Cycling

In Romagna you can go from the seafront to the hills in just a few kilometres. The Romagna coast offers cycle paths and flat stretches; the hills inland from Rimini and the Forlì-Cesena area add climbs, hill villages and country roads. Three pages on this site already gather routes around Rimini, Cattolica-Gabicce and Forlì-Cesena.

Coast and cycle paths

On the coast the ride is mostly flat: seafront promenades, urban cycle paths and links between the towns of the Riviera. From Rimini you can easily reach Bellaria, Cesenatico and the other seaside towns; from Cattolica and Gabicce Mare the coast continues towards Pesaro and Fano, with scenic stretches up to Gabicce Monte.

A concrete example is the Rimini - Santarcangelo - Cesenatico - Bellaria loop (61 km), rated easy in the Rimini cycling routes page. Another, from the same page, follows the coast as far as Fiorenzuola di Focara and Fano (107 km), still in the easy range.

Inland: Valmarecchia, Valconca and the fortresses

Leaving the coast, the Marecchia and Conca valleys climb towards fortresses and hill villages. The climbs get harder here: the Rimini - Montegiardino - San Leo - Villagrande - Mercatino Conca loop (105 km) is rated difficult in the Rimini page. From Cattolica, a loop through Tavoleto, Mercatino Conca, San Marino and Verucchio (121 km) is medium difficulty, with a maximum altitude of around 550 m in the Republic of San Marino.

The same valleys hold many of the fortresses and castles of Romagna: it is worth combining the ride with a stop in Verucchio, San Leo or Montefiore Conca. For an overview of the two valleys as destinations, see also Valmarecchia and Valconca.

Forlì-Cesena and the Nove Colli

Forlì is good for cycling in town: a cycle path along the river Montone, the old town around Piazza Saffi, stretches of Rationalist architecture. From here routes lead towards Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole, towards Cesena via Forlimpopoli and Bertinoro, and towards the sea along the Montone or Ronco as far as Cesenatico.

The Nove Colli is a cycling marathon that starts in Forlì and crosses the hills around Forlì and Cesena. It is not an “official” route on this site, but it is the best-known reference for anyone cycling in that stretch of hills: the local pages help build shorter rides on the same ground (for example Forlì - Forlimpopoli - Bertinoro, 17 km, or Castrocaro - Meldola - Rocca delle Caminate - Predappio, 53 km).

Ravenna and nature

Towards Ravenna the ride weaves through pine forests, salt pans and wetlands of the Parco Regionale del Delta del Po. This site does not yet have a dedicated page for cycling routes around Ravenna: for the natural context, the Nature in Romagna page remains useful. Among the links already listed in the Forlì-Cesena page is also the Ravenna - Cesenatico stretch (about 38 km).

Routes on this site

Three pages gather routes with distances and difficulty ratings:

• Cycling routes in Rimini (coast, inland towards San Leo, coast towards Fano)
• Cycling routes in Cattolica-Gabicce (towards Fano and an inland loop / San Marino)
• Cycling routes in Forlì-Cesena (town, hills, sea and a numbered list of routes)

Practical tips

Spring and autumn are the easiest seasons on the coast: less sultry heat, less summer traffic, still long days. In summer it is best to set off early or late and keep an eye on the sea breeze. For the climbs of Valmarecchia and Valconca you need the right gearing (or an e-bike); for the unpaved stretches along the rivers, a gravel or mountain bike suits better than a road bike.

Before setting off, check the state of the paths and local roads, especially after heavy rain on unpaved stretches. Carry water and a basic repair kit: services are not lacking between one town and the next, but inland routes often cover more than 100 km.