Marche, signature cycle routes

Marche ciclovie d'autore

The breeze on your face, the sun peeking over the horizon, the trails surrounded by nature, and the landscapes you don’t expect. Le Marche is the ideal territory to get around on a bike and stock up on emotions that would not be possible to experience in a car. And “Marche Outdoor” is the project under the banner of green vacations promoted by the Region to network and enhance the secondary roads that cross the Marche region: a network of 2 thousand kilometers of cycle paths, divided into 24 routes between the sea and the mountains, suitable for all types of cyclists: a few stages for those who are beginners or do not intend to take on demanding challenges, long trails to conquer the most perched villages for the more experienced. At the slow pace of the bike you can thus appreciate the breathtaking views and rich biodiversity of the Conero Regional Park, the castles and villages of the Verdicchio lands or the woods and abbeys around the Frasassi Caves. You will be spoiled for choice.

From the Conero to the lands of Verdicchio

There are three routes in the province of Ancona designed to accompany the bicycle tourist in discovering this multifaceted corner of the Marche region. Three itineraries in concentric circles – the so-called “Ancona Rebirth” – that wind from the coast to the border with Umbria, crossing ever-changing scenery, but at the same time united by perfectly cyclable arteries. The starting point of this evocative journey is the Conero Regional Park, the iconic limestone promontory that, literally breaking this stretch of coastline in two, creates a physiognomy that has no equal in the entire Adriatic. Its protected natural area encompasses the territory of Ancona, the verdant bay of Portonovo and the beautiful villages of Sirolo and Numana. Leaving the sea behind, the advice is to reach the ancient village of Osimo, or stop in Jesi and from there explore the Verdicchio hills: a handkerchief of land dotted with castles and farmhouses, famous for the native grape variety that owes its name to the characteristic green reflections of its grapes.

Panorama Sirolo
Sirolo – Ph. Mariusz Hajdarowicz/shutterstock

Frasassi Caves, the magic of water

It is an intact and lush nature that one comes into contact with by following the third ring of “Ancona Rebirth”: a nearly 90-kilometer-long route developed entirely in the Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi Regional Natural Park, a protected area where wolves, deer, eagles and peregrine falcons live. A few kilometers from the fortified town of Genga are the Frasassi Caves, a grandiose complex of underground caves carved by the erosive waters of the Sentino River, which for millennia has shaped these places, creating cliffs and cavities of cyclopean dimensions. A veritable underground kingdom where the bizarre shapes of stalactites and stalagmites evoke castles filled with spires and pinnacles, giants and curious animals. But the area around the Frasassi Caves has always been at the center of the routes that connected Rome to the Adriatic, and this is enough to explain the lushness of convents, sanctuaries and abbeys. Places of spirituality such as the Hermitage of Grottafucile, the Abbey of San Vittore alle Chiuse or the Hermitage of Santa Maria Infra Saxa.

Grotte di Frasassi

Sassoferrato, the archaeological park of Sentinum

Mountain trails, relaxation in nature and archaeological walks. With its variety of landscapes, the medieval town of Sassoferrato offers endless possibilities for lovers of cycling and outdoor activities. Its landmark monument is the Rocca di Albornoz, a massive military construction erected in the 14th century by Cardinal Egidio Albornoz with the money raised from the sale of property confiscated from the Atti family, to whom the village was founded. South of Sassoferrato is the archaeological area of Sentinum, an ancient Roman town that still preserves the paved streets, the cardo and decumanus, the remains of a thermal temple and the quadriporticus of a large building outside the walls. It was in the vicinity of this town that the famous “Battle of the Nations” took place in the 3rd century B.C., which sanctioned the decisive victory of the Romans over the Gauls, Senones and Samnites. But Sassoferrato is also known for the Abbey of Santa Croce, built in the late 12th century by the Counts Atti using materials from nearby Sentinum.

