Whether for training or simply for a picnic, riding a mountain bike through nature is one of the most beautiful experiences for cycling enthusiasts. Here are some MTB trails you must try sooner or later.
The magic of MTB
Mountain biking is a magical discipline, allowing you to explore places that are difficult to reach by other means: too far to cover on foot and impossible to tackle by road bike, much less by car. Mountain biking can take you to unique places, completely immersed in nature, to mountaintops and through beautiful forests, and even on mixed trails: asphalt, dirt, gravel, dirt... in short, with a mountain bike you can go anywhere.
Luckily for us, Italy offers a truly incredible number of opportunities for those who love mountain biking and exploring places of rare beauty. We've already seen the most beautiful cyclocross routes , now let's discover some of the most beautiful mountain bike itineraries in our country.
Tour of the Island of Cà Venier
This is a splendid route in the Po Delta Park in Veneto. An easy mountain bike route , suitable for everyone, 51 km long and with very little elevation gain. There are no particular technical difficulties to overcome, and you can ride on both asphalt and dirt roads.
It is a circular tour, starting and finishing at Cà Venier, in the municipality of Porto Tolle, in the province of Rovigo.
The route begins by pedaling south, on the paved road that runs beneath the main embankment of the island, near the Po di Venezia. Here, you can admire a vibrant countryside, with the green of growing corn and the yellow of ripening wheat mingling, creating a unique blend of hues. You cycle along this road to Cà Zuliani and from there, continue east, following the signs for Pila.
The route climbs up the main embankment until reaching the easternmost point, where the road turns into a dirt road and leads to the small port of Pila. Continue on the dirt road, then return to the previously used asphalt road that leads back to Cà Zuliani. From here, continue pedaling north to the town of Boccasette, then on to the Lido di Boccasette. Here, there's a public beach and the view is quite spectacular. This is the perfect spot for a quick break. You then begin pedaling on grassy trails above the main embankment, offering a stunning view of the marshes. Return to Boccasette and rejoin the asphalt road, this time heading west, still below the embankment. From here, you pedal back to Cà Venier, where your tour concludes.
A mountain bike trail truly suitable for bikers of all levels . Easy, beautiful, and fun...in short, what more could you want!
Ballabio Tour
We're in Lombardy, on a medium-difficulty route. It's just 28 kilometers long, but with an elevation gain of about 800 meters and some fairly challenging sections. A mix of asphalt and dirt roads.
The route starts and finishes in Ballabio, a municipality in the province of Lecco. From here, you begin by pedaling south on the Valsassina state road , following the signs for Morterone. You pass through the town on a narrow road, and after the town center, the route begins to climb, with a medium gradient and numerous switchbacks.
As the road climbs into the valley, you can admire a wonderful view of Lecco, with Monte Barro in the background. The climb continues, hairpin bend after hairpin bend, with the gradient becoming gentler and featuring a few short downhill stretches. You reach the Forcella di Olino pass and continue until you reach the town of Calec. Here, you take a dirt road and follow the signs for the Passo di Culmine di San Pietro . The route becomes increasingly interesting, with long stretches of unpaved dirt road , steep gradients, and a section with fairly large rocks. So be strong, but also careful. The climb is pleasant, and if done in midsummer, you'll almost always be riding in the shade of the woods, with some sections offering beautiful views of the Resegone and Zuccone Campelli mountains. You arrive at the Bocchetta di Ferrera, before completing the ascent to the Passo di Culmine di San Pietro, at an altitude of 1,258 meters.
From here, we begin the return journey, descending along a dirt road towards Maggio. For the first stretch, we retrace our steps, but shortly after, we turn right onto a grassy road, which then becomes a dirt road with rocks, requiring great caution. The route continues downhill until we reach Ussola. We continue along a few more hairpin bends and then continue on a dirt road, which is easier but has a few small climbs. Here we reach Maggio, from where we continue on a paved road until we reach the Valsassina state road. From here, we return to the starting point in Cà Venier.
A very picturesque MTB trail , just the right amount of challenging, not impossible, but suitable for those with at least some training in their legs.
MTB in the park
47 km and 1,400 meters of elevation gain : the route is quite challenging. We are in Emilia Romagna, in the province of Forlì-Cesena, on a loop within the Casentinesi Forest Park : perhaps the most famous loop of all the forests, for the extraordinary beauty of the landscapes it offers and the terrain on which you pedal, always very easy and fun in almost all seasons. The route does not present any particular technical difficulties, but it is certainly challenging in terms of the total elevation gain. We start from Biserno, climbing the road towards Poggio Lastra. First we pedal on asphalt, then on a dirt road. We climb and, once we reach the Passo del Vinco, we immediately turn right, along the ridge, passing through Casanova dell'Alpe and reaching Paretaio. From here we descend towards the Lama Forest and from the town of Cancellino we take the cycle path, considered by many to be the most beautiful mountain bike cycle path in Europe .
We cross the Lama Forest, a place of extraordinary beauty, which borders the Sasso Frattino nature reserve, the oldest in Italy, a UNESCO heritage site.
The climb becomes steady, reaching first Poggio della Sella, then Montegrosso. From here, you reach the beautiful meadows of San Paolo in Alpe, where we have two options for returning to Ridracoli. The first is shorter and leads to the Ridracoli reservoir, passing through the Crinale della Vacca and then turning right. The second option is longer... we choose this one! We descend towards Poggio Capannina along a long downhill road, with gravel and a few potholes that require careful attention. The road leads to Biserno, our starting point and our destination.
A beautiful mountain bike route, with a significant elevation gain, but always rideable roads. It's definitely suitable for more experienced bikers... but accessible to everyone! Those with fewer kilometers in their legs will just have to work a little harder.
Conclusion
The three routes described represent three different types and levels of MTB trails . The length of the route, the elevation gain, and the condition of the roads you'll be riding are all crucial details to know. Every biker should be aware of their own training and experience to choose the most suitable routes. The advice is to never take unnecessary risks by venturing into unknown or potentially difficult places. After all, Italy offers so many different types of trails that there's something for everyone to choose from.
KODIAK
