ride along it for quite a while, finally entering the municipal territory of Bologna. At the intersection with Via della Salute (km 55.8), keep to the right, passing under the A14 motorway first and then – using the elevated cycle path on the left side – cross the Milan–Bologna railway line. The path continues to the left above Via Bencivenni, which you cross, leading after another 200 m to a third underpass, this time beneath Bologna’s North Ring Road (km 56.4). After the ring road we enter the Borgo Panigale neighbourhood: follow the marked cycle path, turn left onto Via Biancolelli, then left again at the end onto Via Bombelli. Shortly after (km 56.6), turn right onto Via Panigale, a long straight road that passes under both the North Ring Road and the A14 motorway (km 57.2). Continue slightly to the left onto Via Sciesa, using the mixed-use path on the right, and after 300 m you will reach the neighbourhood's railway station, on the Porretta Terme line. Use the station's pedestrian and cycle underpass, continue straight onto Via Emilia Ponente and then, passing under the viaduct of the SS9 Via Emilia, turn right onto Via del Faggiolo; at the small, coloured roundabout (km 58.3) take a left, then immediately after the next junction with via della Pietra (km 58.5) take a right onto the bike path in the Mario Corsini park, and after 150 m take a left into the bike path on viale Togliatti. You will now follow the bike path on the avenue for a long stretch (you cross over after 700 m, immediately after crossing the river Reno) until the large Luciano Romagnoli roundabout (km 60.3), which you cross using the marked bike path on the right. This leads you through the city’s monumental cemetery park, the Certosa, from which you exit onto the cycle path along Viale Gandhi (km 61.6): cross it, then take the bike paths on via Tolmino and via Sabotino. Crossing the SS64 Porrettana (km 62.5), in a section that acts as ring road, with a dedicated “bicycle ring road” in the middle, marks your official entry into Bologna's old town. Continue onto via Calari, then turn immediately left, into via della Grada. At the traffic lights (km 62.8) turn right into via San Felice, part of via Emilia, continue in via Ugo Bassi until the city's very heart, Piazza del Nettuno and Piazza Maggiore (km 63.9), with the backdrop of the city’s Asinelli and Garisenda towers. To reach Bologna's Central Station, all you need to do is continue in front of the piazzas on via dell’Indipendenza, or go a short way back on via Ugo Bassi, then on via Oleari and via Galliera. Either way, you arrive in Piazza XX Settembre. Just cross the boulevard to reach the railway square (km 65.3).