Sassoferrato, Rocca Albornoz
Rocca Albornoz – Ph. Francesca Sciarra/shutterstock

Fabriano, the paper town

One of the most picturesque villages to cycle through is Fabriano. Its territory stretches across a beautiful valley surrounded by the embrace of the hills and mountains of the Umbria-Marches Apennines. The prosperity of this medieval town is closely linked to the artisanal production of paper and the invention of a special filigree technique that has made it famous throughout the world. This ancient tradition is still relevant today when you consider that in 2013 Fabriano was designated a Unesco Creative City and a Paper and Watermark Museum was set up in the former convent of the Dominican fathers. Unusual and curious tours, on the other hand, lead to the Piano Museum, at the San Benedetto Monumental Complex, or the Mazzolini-Giuseppucci Pharmacy Museum, decorated with beautiful wood inlays. Also not to be missed is the village’s covered market, a must to taste the world-famous Fabriano salami, formerly appreciated by Garibaldi and now a Slow Food presidium.

Foto panoramica della città scattata dal monte di Civita

The American road of the Val di Chienti

The Val di Chienti’s “Italy Route 77” is one of the most striking cycle routes in central Italy. Like the legendary Route 66 that crosses the United States from east to west, this route cuts longitudinally through the region by tracing the disused State Road 77 that connects Foligno to the Macerata area, and then continues on secondary routes to Tolentino and Civitanova Marche. The section on the border with Umbria is dominated by the landscape of the Val di Chienti, a lush agricultural area north of Macerata in which hillsides planted with vineyards alternate with fields of corn and sunflowers. The area around the village of Serravalle di Chienti is dotted with natural springs used since ancient times for watering livestock and today have become providential stopping points for hikers. At Serravalle you can decide whether to climb to the Montelago Plateau or descend to the historic Gelagna Mill. Continuing on to the village of Sfercia you can admire the last remaining tower of the mighty Varano fortress.

Ciclovie Marche

Tolentino, between legend and nature

Halfway between the mountains and the coast stands the village of Tolentino. Its historic center, bordered for long stretches by 13th-century walls, can be reached by biking across the ancient Devil’s Bridge over the Chienti River. Legend has it that it was built in a single night with the help of the devil, who in return demanded the soul of the first person to cross it. A plan disrupted by the intervention of St. Nicholas, who mocked the devil by throwing a wheel of cheese to a small dog, who thus became the first living being to cross the bridge. In addition to the splendid Basilica of St. Nicholas, the bell tower of the Church of St. Francis, which has become the symbol of the village thanks to its unique four-dial clock that indicates the phases of the moon, Italic time, astronomical time, and the days of the week and month, should definitely be seen. Going along a scenic up and down road, you can reach the Abbadia di Fiastra Nature Reserve: an area rich in protected vegetation and fauna, ideal for spending moments in close contact with nature.

Tolentino, Castello della Rancia
Tolentino, Castello della Rancia – Ph. Maurizio Paradisi

Civitanova Marche, a village two historic centers

Those who love to soak in the blue sea, practice outdoor sports or ride along bike paths that plunge into the green will not fail to appreciate the sparkling atmosphere of Civitanova Marche. The town has a dual soul that is reflected in two distinct areas, both of which can be reached by bike: the Upper Town with its village enclosed within the walls of a medieval castle and its structure that has remained virtually unaltered, and the coastal part of Porto Civitanova, where the Roman municipality of Cluana once stood. In the early 20th century it became a favorite vacation destination for many inland nobles, such as Count Pier Alberto Conti, a landed aristocrat originally from Fiastra, who between 1907 and 1910 had Villa San Michele, a whimsical Art Nouveau residence, built. To savor the local gastronomy, one can push into the picturesque seaside village, where there is no shortage of perfect addresses to taste the ancient fish recipes, such as “li furbi con l’abbiti” (octopus with chard) or mackerel in red wine.

CIVITANOVA MARCHE Buffy1982 shutterstock 461194858Civitanova Marche – Ph. Buffy1982/shutterstock

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