In our previous blogpost we suggested you how to spend a lovely Easter week-end pedalling through the land of olive trees, thus combining sport and nature.
At this time of the year, days are getting longer, the climate is warming up and you feel like breathing to the full in the open air… Cycling is an excellent exercise for everyone. Why? Here follow at last 5 good reasons why you should practice it.
1. IT IMPROVES OVERALL HEALTH
Greater resistance to stress, improvement of the muscle mass, resistance to seasonal illnesses. Cycling is the best natural antibiotic!
2. IT PROTECTS THE HEART.
Cycling prevents cardio-vascular diseases especially in elder people. Pedalling strengthens the heart and increases lungs ventilation.
3. IT BENEFITS THE ENVIRONMENT
Bicycles do not pollute. Better quality air is good for you and your lungs.
4. IT STRENGTHENS JOINTS
Cycling improves the muscle metabolism to the benefit of bottom, thighs and calves. Not only! It strengthens also the back muscles supporting the spine, so your back gets better too. And, above all:
5. CYCLISTS ARE MOST LIKED. Charming, intelligent, ecologists, generous and unselfish. A cyclist is the ideal partner! So what are you waiting for to jump on your bicycle and take a ride?
So, here follows another itinerary through the beautiful landscapes of Romagna.
Mills and wheels: Faenza – Brisighella – Faenza
Distance: 42,5 km
Uphill: 750 mts
Type of road: asphalt
An itinerary not very long, yet varied with beautiful landscapes. Departure from the capital of ceramic tiles, Faenza. After only a few kilometers, you will find yourself on the Romagna hills, amidst hectares of silence… The itinerary unwinds along trafficless roads, slightly uphill – with only very few exceptions you can manage with a little extra effort. First, you cross the Parco della Vena del Gesso Romagnola, one of the most important geological formations of the Apennines between Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany.
Once you get to Brisighella, take a walk through the medieval narrow streets of the old village where ancient inns and shops are still open. There is the famous “Via degli Asini” (Donkey street), an elevated street taking day light from a number of arch windows. Just outside the center, you can visit the Open-air Olive Oil Museum or enjoy some oil tasting inside the Cooperativa Agricola Brisighellese that groups several local olive oil producers. Once you leave Brisighella and the Valley of Lamone River, you will get back crossing the countryside around Faenza. The itinerary is nearly never flat, but it is so much more interesting, with a new scenery after each bend.
” target=”_blank”>Link to the roadmap>>
Maria Cristina Merloni is a specialized cycle touring guide and a training tourist guide. She has taken her bicycle to every continent, but she is convinced that Romagna is the most beautiful place in the world where pedalling can be real fun. She is a graphic designer by profession and makes cycle touring promotion also for the Batani Select Hotels group. (www.digibike.it). Info: cristina@cristinamerloni.it – +39 338 8684258